Pearl was designed to produce 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day,
acquired from the North Field. Shell said Pearl would transform the gas into
140,000 barrels of GTL per day.
Qatar plans to become the world leader in GTL in 2012 with the first
quantities of fuel. In March, Shell reported gas production that
enabled the first sour gas into the GTL plant in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has signed another energy
exploration and production deal.
The UAE emirate of Sharjah has signed an agreement with Monaco's Rex Oil
& Gas for exploration and production. Under the 23-year agreement, Rex would
conduct seismic and other geological studies as well as drill in the areas
of Kalba and Khor Fakan in Sharjah. Most of the energy production in the UAE
has been focused in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Rex has sought to expand its operations throughout the Gulf Cooperation
Council. The company, which plans to use satellites, has been working with
Oman to explore an offshore block around the Masirah island.
"We will draw on their expertise in geology and geophysics," Rex vice
president Svein Kjellesvik said. "We will add our competencies in geophysics
and remote sensing and try to bring the best of
both companies together."