Sasol mulls feasibility of US gas-to-liquids project in Louisiana

13 September 2011 18:55  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Sasol plans to study the feasibility of a gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, the South African energy and chemicals company said on Tuesday.

Sasol's feasibility study will, over the next 18 months, consider two GTL project options for Calcasieu Parish - one with a capacity of 2m tonnes/year and the other with a capacity of 4m tonnes/year - the company said in a press conference with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. 

If realised, the project would be the first of its kind in the US, Sasol said.

“We believe Sasol’s proprietary GTL technology can help unlock the potential of Louisiana’s clean and abundant natural gas resources and contribute to an affordable, reliable and high quality fuel supply for the US,” 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,” Oberholster added. He did not comment on expected project costs.

Calcasieu Parish is also the site of Sasol’s planned ethylene tetramerisation project.

In June, Sasol said it had hired petrochemicals engineering firm Foster Wheeler to conduct a feasibility study for a GTL project in western Canada.

For more on Sasol and other producers visit ICIS company intelligence

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly