The sale of the first commercial shipment of base oil from the Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant was completed, according to Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Shell.
The production of the first base oil sees the next step in the ongoing ramp up in the first production unit (train) at Pearl GTL plant. The second train is expected to start up before the year ends.
The plant is scheduled to reach full production capacity by the middle of 2012 when the plant will have the capacity to produce about 30,000 bpd, reported The Peninsula.
Once fully operational, Pearl GTL is expected to produce 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day from the North Field, which will be processed to deliver an expected 120,000 bpd of condensate, LPG and ethane and an expected 140,000 bpd of GTL products.
Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell, said: "The manufacture of high quality base oil and other products from natural gas demonstrates the depth of our technological expertise.”
GTL base oils represent an alternative starting point for the manufacture of finished lubricants.
