JBOG ... caring for the environment

Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery project is set to become a landmark project for Qatar, balancing industrial development with care for the environment

The $1-billion Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery (JBOG) Project has had a safe startup at Ras Laffan, Qatargas said.

The key pro-environment project has been designed to eliminate flaring at the LNG terminals.

The main shareholders of the JBOG Project are Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Total, ConocoPhillips and Shell, while the facilities are operated by Qatargas and RasGas, the two largest LNG producers in the world.

The JBOG facilities started up successfully during the first week of October, and have been performing safely and reliably. Around 100 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas, which used to be burnt and wasted during LNG ship loading is now being recovered and utilised in the LNG production plants as fuel. Over a period of 30 years, the JBOG Project will save nearly 1trillion cubic feet of gas for Qatar.

The operation of these facilities reduces the greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, and helps in maintaining a clean environment for Qatari residents.

Qatar Petroleum managing director Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, also Qatargas chairman, highlighted the significance of the project as not only one of the largest environmental investments but also the largest LNG boil-off recovery project in the world.

He says: "The development of the Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery Project was initiated by Qatar Petroleum nearly a decade ago. JBOG is set to become a landmark project for Qatar, underlining the country’s commitment to balance industrial development with care for the environment. This huge investment by Qatar Petroleum and its partners will reduce the carbon footprint of the 77 million tonnes per year of LNG production facilities to the minimum practically possible contributing to the environmental development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030."

Qatargas chief executive officer Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al-Thani expressed delight at the safe startup of the JBOG facilities, and says: "The completion and operation of the JBOG Project is a great achievement by the JBOG Project Management Team, its contractors and Qatargas Operating Company. The excellent result achieved by everyone associated with this environmental project is a matter of great pride for Qatar and its people."

The engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract for the project was awarded to the US-based Fluor in February 2010. The detailed design and procurement services were carried out at Fluor’s offices in Sugar Land, Texas, and New Delhi, India. The main equipment on the project was supplied by General Electric, Emerson and ABB.

The construction of the project started in Ras Laffan City in mid-2011, with the bulk of the site work executed by some of the leading construction contractors in Qatar, namely Ammico, STFA, Qcon, Qatar Kentz and Medgulf. The work site saw a peak of around 3,000 people working hard to finish the project.

Qatargas chief operating officer (engineering and ventures) Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Thani thanked the people who made this project a reality, and was especially happy about the safety record of the project.

Sheikh Khalid says: "Qatargas prides itself on its high safety standards. It is a matter of immense satisfaction for us that the JBOG Project Team completed the project with zero lost time incident (LTI). Considering that the project spent three years in construction, the zero LTI is a fantastic record."