First shipment of ethylene gas arrives at Ras Lanuf port - RASCO attempts to restart ethylene production

06-Aug-19

Libya’s Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Processing Company (RASCO), has received the first shipment of ethylene gas at its port as part of in efforts to restart its ethylene production, as reported by libyaherald.com. RASCO reported that the tanker Stella Kosan had docked with the first shipment of about 4,000 metric tons of ethylene gas, which it said would be the first of numerous planned shipments needed to fill the ethylene tank at the cryogenic (freezing) area. These feedstock shipments will supply the polyethylene plant in preparation to re-start the plant ‘‘within next few days’’, RASCO said.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), the parent company of RASCO, had announced in April last year that ethylene and polyethylene production was to start ‘‘soon’’ at the Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Manufacturing Company. No exact date had been given at the time of the announcement. In March this year RASCO had announced that it had successfully replaced a flaring incinerator and in the same month it announced that its port was now ready to operate after maintenance was completed.

The Ras Lanuf ethylene plant has been inactive since 2011, and the polyethylene plant has been suspended since 2013. The plants are awaiting necessary maintenance and the re-commissioning of the refinery to provide the necessary feedstock raw material.