Sasol to conduct a feasibility study on a potential gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in USA

15-Sep-11

South African petrochemicals group Sasol plans to conduct a feasibility study on a potential gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in United States of Asia which could produce transport fuels and other products, as per Reuters. In the next 18 months the company will evaluate viability of a GTL plant in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, and mull two possible options of producing either 2 mln tpa or 4 mln tpa. "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.