Qatargas’ Ras Laffan Terminal Operations (RLTO) celebrated on October 13 the loading of its 5,000th cargo, which is the equivalent of more than 2bn barrels of product.
The company’s latest achievement also marks the first cargo of ultra-low Sulfur diesel from Ras Laffan Port. Ultra-low sulphur diesel, with less than 10ppm of Sulfur, is an environmentally friendlier fuel produced by Laffan Refinery’s Diesel Hydrotreater, commissioned earlier this year.
RLTO is responsible for the storage and loading of all non-LNG liquid hydrocarbon products and bulk Sulfur in Ras Laffan Industrial City produced by the various end-users including Qatargas, Qatar Petroleum, RasGas, Laffan Refinery, Al Khaleej Gas, Dolphin Energy Limited, Qatar Shell GTL, Oryx GTL, Ras Laffan Olefins Company, and Barzan.
Qatargas CEO Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani said, “The celebration of the 5,000th cargo is, in fact, a celebration of the synergy between companies operating from Ras Laffan Industrial City.”
He emphasised that Ras Laffan Terminal Operations is a “vital part” of the supply chain for every producer in Ras Laffan Industrial City.
“This achievement would not have been possible without their cooperation and support. For Qatargas, this is a significant achievement, demonstrating our operational excellence and commitment to providing a high-level of service to all our customers and stakeholders,” he added.
Attending the ceremony on board the Torm Helvig were Mats Gjers, chief operating officer - Operations; Ahmad Helal al-Mohannadi, deputy chief operating officer - Operations; Abdullah Khalid Idris, RLTO manager; and other senior Qatargas officials.
The ceremony was highlighted by a celebratory cutting of a cake and the presentation of a commemorative gift to Captain Nilsa Kolundija of the Torm Helvig, which was headed for the UAE.
Gjers said, “The 5,000th loading was a significant milestone considering the diverse range of products and the scale of operations at Ras Laffan. This achievement demonstrates the excellent teamwork and coordination between RLTO and the various stakeholders involved.”
RLTO was launched in 2006 to set up a Single Operator in Ras Laffan for all liquid petroleum products storage and loading.
It was established around a concept of sharing; shared storage to reduce the overall investment in tanks and shared access to berths to reduce the overall investment required in both capital and operational costs for the port expansion.
The rapid growth in the variety of products and number of cargoes leaving Ras Laffan port provided a strong case to create this integrated operating group to provide the necessary level of coordination and capture synergies from economies of scale.
RLTO currently handles a wide range of products including condensate and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from offshore production; refinery products such as naphtha, jet fuel and diesel; and GTL production of naphtha, gasoil, and base oils. In addition, RLTO also operates the Sulfur plant and loads Sulfur ships with granulated Sulfur.
The facilities currently being operated by RLTO include the Common Sulfur Plant, Common Condensate Storage and Loading, Common Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Common Low Sulfur Condensate, Oryx GTL Loading, Qatar Shell GTL Storage & Loading, Port Expansion Project (Fresh Water Fire Fighting System), Volatile Organic Compound, Liquid Products Berths, and Laffan Refinery Tank Farm.
Having one single Terminal Operations group enables optimisation of cargo storage and exporting performance.
Vessel and berth scheduling is coordinated in order to provide buyers fast and efficient access to Ras Laffan. Sharing of personnel and resources creates operating expense synergies, benefiting all producers. Moreover, safety risks are also considerably reduced due to a fully integrated, centrally-coordinated operation.
