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Final reactors delivered to Pearl GTL project

November 24, 2009

Heavy lift carrier Jumbo Shipping and Jumbo Logistics will this month finish a two-year project transporting 24 reactors, each weighing 1,200 metric tons, to the Port of Ras Laffan for the massive Pearl GTL energy project. Construction of the Qatar gas-to-liquid refinery, which will cost between $18 billion and $19 billion, is expected to be completed in late 2010.   

The Jumbo Fairpartner transported 12 of the reactors from Rotterdam. Jumbo Logistics helped facilitate barging 12 reactors 200 miles to Ras Laffan from a fabrication site in Hamriyah, UAE. Jumbo Logistics designed a stooling plan for the reactors and, because a number of similar barge trips would be necessary, also designed a re-usable sea fastening system.  

Each reactor was rolled onto the barge using 16-axle self-propelled modular trailers. In order to place them onto the four stools positioned on the barge deck and because of load-spreading issues, the deck had to be raised with steel mats by 30 centimeters to provide unobstructed access for the SPMTs. The raised deck also allowed a larger tidal window for loading and offloading.   

Shell and Qatar Petroleum are building Pearl GTL and another energy project, Qatargas 4 LNG, in Qatar. Pearl GTL will be the world’s largest gas to liquid plant, according to a statement from Shell, converting natural gas into 140,000 barrels per day of liquid transport fuel and other products. The project will also produce 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of natural gas liquids and ethane. Construction should be complete by the end of 2010 and production will come online during the following 12 months. About 48,000 workers are engaged in Pearl GTL’s construction.

Contractors involved in Pearl GTL include KBR, JGC, Toyo, C,B&I, Kentz, CCI, Strabag, GAMA, ESS, Chiyoda, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Veolia, Saipem, Mammoet, Al Jaber and others, according to Shell’s website.

Tags: Jumbo Fairpartner, Jumbo Shipping, Pearl GTL, Qatar Petroleum, Ras Laffan, Shell Oil

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