Sasol to establish GTL plant in Uzbekistan

July 17, 2009
Sasol has formed a partnership with Petronas and Uzbekistan state oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz to establish a 1.3 million tonne/year GTL plant in Uzbekistan.

Uchenna Izundu
OGJ International Editor

LONDON, July 17 -- Sasol has formed a partnership with Petronas and Uzbekistan state oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz to establish a 1.3 million tonne/year GTL plant in Uzbekistan.

The companies signed a joint venture agreement in the capital of Tashkent on July 15 and will begin a feasibility study on the $2.5-billion project. No start up date was provided nor were details on which gas fields could produce the feed to produce the diesel, kerosine, naphtha, and LPG.

Sasol said the GTL facility will use its proprietary Slurry Phase Distillate process, which produces a clean-burning, high-performance diesel fuel.

Each company will have an equal equity share in the JV. The plant would have a capacity of 36,000-40,000 b/d.

This deal builds upon a heads of agreement signed in April by Sasol Chief Executive Pat Davies and Petronas Pres. and Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].