Qatar - مدينة رأس لفان الصناعية
Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s primary site for natural gas production, is a thriving industrial hub. Located 80 kilometres north of Doha, the city serves as the heart of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas-to-liquids production. Managed by Qatar Petroleum, the city boasts several industrial installations, including gas-to-liquid plants, LNG plants, a gas processing plant, the Laffan Refinery, and Ras Laffan integrated water and power plants.
The Ras Laffan Port, encompassing approximately 4,500 hectares, stands as the largest artificial harbour globally. This port also houses the world’s most substantial LNG export facility. Ras Laffan supports industries associated with the North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas reservoir.
History and Development of Ras Laffan Industrial City
The US-based Bechtel designed the city, which began operations in 1996 after a $1bn investment. The city houses several production plants, including RasGas, the Pearl GTL, the Qatargas liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, and the Dolphin Gas export infrastructure. Ras Laffan was specifically developed for natural gas-based industries, with the North Field’s gas reserves serving as the primary source. Discovered in 1971, the North Field is the world’s largest single non-associated gas field, boasting an estimated 900 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in proven reserves.
Infrastructure and Facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City
The industrial estate offers a range of amenities to support its industries. These include the Ras Laffan Port, a common cooling water facility, desalinated and potable water, land for heavy and support services industries, fire, rescue, and emergency response services, electrical power, workers’ accommodation, and a medical centre. The city offers land leases for up to 15-year renewable periods for petrochemical and related industries, with plot sizes starting at 6,000 square metres.
In recent developments, QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem) have secured $4.4bn (QR16bn) of financing for their Ras Laffan Petrochemicals facility. This project, located in the estate, is 70% owned by QatarEnergy, and CPChem controls the remaining 30% stake. The integrated polymers complex, set to commence production in late 2026, features an ethane cracker with a capacity to produce 2.1 million tonnes annually of ethylene and two polyethylene trains designed to produce 1.7 million tonnes of high-density polyethylene polymer products each year.