The Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) project in Uzbekistan will be called OLTIN YO’L GTL.
The project was named at a formal ceremony in Tashkent involving representatives from the three companies who make up the joint venture: Uzbekneftegaz, Sasol and PETRONAS.
In English, Oltin Yo’l translates as ‘golden road’ and is a reference to the centuries-old trade routes which passed through Uzbekistan and specifically through Samarkand, the country’s second city.
The naming of the joint venture project followed a ceremony to mark the start of infrastructure development by the Government of Uzbekistan at the proposed GTL plant site at Shurtan in the south of Uzbekistan, aimed at supporting the project schedule to enable a final investment decision (FID), which is expected during the second half of 2013.
When commissioned, OLTIN YO’L GTL, a 38,000 bpd plant, will produce a combination of GTL diesel and GTL naphtha and, in an important development in the application of GTL fuels, GTL kerosene for the aviation sector.
Mr David Constable, CEO of Sasol said:
“Sasol is proud to be part of this strategic project, which will provide Uzbekistan with world class environmentally friendly fuel, contribute to the country’s energy security, and diversify the utilisation of its domestic gas resources.
This project will significantly contribute to the economic growth of Uzbekistan by bringing billions of dollars of foreign direct investment into the country, thereby creating hundreds of skilled jobs, and additional indirect employment opportunities for the country’s population.”
ENDS
CONTACTS:
OLTIN YO’L GTL: James Vaughan, General Director, +998 90 969 6902
SASOL Jacqui O’Sullivan, GM: Group Communication
Direct telephone +27 (11) 441 3252; Mobile +27 (0) 82 883 9697;
Alex Anderson, Group Media Manager
Direct telephone +27 (11) 441 3295; Mobile +27 71 600 9605;
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
OLTIN YO’L GTL
OLTIN YO’L GTL will be one of the most advanced energy plants in the world, producing high quality fuels and other products which will improve air quality, deliver a cleaner transport future and support growth and development. The technology used is similar to that of the pioneering ORYX GTL plant in Qatar.
Key facts relating to the project are:
Location – Shurtan Gas and Chemical Complex (approximately 40 km from Karshi)
Nominal production capacity – 38,000 bpd
Product slate – GTL diesel, GTL kerosene, GTL naphtha and LPG. The majority of production will be GTL diesel and GTL kero.
The milestones achieved by the project to date are:
Pre-Feasibility Study completed - December 2008
Heads of Agreement signed - April 2009
Joint Venture Agreement signed - July 2009
FEED Phase 1 started - August 2009
Presidential Decree issued - October 2009
Charter and Foundation signed - November 2009
Uzbekistan GTL LLC formed - December 2010
Preliminary feasibility completed - September 2011
Gas Supply Purchase, Product Off-take and License Agreements signed - September 2011
Investment Agreement signed – September 2011
Second Presidential Decree issued - September 2011
FEED Phase 2 started – October 2011
GTL TECHNOLOGY
At the core of Sasol’s GTL technology is the Sasol Slurry Phase Distillate Process™ (SPD process). This is a three stage process which combines three leading proprietary technologies. In the first stage, natural gas is combined with oxygen to form a syngas. Syngas is then subjected to a Fischer-Tropsch conversion to produce waxy syncrude. In the final stage, syncrude is cracked down to produce final products.
The strength of the Sasol SPD™ process is not simply the inherent quality of the three component technologies but also the way they are combined and further refined to increase efficiency and optimise output. This efficient integration is founded on Sasol’s unrivalled experience of more than 60 years of synthetic fuel production.
GTL PRODUCTS
GTL diesel:
With almost zero sulphur, GTL diesel is a high performance, low emissions product.
It can be used in existing diesel engines, either in a neat form or as a blendstock.
GTL diesel reduces some pollutants by up to 70% compared to standard crude-derived diesel and its cleaner and more complete combustion means less build up of deposits in the engine. This reduces engine wear, extends engine life and increases the interval between lubricant replacement.
GTL diesel can also be blended with standard crude-derived diesel, immediately improving the overall quality of the fuel without the need for costly refinery refits.
GTL kerosene:
The world wants cleaner air travel and GTL kerosene offers airline operators a safe and cost-effective way to reduce emissions.
The GTL kerosene from OLTIN YO’L GTL will make Uzbekistan one of the few producers of the most advanced aviation fuel in the world
Synthetic fuel is already a feature of aviation but GTL has the potential to surpass anything so far achieved in terms of performance and emissions. Aviation is yet another high value and enduring global market in which to realise the premium potential of GTL products.
GTL kerosene is currently approved for use in aviation fuel for blends of up to 50:50.
GTL naphtha:
GTL naphtha is a best in class product.
Highly paraffinic, GTL naphtha has virtually no aromatics or sulphur and negligible metallic contaminants. Light paraffinic naphthas are the most efficient liquid feedstocks for ethylene cracking and ethylene is one of the basic building blocks of the petrochemical industry; the precursor of widely used plastics such as polyethylene, polystyrene and other derivatives.
GTL naphtha paraffin content is typically 98 per cent, which is considerably higher than the 65 to 75 per cent of typical open-spec naphtha. A further advantage of GTL naphtha is the low coking/fouling rate for furnace tubes during cracking.
UNG
Uzbekneftegaz (UNG) was founded in 1992 and is the state-owned holding company of Uzbekistan’s oil and gas industry. UNG’s activity in this sector includes exploration, production, refining, processing, transportation and product sales.
SASOL
Sasol, a technology-driven alternative fuels and chemicals company, was formed in 1950 in Sasolburg, South Africa. Sasol converts gas and coal into liquid fuels, fuel components and chemicals through its proprietary processes. Today, Sasol is the world’s largest producer of synthetic fuels. Sasol mines coal in South Africa and produces gas in Mozambique, oil in Gabon, and shale gas in Canada. It has chemical manufacturing and marketing operations in South Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Sasol currently conducts business in 38 countries.
PETRONAS
or Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is Malaysia’s National Petroleum Corporation.
Established in 1974,
PETRONAS is now ranked among the largest companies in the world. PETRONAS has a proven track record in integrated oil and gas operations spanning the entire hydrocarbon value chain.
