ORYX GTL and GASAL Q.S.C. sign long ‎term oxygen supply agreement

ORYX GTL, the world’s largest operating gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant ‎located in Ras Laffan, Qatar, is increasing its GTL production capacity ‎and will require additional quantities of oxygen.

ORYX GTL and GASAL Q.S.C. have successfully completed ‎negotiation on a long term oxygen supply agreement for this new ‎process requirement.‎

GASAL Q.S.C. will invest US$70 million in a new, large oxygen and ‎nitrogen production unit with a capacity of 750 tonnes of oxygen per ‎day. ‎

The new unit will be designed and built by Air Liquide Engineering and ‎will be commissioned at the end of 2010. In addition to the oxygen ‎produced for

ORYX GTL, it will also be the base for gaseous nitrogen ‎supply to GASAL Q.S.C.’s nitrogen pipeline network currently under ‎construction in Ras Laffan. This new unit will be a strong foothold for ‎GASAL Q.S.C. in Ras Laffan Industrial City in addition to this year’s ‎successful start-up of its nitrogen unit for Ras Laffan Olefin Company. ‎The unit will also serve as a reliable source of liquid gases for other ‎customers in Qatar and in the neighboring countries of the Gulf ‎Cooperation Council.‎

Abdul Rahman Al-Suwaidi, the Chief Executive Officer of Oryx GTL, ‎said: “The signing of the oxygen supply agreement supports the ‎continuous growth of Oryx GTL. GASAL, through their ‎shareholder’s international experience and expertise, is ideally ‎suited to fill our growing oxygen demand. This agreement not only ‎reflects the start of a commercial relationship with GASAL, but ‎also demonstrates Oryx GTL’s support to the broader Ras Laffan ‎initiative. As a Qatari company, Oryx GTL is pleased to be able to ‎support other Qatari ventures and believe this will be a mutually ‎beneficial relationship.”‎

Christian Last, the Chief Executive Officer of GASAL Q.S.C., said: ‎‎“We would like to thank ORYX GTL for its trust and support in ‎jointly achieving this milestone of our development in the Ras ‎Laffan Industrial City. With this new long term supply agreement, ‎GASAL Q.S.C. establishes a strong foothold in Qatar’s largest ‎industrial basin and further completes its strategy of a safe and ‎reliable supply of gases in large quantities to the industry. In ‎addition, it means a lot to us that a leading company such as ORYX ‎GTL has taken the decision to outsource its industrial gas ‎requirements to GASAL Q.S.C.”‎.