Sasol, Uzbekneftegaz, Petronas agree to install gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Uzbekistan

23-Sep-11

South Africa-based petrochemicals group Sasol Ltd. along with its partners Uzbekneftegaz and Malaysia’s Petronas, has agreed to install a gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Uzbekistan, signing an investment deal with the country’s Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade. Production at the facility will comprise high quality, environmentally friendly diesel, kerosene and naphtha. The subsequent phase of the venture involves front-end engineering and designing of the plant that is expected to start by the end of 2011. Following the final investment decision, the GTL project will come online in the second half of this decade. As per the feasibility study conducted by Sasol, the venture has the prospects of building a GTL plant in Uzbekistan with an estimated nominal capacity of 1.4 mln tpa. Sasol and state-owned oil company Uzbekneftegaz hold a 44.5% interest each, while Petrona controls the remaining 11% stake.