Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) plan to build the multibillion-dollar Ras Laffan petrochemicals complex in joint partnership.

The scheme is currently at the study phase, but the tender for the front-end engineering and design (feed) for the proposed new ethane cracker is expected to be released in 2013. It will produce 1.4 million tonnes a year (t/y) of ethylene when completed, which will feed other units at the proposed complex. They will produce 850,000 t/y of high-density polyethylene, 430,000 t/y of linear low-density polyethylene, 760,000 t/y of polypropylene and 83,000 t/y of butadiene.