Thousands of tonnes of catalysts will be required at Pearl GTL – the surface area of all the catalysts in the plant at start-up will be equivalent to 18 times the surface area of Qatar. Samples of shipments of catalysts arriving from Shell’s production facilities abroad are tested by the catalysts research team at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Park. The GTL scientists at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre will also increasingly steer other Shell research facilities around the world, including in Amsterdam, in work to develop new generations of catalysts.  The team, which includes some of Shell’s most experienced global GTL scientists, are using custom-made testing units.
The testing units are like mini GTL plants and have been developed by Shell scientists over three decades of GTL research. Each contains over 200 metres of intricate piping, weighs about 750 kilogrammes and is the size of a family car. The testing process involves converting small quantities of synthesis gas into GTL products. Although Pearl GTL is still under construction, the first Shell GTL products in Qatar were made in February 2009 by a testing unit at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre. | 
