Participants at the learning program initiated by Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre.

Doha: Shell plans to spend up to $ 100m over a 10-year period on research, development and training activities in the new Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre.

The Centre will be part of Shell's global research and technology organisation and will initially focus on exploration and production and gas to liquids (GTL) technologies as well as on related training programmes.

Shell conducted its first learning programme at the Sealine Resort from November 21-23 marking the start of Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre's learning activities. Twenty-five senior Shell Group (Shell) executives of some fourteen different nationalities attended their second session of a leadership development programme.

During the course of 2006 Shell plans to bring several top learning events into Qatar. Specific events will be open to Shell's partners in Qatar and are likely to include HSE, leadership development, auditing and natural gas processing. Recently, Shell also launched its exploration and production technology program with the deployment of the first team of carbonate experts.

Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) reached an important milestone recently with the passing of the QSTP Free Zone laws and the construction project is making good progress. The QSTP building is slated for completion by late 2006. In February this year, Shell signed the commercial agreement for a 10-year lease in QSTP and announced the technology programme it plans to implement as anchor tenant of the facilities