Almost one year after Shell (The Hague / Netherlands; www.shell.com) and Qatar Petroleum (QP, Doha / Qatar; www.qp.com.qa) inked a memorandum of understanding to study the development of a massive petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan / Qatar – see Plasteurope.com of 23.12.2010 – 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.

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.”