DOHA: The Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, accompanied by a top-level Qatar Petroleum (QP) delegation paid a two-day visit to London on June 12 and 13 as guests of Shell.
The Qatari delegation was hosted at Shell Centre by Malcolm Brinded, Shell's Executive Director Upstream International and Andy Brown, Shell's Executive Vice President, on behalf of Peter Voser, CEO Royal Dutch Shell
The delegation headed by Dr Al Sada included Khalid Rashid Al Mansouri, Qatar's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the CEO of Qatar Petroleum International, a number of high officials from Qatar Petroleum, CEO of Qatargas, and the Managing Director of Nakilat.
The Qatari delegation and senior executives from Shell held working meetings during the two-days discussing the progress of Shell's two main GTL and LNG projects, Pearl GTL and Qatargas 4. They also discussed the two most recent projects that Shell have signed with Qatar Petroleum in 2010; the exploration license of the pre-khuff Block D acreage and the MoU to jointly study the development of a major petrochemicals complex in Ras Laffan. In addition, the Minister's delegation reviewed progress on the joint QPI, Shell, Petrochina refinery and petrochemical project in China.
The partners took this occasion to celebrate the sale of the first commercial shipment of GTL Product which coincided on the first day of visit, Sunday June 12. The sale marks the start of the production phase of the Pearl GTL project. Over the coming months production will ramp up from the first production unit ('train') of the Pearl GTL project.
The second train is expected to start up before the end of 2011. The plant is expected to reach full production capacity by the middle of 2012. It is the largest energy project ever launched in the State of Qatar.
The Qatargas 4 LNG project (70 percent QP and 30 percent Shell) is now producing at full capacity. The first LNG cargo from Qatargas 4 was delivered to Hazira, India in February.
Dr Al Sada said: "I am pleased with Shell's contribution to the development of the State of Qatar in both the LNG and GTL fronts; and more recently we are expanding our partnership to include exploration, chemicals and overseas in joint investments with QPI. With the start of production from Pearl GTL, Qatar can truly claim to be the GTL capital of the world."
Peter Voser, CEO Royal Dutch Shell said that Shell's history is founded on partnerships. "In Qatar this is exemplified by our work with Qatar Petroleum on two of the largest energy projects in the world and our strategic partnership to develop international projects throughout the energy value chain. We are honoured to host Dr Al Sada for the first time in Shell Centre and delighted to welcome our Qatari colleagues again."
© The Peninsula 2011
