Qatargas celebrates 5000th loading by Ras Laffan Terminal Operations
Qatargas achieved yet another significant milestone when its Ras Laffan Terminal Operations (RLTO) celebrated the loading of its 5000th cargo on the 13th of October. This is the equivalent of more than two billion barrels of product, the company said in its press release.
The 5000th cargo also marks the first cargo of ultra-low Sulfur diesel from Ras Laffan Port. Ultra-low Sulfur diesel, with less than 10 parts per million 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.
Commenting on this achievement, Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatargas said:
“Celebration of the 5000th cargo is in fact, a celebration of the synergy between companies operating from Ras Laffan Industrial City. 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.”
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 loaded its first Cargo in January 2007.
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 optimization 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.