#rasgas

RasGas employee forum, May 2015 Qatar’s oil-and-gas industry is expected to close out 2015 with more job cuts, this time at semi-state run RasGas. The organization has not confirmed the layoffs or the number of people expected to go, but it is understood that around 250 of its expat staff will be affected starting this week. When asked about the cuts, RasGas sent a statement to Doha News saying…

Amid worldwide shortages of helium, a gas that is increasingly being used for medical and technological purposes, the opening of a new facility in Ras Laffan has made Qatar one of the world's top suppliers.

RasGas Helium 2, which went online a few weeks ago, is the largest helium refining facility in the world, producing some 1.3 billion cubic feet of helium a year. Combined with RasGas' existing Helium Plant 1, Qatar should be able to meet a quarter of the world's liquid helium demands at least for the next 20 years, Qatar’s Ministy of Energy and Industry said.

In a statement, Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada added:

"We are today the largest exporter and the second largest producer of helium in the world."

Qatar has been recovering helium from its natural gas liquefaction units for decades, according to Air Liquide, which has signed on to purchase half of what the Gulf country produces. 

The element is becoming increasingly sought-after for use in MRI scanners, semiconductors, fiber optic cables, air-bag production and professional diving. It is also being used in space exploration and for scientific research.

But because it is often found trapped in deposits of natural gas, the element is expensive to extract, purify and utilize commercially.

For more information about helium, see below:

Thoughts?

Corporate computer systems and the website of RasGas, one of the world's largest liquified natural gas suppliers (LNG), have been taken offline by a virus attack just days after Saudi oil giant Aramco recovered from a similar assault.

Administrative services like email have been impacted by the virus, a company spokesperson confirmed to Doha News, which apparently struck on Aug. 27. 

She stressed, however, that LNG production in Ras Laffan and cargo deliveries have not been impacted and said all employees are reporting for work.

It remains unclear when the company's IT, admin and web services will return to normal.

RasGas, a joint stock company owned by Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil, supplies countries around the world with a capacity of 36 million tonnes of LNG per year.

Saudi Aramco had its own internal computer networks incapacitated by a similar virus on Aug. 15 that infected some 30,000 workstations and took nearly two weeks to recover.

That attack was claimed by a group calling itself the "Cutting Sword of Justice," which said it was targeting the Al-Saud ruling family of Saudi Arabia for "atrocities taking place in... Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon [and] Egypt."

In that instance as well, Aramco insisted its production and distribution were not effected by the virus in any way.

Update: Here is the official statement from RasGas: