Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi chairing the block session titled ‘Natural gas- the energy that makes a difference’ at the World Petroleum Congress yesterday
Technology has played a key role in realising HH the Emir’s vision of 77mn tonnes per year of LNG production for Qatar, says RasGas managing director Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi.
RasGas had a significant role in achieving this target, al-Mohannadi said at the first block forum titled ‘Natural gas - the energy that makes a difference’ at the World Petroleum Congress yesterday.
“RasGas has demonstrated its ability as a successful leader in the LNG industry through its commitment to safety, reliability, use of innovative technology and integration across the entire value chain. al-Mohannadi said chairing the session.
“Today, RasGas has seven LNG Trains in operation, two of which are mega-trains with a capacity of 7mn tonnes per year (tpy) each. These are amongst the largest in the world.”
Al-Mohannadi highlighted the growth of the Ras Laffan Port, which is now capable of simultaneously receiving LNG ships at six berths. Four berths are capable of receiving ships up to the Q-Max size.
“LNG ships have increased in size from the conventional 145,000 cu m carriers to the 266,000 cu m Q-Max ships. RasGas has 27 of these state-of-the-art vessels in its chartered fleet. This increase in size initiated a change in technology with a move from more conventional steam turbines to the modern slow speed diesel and diesel-electric propulsion,” al-Mohannadi said.
Hosting of the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Doha, for the first time in the Middle East, reflects Qatar’s major contribution to supplying safe and secure energy to a growing global market, he told the delegates.
It was a timely opportunity for the region’s top energy professionals and stakeholders to showcase advancements across the range of their operations, as well as for energy companies of the Middle East to demonstrate their growing credentials in a highly competitive market.
The block forum focused primarily on the latest technological developments in liquefaction and shipping and explored recent developments and innovations related to loading and discharge terminals.
RasGas Venture Group Manager Nafez Bseiso also presented a paper at the forum on the application of technological advancements in the LNG value chain.
“Qatar’s journey to become the largest LNG supplier in the world in a short period of 14 years has seen the development of some 14 LNG trains with the application of cutting edge technologies evolving during the period,” Bseiso said.
“The application of these technologies has resulted in enhanced efficiency and cost savings. It has helped not only to build bigger and more efficient facilities, but also contributed to the country’s development at an unprecedented pace. This includes a strong commitment to Qatari national development in all aspects of our business.
“The fundamentals of lessons learned have been effectively applied during this period to continuously improve, by either optimising the selected technology or upgrading to new technologies,” he said, adding that utilisation and application of new technology has been consistent throughout the “wells to wheels” concept.