Qatar Petroleum (QP) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two Japanese companies for the development of an integrated butadiene extraction and elastomer complex in Ras Laffan
Under the terms of the agreement, QP, along with Zeon Corporation and Mitsui & Company, will be undertaking a detailed feasibility study to evaluate the technical, commercial and economic aspects of the integrated world-scale butadiene and synthetic rubber/elastomer project.
According to QP, the feedstock will come from the Al-Sejeel Petrochemicals Complex and the Al-Karaana Petrochemicals Complex, both of which are currently under development, as well as from the existing plant of Ras Laffan Olefins Company (RLOC).
Butadiene will be extracted from feedstock and then converted into high-value elastomers like styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and polybutadiene rubber (PBR).
At the signing ceremony held recently in Doha, Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, Qatar’s minister for energy and industry, said that the MoU was an important step that added value to Qatar’s natural resources and created future value-chain opportunities.
“The elastomers from this project will create new opportunities to develop small and medium-scale enterprises and private industries in the downstream sector, as well as other automobile related industries,” he added.
Yoshimasa Fushimi, Zeon’s executive corporate officer, said that the introduction of a synthetic rubber industry using the company’s technology would contribute to Qatar’s development of related downstream industry and lead to the further strengthening of the partnership between Qatar and Japan.
Seiichi Tanaka, executive vice president of Mitsui & Company, said, “Ever since our equity participation in the Qatargas 1 LNG project back in 1989, Mitsui has been enjoying an excellent relationship with QP as partners in the Qatargas 3 LNG project in 2005, the Ras Laffan Refinery and its latest expansion, as well as the Ras Laffan C IWPP project. This butadiene and synthetic rubber project has the strong potential to be the first business opportunity in Qatar’s petrochemical sector and will enhance the value of your esteemed country's natural gas resources.”
