By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 4 -- Full demonstration production has begun from a 1,000 b/d semicommercial gas-to-liquids plant at Mossel Bay in South Africa. The plant is equally owned by Norway's Statoil ASA and Petroleum, Oil & Gas Corp. of South Africa (Pty.) Ltd. (PetroSA).
The plant had been ready to start production in March; feedstock was fed into the facility on Apr. 19. By May 18, the plant's output was at 50% of capacity, when synthetic oil and wax production began.
The demonstration phase is due to be completed by yearend 2005, when the technology will be ready for application in full-scale commercial plants.
