Qatar Fuel Additives Company Limited

Find out more about QAFAC in relation to:

1. Shareholders
2. Products
3. Environment and Safety
4. Marketing
5. Qatarization

QAFAC produces Methanol from natural gas supplied by QP through steam reforming and Methanol synthesis. MTBE is produced by processing butane and Methanol. While the required Methanol feedstock is procured in-house, the butane feedstock is supplied by QP.

MTBE

QAFAC is producing 1830 tonnes of MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether) per day.

MTBE is produced by processing butane and methanol. The methanol is provided by the on-site Methanol plant and QP provides the field butane.

MTBE is colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor and has an average octane number of 108. Therefore, it is used as a gasoline additive that provides clean burning fuel to reduce the tail gas pollution generated by motor vehicles, and at the same time it eliminates the need for Tetra Ethyl Lead blending the gasoline.

QAFAC MTBE is also being used by QP Refinery to replace lead in the gasoline being marketed in Qatar.

METHANOL

The Methanol plant is designed to produce 2500 metric tones per day of US Federal Grade AA methanol.

Methanol was first produced by wood distillation in the 1900's and the commercial production started in the 1920's from coal. From the 1960's up to now, it has been manufactured from petroleum, naphtha and natural gas.

QAFAC Methanol is produced from natural gas provided by QP, via steam reforming and methanol synthesis.

Methyl Alcohol, Wood Spirit, Wood Alcohol and Carbinol are other names for Methanol. It is also called Colombian Spirit.

Methanol is clear, colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor. It is a clean energy source, as well as a raw material for some of the everyday items we use.

Within the Petrochemical industry, it is used a raw material for the manufacturing of Solvents, Formaldehyde, Methyl Halide, Methyl Amine, Acetic Acid, Ethyl Alcohol, Acetic Anhydride, DME and MTBE.