BP to work on LNG safety programme with Qatar

BP to work on LNG safety programme with Qatar
By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: December 19, 2007, 23:54

Abu Dhabi: Global energy major BP and Qatar Petro-leum have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and fund a world-class liquefied natural gas safety research programme in Qatar.

The MoU is in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, and Texas A&M University and its affiliates. The agreement was signed by Mohammad Bin Saleh Al Sada, Qatar's minister of state for energy and industry affairs.

"We at Qatar Petroleum believe that this MoU represents a significant step in our quest to develop the Qatari human resources, and we are sure partnerships with leading institutions will contribute to the advancement of science, and enhance technical skills of safety in the LNG industry," said Al Sada.

"We are proud to be a part of this programme which will certainly be a remarkable achievement for Qatar Petroleum and the oil and gas industry in Qatar," he added.

The programme, which will extend and complement the existing BP-sponsored programme run at the Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, will help advance the technical understanding of key safety issues impacting the worldwide LNG industry.

The research will be carried out at the Texas A&M University branch campus within the Qatar Foundation university campus in Doha and will encompass practical testing at Qatar Petroleum's Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College which is currently being constructed at Ras Laffan Industrial City.

"As Qatar continues to develop its leading role in the LNG world, such activities will facilitate the transfer of relevant technologies and build human capacity in LNG safety for the benefit not only of Qatar but also the LNG industry worldwide," said Steve Peacock, president of BP's Middle East and South Asia Exploration and Production Unit.

Qatar is the world's largest exporter of LNG and aims to more than double its exports to 77 million tonnes per year by 2011 on the back of multibillion dollar projects.