Qatar, Shell launch Pearl GTL project

July 27, 2006
Qatar Petroleum Co. (QP) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have launched the Pearl gas to liquids (GTL) project in Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 27 -- Qatar Petroleum Co. (QP) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have launched the Pearl gas to liquids (GTL) project in Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Shell will fund 100% of the project, which is now estimated to cost $18 billion—triple the original estimate.

The award of various engineering, procurement, construction, and management contracts for execution of the world-scale project has begun, Shell said.

The Pearl GTL complex will have two 70,000 b/d GTL trains and associated facilities. Products will include naphtha, diesel-like GTL fuel, normal paraffins, kerosine, and lubricant base oils.

The GTL plant will receive dry gas from a processing plant that will extract about 120,000 boe/d of condensate, LPG, and ethane from 1.6 bcfd of production from offshore North field.

Production from the first train is expected to begin in 2009-10, with start-up of the second train due a year later.