South African petrochemicals group Sasol said on Tuesday it would conduct a feasibility study on a potential gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in the United States which could produce transport fuels and other products.
Sasol, the world’s top maker of motor fuel from coal, is heavily investing in gas to diversify its porfolio and boost its production of chemicals and synthetic fuels.
Over the next 18 months the company will evaluate the viability of a GTL plant in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The study will look at two possible options of producing either two million tonnes or four million tonnes of products a year.
“We believe Sasol’s proprietary GTL technology can help unlock the potential of Louisiana’s clean and abundant natural gas resources,” said Ernst Oberholster, Sasol’s managing director for new business development.
“GTL fuels are an important part of the energy mix because they can advance energy independence in a way that is both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.”
Sasol recently bought two shale gas interests in Canada to boost its gas portfolio and secure feedstock and is also working on a feasibility study for a proposed 48 000 barrels-per-day GTL plant in Canada.
The petrochemicals group already completed a study on a GTL plant in Uzbekistan and would decide in the near future whether to proceed to an engineering study on the project.
Sasol said GTL fuels are virtually free of sulfur and aromatic compounds and reduce emissions of particulates, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and other pollutants. — Reuters