Qatar's delayed 1.3 mln tpa cracker is scheduled for start-up in the first quarter of 2010. Qatofin, a petrochemical venture has been formally inaugurated at Mesaieed Industrial City making it the largest producer of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) in the Middle East region. Qatofin, a joint venture between Qapco (63%), Total Petrochemicals (36%) and QP (1%) will have a nameplate capacity of 450,000 tpa of LLDPE. The Qatofin plant will be located at the Qapco site and will have the capability to process 422,000 tpa of ethylene and 38,000 tpa of butane-1. Butane-1 will be supplied by Q-Chem II under a long-term supply agreement. Qatofin will supply to Q-Chem II the 40,000 tpa of ethylene required to produce such quantities of butane-1. The ethane feedstock for the plant will be supplied from the Ras Laffan ethylene cracker project. Testing is under way and the first ethylene production would take place at the ethane-fed plant at the beginning of 2010, with full production to be reached by Q3-2010. LLDPE from Qatofin's plant is likely to find markets in Asia and Europe because domestic markets are relatively undeveloped in the Middle East.
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