QP plots new refinery project

29 July 2005
Qatar Petroleum (QP)is studying the possibility of building a crude refinery, most probably at Mesaieed. The proposed 200,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) facility will have a product slate including distillates, bitumen and green coke, besides other hydrocarbon derivatives. QP already operates a refinery at Mesaieed and has recently awarded the construction contract for a $700 million condensate refinery at Ras Laffan (MEED 24:6:05).

About seven companies are understood to have responded to an initial query to carry out the project's pre-front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract. The respondents include Fluor Corporation and Foster Wheeler, both of the US and Parsons E&C, part of Australia's WorleyParsons. The invitation to bid (ITB) documents are due to be issued in mid-August.

The project will involve the construction of rectifying/distillation columns, hydrotreaters and related facilities at either a green- or a brownfield site. The successful pre-FEED contractor will establish the location and the total investment cost of building the refinery. While QP has suggested Mesaieed as a probable site, another option is Ras Laffan.

Mesaieed is home to Qatar's first refinery. In early 2002, a team of Germany's Lurgi and South Korea's GS Engineering & Construction completed its expansion, increasing capacity to 137,000 b/d (MEED 24:7:98). More recently, GS , along with Daewoo Engineering & Construction Company, also of South Korea, was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build the grassroots 146,000-b/d condensate refinery at Ras Laffan.

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