Royal Dutch Shell Group .com Rotating Header Image

The Peninsula (Qatar): Shell’s Pearl GTL technology very promising: CEO

Web posted at: 2/23/2007 8:31:10

Doha • The technology applied to Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) project to convert natural gas into clean fuels can later be utilised to produce hydrocarbon fuels and even biomass, Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chief Executive Jeroen Van der Veer said here yesterday.

For the long term, this technology can be very promising for energy consumers, Van der Veer told reporters on the sidelines of the stone-laying ceremony at Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Linda Cook, Shell Executive Director for Gas and Power, noted: “The technology is also very important for Qatar, because it allows the diversification and utilisation of its natural resources and accessing new markets for the natural gas.

Cook said that there is a huge market potential for products coming out of the 140,000 barrels per day of GTL fuels plant.

Explaining the GTL project’s potential, Van der Veer said: “Pearl GTL will help create upstream and downstream value for Qatar by converting natural gas into clean, valuable liquid hydrocarbon products. Economically robust and environmentally constructive, it is an exciting project for Shell.”

“The project also reinforces Shell’s leadership in GTL industry and the development of GTL technology,” he said. He said that the Pearl will be the largest GTL plant in size and scale, noting that it will be a real showpiece.

“The construction is now going on. We would like to start up the plant around the end of the decade,” said Van der Veer. “We will start with the production from the first train of all those clean liquids and about a year later the second train will follow.”

Upstream some 1.6 billion cubic feet of wellhead gas will be produced from the North Field, transported and processed per day to produce 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of condensate, liquefied petroleum gas and ethane.

Downstream, dry gas will be used as feedstock to produce 140,000 barrels per day of clean, high quality GTL fuels and products. The Pearl GTL project is expected to produce some 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent wellhead gas over the period of the Development and Production Sharing Agreement.

Shell says the establishment of a world-scale GTL project in Ras Laffan Industrial City will provide an attractive route for Qatar to utilise its vast gas reserves and create an entirely new and sustainable long term industry.

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Comments are closed.