Qatar Petroleum - Gas-to-liquids

Gas-to-liquids

GTL projects received significant attention in Qatar the last several years, and Qatar’s government originally set a target of developing 400,000 bbl/d (64,000 m3/d) of capacity by 2012. However, cancellations and delays substantially lowered this. In February 2007, ExxonMobil canceled its Palm GTL project, which was slated to produce 154,000 bbl/d (24,500 m3/d). The company will instead develop the Barzan Gas Project, scheduled to supply 1.5 Bcf/d by 2012. The Oryx GTL plant is a joint venture of QP and Sasol-Chevron GTL, and has a 34,000 bbl/d (5,400 m3/d) capacity. The plant was commissioned in June 2006, but technical problems prevented the consortium from loading the first export until April 2007. In February 2007, Royal Dutch Shell held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Pearl GTL Project. The Pearl plant will be 51%-owned by QP, though Shell will operate the project with a 49% stake. The facility is expected to use natural gas feedstock to produce 140,000 bbl/d (22,000 m3/d) of GTL products. The project will be developed in phases, with 70,000 bbl/d (11,000 m3/d) capacity expected by 2010 and a second phase expected in 2011. The Pearl project will be the first integrated GTL operation in the world, meaning it will have upstream production integrated with the onshore conversion plant.