Tags
Ultra low sulphur diesel could eventually displace the high sulphur gasoil Tasweeq offers in the spot market, supplies of which are dwindling swiftly in Asia and the Middle East
Reuters
Singapore
Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Co (Tasweeq) has offered its first ultra low sulphur diesel cargo for export from a new secondary unit at its Laffan refinery, industry sources said yesterday.
The product could eventually displace the high sulphur gasoil the company offers in the spot market, supplies of which are dwindling swiftly in Asia and the Middle East, they added.
The company will also have to compete with other new refineries in the Middle East, the majority of which are designed to produce ultra-low sulphur diesel that meets European environmental standards, in order to export some to Europe.
“It’s getting more and more difficult to buy the high sulphur gasoil as refineries are producing the more profitable low sulphur diesel, which could force countries to adopt cleaner fuel standards,” a Gulf-based trader said.
In its latest tender, Tasweeq offered 291,000 barrels of diesel, with 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur and 13,000 barrels of 0.2% sulphur gasoil for loading from Ras Laffan in September.
The tender closes on August 19.
It normally offers gasoil cargoes with 2,000 ppm, or 0.2%, sulphur.
The cargo follows the completion of a 54,000bpd hydrotreater unit, which converts high sulphur gasoil into ultra low sulphur diesel, from the 146,000-bpd Laffan refinery - Qatar’s first condensate refinery.
The unit, which will also be able to produce diesel with 10 ppm sulphur, processes straight run light gasoil feedstock from the Laffan refinery and a planned second one that is expected to be completed in early 2016, the company said on its website.
Until the second refinery is operational, the hydrotreater will run at half its designed capacity, the company said.
The company is expected to gradually phase out exports of the 0.2% sulphur gasoil, one of the sources said.
Tasweeq ceased term gasoil exports from 2012 as domestic demand in Qatar has been steadily increasing.
It has been offering gasoil cargoes in the spot market only in months showing a dip in domestic demand, traders said.
There have been sporadic spot exports from refineries in the Middle East now producing high sulphur gasoil while countries such as Bangladesh, Jordan, Pakistan and Yemen are regular buyers of the fuel.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
