Qatar’s Amir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has laid the foundation stone for a second condensate refinery to be built at Ras Laffan. Marking the start of construction, Minister of Energy and Industry Muhammad al-Sada said the plant would cost QR5.5bn ($1.5bn) and be completed in the third quarter of 2016.

Laffan Refinery 2 (LR2) will process 146,000 b/d of untreated condensate from Qatar’s super-giant 900 tcf North Field. LR2 is being built alongside the existing 146,000 b/d splitter-based Laffan Refinery 1. When LR2 is complete, Qatar will process 349,000 b/d of condensate, including 57,000 b/d at the QP Refinery in Mesaieed. (CONTINUED - 578 WORDS)