THE NEW QATAR SHELL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (QSRTC) was officially opened in April by His Excellency Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy & Industry, in the presence of Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director for Shell’s Exploration & Production Business.

‘Shell in the Middle East’ was at the event and spoke to Jeroen Moors, outgoing General Manager of the QSRTC, who arrived in Doha as Project Manager in 2003 with a brief to establish the Centre.

He said, “It has been a long, hard road but an exciting five years, from the conception of the idea to the official opening of this beautiful state-of-the-art, custom-designed research facility, which occupies over 16,000 square feet. The QSRTC will be used to develop a portfolio of research and technology activities which will focus on Shell’s current operations in Qatar and where these overlap with the interests of the State of Qatar. This has led to the development of four main programmes.

“The first programme is to carry out a modelling of the large and complex carbonate subsurface structures in Qatar’s massive North Field.

“The second is to look at the Gas to Liquids [GTL] processes and products and their technological development, with an emphasis on the catalysis process for Shell’s Pearl GTL plant currently under construction in Qatar. By the summer we will have our first catalysis testing facility here at QSRTC and a second by the end of the year. These testing facilities will be used to further develop and optimise the catalysts which form the heart of the Pearl GTL process.

“The third programme will study the development and early commercialisation of a range of uses for sulphur which will be produced as a by-product in the gas treatment unit of the GTL plant. Through QSRTC, Shell will continue to develop a number of unique products to put this sulphur to good use, including sulphur-enhanced asphalt, sulphur concrete and special niche products made from sulphur concrete, such as road kerb stones and sea wall defences. In fact, a 600-metre sulphur-enhanced asphalt road has been laid in Ras Laffan Industrial City to demonstrate the superior quality of this product.

“Pearl GTL will recycle all water generated by the process, or collected in the drain systems, in a zero liquid discharge system. A research programme is being conducted to study how this water can be used for irrigation in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture to enhance cross-learnings and technology transfer.”

Jeroen concluded, “I am sure that there will be many more chapters in the story of the QSRTC but I would like to thank all those people who have helped in the development of the Centre and our partners, Qatar Foundation and the Qatar Science and Technology Park, in which the QSRTC is situated.”

Taking up the story, Cas Groothuis, incoming General Manager, said, “Our first year will be spent establishing and growing the existing research and technology activities. The laboratory will soon be commissioned, allowing the research programmes to develop fully with state-of-the-art equipment.

“Parallel to our research programmes we will continue to expand the QSRTC as a learning hub, using our new facilities. Over the last five years we have held over 70 learning events at which we have taught in excess of 700 people.

“In 2006 Shell introduced the Intilaaqah programme in Qatar, which is part of Shell’s global LiveWire initiative to provide training and support for young people who want to set up their own businesses or to expand and grow existing businesses. Intilaaqah in Qatar is run under the auspices of the QSRTC, and to date the programme has trained more than 100 participants, eight of whom have started their own businesses.

“The QSRTC employs some 28 staff, from receptionists to research scientists, and we expect this number to grow to 35 by the end of the year. As a learning hub we run training courses which are related not just to Shell’s activities but to Shell’s wider global leadership, technology development and competency programmes. So the future is going to be busy and exciting,” said Cas.

Rafi Baghdjian, Vice Chairman of the QSRTC, went on to say, “The opening of this important research facility is the culmination of many years of hard work and I am very pleased to see that its importance has been duly recognised by the presence today of His Excellency and Shell’s Malcolm Brinded.

“The Centre will be used by Shell and its partners here in Qatar to conduct a wide range of studies and programmes and, whilst acting as part of Shell’s regional learning hub, it will specifically conduct research and studies relating to Qatar’s North Field and to Shell’s Pearl GTL project.

“Shell has been associated with technical excellence and with the provision of first-class training in the past in Qatar and is back today with the same strength and more. So, it is with great pleasure that we continue to provide training and research facilities with QSRTC for the benefit of Qatar,” he concluded.