The last major structural concrete for the giant Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Ras Laffan has been poured, Qatar Shell said. “Enough structural concrete has now been poured on the Pearl GTL site to build two Burj Khalifas or eight Wembley Stadiums. The last major structural concrete was poured at a height of 22m and completed a pipe rack in the heart of the second train of the huge plant,” Qatar Shell said. Pearl GTL is under joint development by Qatar Petroleum and Shell. Major construction is expected to be complete by the year-end with production ramp-up during 2011. Concrete for the Pearl GTL project has been supplied from a single dedicated batch plant onsite operated by Rabban Medgulf. Over 722,000 cubic metres of concrete has been mixed by the batch plant, at peak the production – enough to lay concrete a metre thick each month over an area the size of City Center Mall in Doha. Concrete has been poured using concrete pumps, each capable of lifting 50 cubic metres of concrete per hour to heights up to 30m. Andy Brown, executive vice president of Shell, said: “Pearl GTL is so large that every part of the project is a major undertaking. The structural concrete requirements were significant. I am pleased we have reached this milestone and look forward to successfully reaching many more over the coming months. I would like to congratulate Rabban Medgulf, who has delivered this concrete reliably and safely to all of our contractors.” Ivan Morgan, a director of the Rabban Medgulf JV, said: “This is one of the largest jobs we have ever been involved with. I would like to thank the whole team for working tirelessly to ensure that we delivered this huge volume of concrete successfully in line with our client’s requirements.” The Pearl GTL construction site is the largest in the oil and gas industry worldwide today and is the same size as Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens in London. Pearl GTL is the largest energy project ever launched in Qatar. It will produce liquid fuels, baseoils for lubricants and chemical feedstock from natural gas, opening new markets for Qatar’s natural resources. It will also produce significant quantities of natural gas liquids and ethane. http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=355941&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

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