Gulf Times, Qatar
09-26-07
QU gas processing centre to get QR220mn facility
By Bonnie James
QATAR University’s Gas Processing Center (GPC), launched in March this year,
is to have a QR220mn state-of-the-art facility within the campus.
“We expect the construction to begin by the end of this year,” GPC director and
dean of the College of Engineering, Hassan Alfadala said yesterday.
The facility, expected to give a fillip to Qatar’s efforts to become the Gas Capital
of the World, is to be located towards the north of the mosque, he told Gulf
Times.
The GPC, meant to address the problems, challenges and opportunities facing
Qatar’s gas processing industry, is focused on asset management/process
optimisation and sustainable development.
Applied research projects, consulting, professional training and seminars, annual
symposium, and information management are among the services to be offered.
To begin with, GPC is holding its first training programme from November 11 to
13, on ‘Cogeneration and Site Utility System,’ with Robin Smith from University of
Manchester as the resource person.
The second training event, scheduled for December, is on ‘Plant Wide Control’.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Sigurd Skogestad is the
presenter.
In addition to Smith and Skogestad, Carolyn Heising of Iowa State University
and Earl Beaver of Institute for Sustainability, American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (AIChE) have signed up as GPC’s associates.
“We have some projects waiting to be unveiled, our projects manager is to join
next week, and we are expecting more companies to be our partners” Alfadala
told the GPC’s second technical advisory committee meeting held yesterday.
Officials from GPC’s existing industrial members Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas,
RasGas, Dolphin Energy, Qatar Electricity and Water Company, Qafco, Qchem,
ExxonMobil, GE, Sasol Chevron and ConocoPhillips were present.
“We have also lined up training programmes from January to April 2008,” stated
GPC’s training manager Omneya Helmy, who also said the search for potential
associates, both local and international, was on.
The official explained that GPC intends to provide very comprehensive
professional and technical training and refresher and advanced courses for
process engineers.
“We also look to develop specific training plans as per the industry needs, form
an extensive network with associates and industrial partners, and build local
training capacity,” she said.
The occasion also saw the launch of GPC’s website
(www.gasprocessingcenter.com) and the announcement of the first symposium
to be held in January 2009.
“The main theme of the symposium, co-sponsored by AIChE, is LNG,”
symposium manager Omnia Abdel-Gawad said.
Referring to the selection of LNG as the theme, Alfadala maintained that it would
be most appropriate as Qatar’s LNG production is slated to touch 77mn tons in
2009.
The first call for abstracts of papers, to be presented at the symposium, was
released yesterday.
“We are expecting around 200 participants and 5 to 60 expert presenters,”
Alfadala added.
Qatar University president Prof Sheikha al-Misnad, vice president for research
Hassan al-Derham and other officials were also present.