Shell has filed its first patent application for an invention at the Qatar Science & Technology Park.
The invention for which the patent application has been filed is a shutdown procedure for a fixed-bed Fischer Tropsch reactor preventing catalyst activity loss. The Fischer Tropsch chemical reaction is part of the gas to liquids (GTL) process.
Andy Brown, managing director of Pearl GTL and Qatar country chairman, said: “This success was possible because of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and the work of Her Highness Sheikha Moza to establish the science park. We are proud to file the first patent from the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre, which we believe is the first patent filed by any company at the science park. We hope this patent will be the first of many innovations from our work at the science park.”
Once filed, a patent application needs to be confirmed by the patent authorities as original.  This usually takes some months. At that stage, the final patent is granted, protecting the rights related to the invention for a set period of time.
Some 20 Shell scientists and engineers from Qatar and around the world are engaged in research at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre at the science park. The facility has over 35 staff .
Current research programmes include GTL catalyst testing and research, improving the understanding of local carbonate geology, developing sulphur-based products among many other new concepts and ideas focused on GTL and upstream technologies.
Shell is committed to a substantial expenditure of up to $100 million over a 10-year period on a world-class technology innovation and development programme in Qatar.
The Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre at the science park was opened by Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry,  Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, in April 2008.