RasGas LNG And ExxonMobil Train 6 Inaugurated In Qatar

Even though “First Drop” had occurred on July 31, 2009, the official inauguration of the RasGas LNG and ExxonMobil Train 6 in Qatar was not held until Oct. 27 to coincide with RasGas LNG’s Tenth Anniversary in the LNG industry.

The event was held in the presence of the Emir of the State of Qatar as well as leading government dignitaries and representatives from the world’s top oil and gas companies. With a program of short films, speeches and dances representing the culture of each nation to which RasGas exports, the event paid homage to Qatar’s past and future in the LNG market.

Over a decade ago, Qatar was faced with a national debt of 80-90 percent of GDP. In 1999 the nation’s per capita income was US$21,389. Despite doubters who believed Qatar was too poor to fully invest and too far away from any viable markets, Qatar invested in LNG. Over the decade, this investment has proven sound. In 2007 the per capita income was US$67,000 (fifth-highest in the world) and in 2009 is estimated to be US$81,860. Economists estimate Qatar’s 2009 GDP growth to be at 8.5% and they further estimate a growth of 9.5 percent in 2010. Indeed, LNG has proven so lucrative that Qatar barely felt the global economic crisis and has remained one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

While oil also adds to Qatar’s GDP (the entire oil and gas sector contribute 60 percent), gas replaced oil in 2008 as the primary contributor. The source of Qatar’s newfound wealth is the North Field. With an estimated 900 Tcf of natural gas, the North Field is the largest non-associated gas reserve in the world.

With the addition of Train 6, RasGas’s production is now at 28.5 mta. This “mega train” alone has a capacity of 7.8 mta. Gas supplied to Train 6 will come from two new wellheads, Wellhead 6 and 8, yielding a combined total of 14 wells. These platforms are the first stationed in Block C of the North Field, making Train 6 and RasGas the first to export gas from the region. Additional offshore technologies include the “wet” pipeline model implemented to lower capital and operating costs.

Minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency are the keys to the success of Train 6, considering its production potential and the distance to its destined market, the U.S. To realize the full potential of Train 6, Qatar developed two LNG vessels, each of an unprecedented size. The first to be designed, and the largest, is Q-Max with a capacity of 265,000 cubic meters. It was developed to meet the berth dimensions at Ras Laffan, home to RasGas, as well as to accommodate the 1.5 Bcf/d production of Train 6.

While berths at Ras Laffan can accommodate such a vessel, many of the world’s receiving ports cannot. To efficiently serve these ports, Q-Flex was developed. Q-Flex is 50 percent larger than conventional LNG vessels and has a carrying capacity of 217,000 cubic meters.

Fueling and driving these vessels did pose a challenge at the design table. Steam engines were unable to effectively power either vessel. The final outcome was the coupling of twin diesel engines fueled by re-liquefaction. Through this process, the boil-off gas passes through a heat exchanger, is then re-liquefied and returned as cargo to the storage tanks. Not only does this approach fuel both vessels, but it also virtually eliminates cargo loss. The size and scope of the Q-Max and Q-Flex vessels have increased Qatar’s ability to compete in the LNG market by reducing transport costs 30-35 percent.