Qatar Petrochemical Company Comes to Sri Lanka. Supplies Ethylene & Polyethylene Products to Plastic Industry

20th December 2010, www.island.lk

Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) has opened an office in Sri Lanka to which it supplies ethylene and polyethylene products mainly to the plastic industry, company officials said.

"We’ll be marketing low density polyethylene to the Sri Lankan industry," a spokesman said.

"It is used for mainly for making bags, and also for lamination and foam products like air-conditioner ducting."

Qatar Petrochemical Company is part of the Qatar oil ministry and makes and exports ethylene, polyethylene and sulphur.

Petrochemicals are used to make products like plastics, soaps and detergents, paints and drugs, fertilizers and pesticides.

Qapco was established in 1974 as a multinational venture to use ethane gas from petroleum production in line with the industrialization plan of Qatar.

It has a global marketing network of 26 offices and three regional storage facilities and produces 800,000 tonnes of ethylene annually, 400,000 tonnes of low density polyethylene and 70,000 tons of sulphur.

The products, shipped in 25 kilo bags in containers, were previously marketed in Sri Lanka through its joint venture partner Total Petrochemicals of France.

"Now we’re doing a little over 5000 tonnes a year and sales are growing at about 2-3 percent," the spokesman said.

"Our global strategy is to have a presence everywhere. We want our own offices so we have first hand, direct interaction with end-users."

The total Sri Lankan market is around 9,000 tonnes.

QAPCO’s global marketing network comprises of 28 offices and six regional warehouses.