QatarEnergy, Chevron Phillips partner to build $6-billion petrochemical complex

QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical have signed a deal to build a US$6-billion petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Said to be the largest facility of its kind in the Middle East, the facility is scheduled to begin production in 2026.

As part of the project, the companies have created a joint venture, Ras Laffan Petrochemicals, in which QatarEnergy owns a 70 per cent equity share and Chevron Phillips Chemical owns 30 per cent.

The 435-acre project site will include an ethane cracker with a capacity of 2080 KTA of ethylene, the companies said in a Jan. 8 statement, as well as two high-density polyethylene derivative units with a total capacity of 1680 KTA.

When operational, the polyethylene units will use Chevron Phillips Chemical’s MarTech loop slurry process to produce high-density polyethylene, which will primarily be exported from the state of Qatar. Polyethylene is used in the production of durable goods like pipe for natural gas and water delivery and recreational products such as kayaks and coolers. It is also used in packaging applications to protect and preserve food and keep medical supplies sterile.