Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (3) (RL 3), part of RasGas companies, announced the successful completion and start-up of its seventh liquefied natural gas (LNG) train. This significant achievement is the culmination of a huge long-term development project that involved major offshore and onshore construction, subsurface drilling and engineering works. RasGas Train 7 is capable of producing 7.8 million tones of LNG per annum (Mta), boosting the overall LNG production capacity of all RasGas companies to approximately 36.3 Mta.
‘Train 7 is a clear demonstration of RasGas’ confidence and ambition,””said Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi, Managing Director – CEO, RasGas. ‘These mega facilities are the embodiment of a bold investment and the culmination of years of technological development and preparation. The start-up of Train 7 also demonstrates RasGas commitment to ensuring a secure and reliable supply of LNG for its customers.”Like Train 6, which came online in July 2009, Train 7 is one of a new generation of ‘mega-trains’, each capable of producing 7.8 Mta. This is a big step up from the 4.7 Mta production capacity of RasGas Trains 3, 4 and 5, and the project involved scaling up every aspect of the new train, from pipeline diameters to the machinery used to power the process. RasGas’ project teams fully embraced these challenges to deliver exceptional results.
The offshore aspects of the project were also extensive.
Significant team efforts were required to ensure a secure gas supply to RasGas Train 7, which is fed by the most prolific offshore wells ever drilled.
Train 7 builds on the success of existing RasGas expansion projects in terms of technology, design and project specifications. RasGas’ strong relationships with contractors helped it to maximize performance and learn through continuous improvement. As a result of integrated team coordination, careful planning, leadership and a skilled workforce, the commissioning and start-up of Train 7 progressed smoothly.
An example of these continuous improvements was the innovative approach used to significantly reduce the amount of gas typically consumed or flared during the start-up of such a large and complex gas facility. Through the utilization of plant design improvements and enhanced operating procedures, these approaches resulted in gas savings equivalent to that carried in two LNG tankers.
Al Mohannadi expressed satisfaction at the successful start-up. ‘The commencement of supply from RasGas Train 7, “he said, “underlines the company’s reputation as one of the world’s premier and most reliable suppliers of LNG, underpinned by world-class performance in safety, health and environmental management. RasGas now supplies to customers over three continents and is continuing to secure its position as a leading LNG supplier.”
(RasGas Press Release)
