(Plasteurope) -- Almost one year after Shell and Qatar Petroleum inked a memorandum of understanding to study the development of a massive petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan/Qatar. The two players announced that they had taken their cooperation to the next level. At the beginning of December 2011, Qatari energy minister Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada signed an agreement with Shell CEO Peter Voser outlining the scope and commercial principles of the proposed petrochemical hub.
Specifically, the Ras Laffan complex - of which Shell will control 20% and Qatar Petroleum the remaining 80% of shares - is to include a world-scale steam cracker, fed by natural gas sourced in Qatar, as well as a 1.5m t/y mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant using Shell's "Omega" technology and a 300,000 t/y linear alpha olefins line, powered by Shell's higher olefin process (SHOP). Once operational, most of the hub's output is to go towards the growing Asian markets.
Specifically, the Ras Laffan complex - of which Shell will control 20% and Qatar Petroleum the remaining 80% of shares - is to include a world-scale steam cracker, fed by natural gas sourced in Qatar, as well as a 1.5m t/y mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant using Shell's "Omega" technology and a 300,000 t/y linear alpha olefins line, powered by Shell's higher olefin process (SHOP). Once operational, most of the hub's output is to go towards the growing Asian markets.
Welcoming the progression, Al-Sada said, "This critical petrochemicals project fits well with Qatar's strategy to strengthen and further diversify its growing chemicals industry and represents an important milestone on our journey to becoming a significant global petrochemicals producer."