Government-owned PetroSA, South Africa, was formed from the merger of Mossgas, Soekor (oil exploration) and the Strategic Fund (oil stocks) in 2002. From Mossgas it inherited an offshore production platform feeding an onshore gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant. This paper describes the evolution of a predominately synthetic motor fuels producer (Mossgas) born in the 1980's during the sanction years and energy crisis, to the PetroSA GTL plant today producing fuels and value-added chemicals. The low sulphur and low aromatics Syn-products are well-proven and world leading quality.
This Mossel Bay installation situated at the southern tip of Africa is the world's largest commercial GTL plant. The natural gas and associated condensate feedstock is supplemented by imported condensate to produce 36,000 barrels of refined products daily. The manufacturing process entails the conversion of natural gas to synthetic liquids through steam and oxygen reforming and the HTFT (high temperature Fischer Tropsch) process (licenced from Sasol) followed by refining of the liquids and condensate through conventional processes.
In addition to fuels production (90%) ranging from propane to heavy fuel oil, the GTL facility contributes approximately 15% of PetroSA's total revenue through production and export of 60 million litres speciality distillates and about 135 million litres alcohols that are produced as a by-product. The exceptional quality of distillates produced allowed in-house marketing and technical development of high value niche speciality chemicals.
Future GTL plans includes expanding production into petrochemicals, e.g. the HTFT highly olefinic gaseous by-product propylene can be converted to products such as acrylic acid and acrylates which will add further to the bottom line in future. Plans are well advanced to secure future gas feedstock post 2008 both from indigenous offshore sources and imported LNG.
The Government-owned "The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (Pty) Ltd" (PetroSA), Mossel Bay, South Africa, operates an offshore production platform to feed its onshore ISO 14001 and 9001 compliant gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant. Figure 1 shows the location of the installations. This Mossel Bay installation situated at the southern tip of Africa is the world's largest commercial GTL plant today that uses natural gas as feed1.
(Figure in full paper)
The natural gas and associated condensate feedstock is supplemented by imported condensate to produce 36,000 barrels of refined products daily. This is equivalent to 50,000 barrels of crude oil a day and amounts to about 7% of South Africa's liquid fuel needs.
In addition to fuels production, PetroSA manufactures unique products. Approximately 15% of PetroSA's total revenue is obtained through production and export of 60 million litres speciality distillates and about 135 million litres alcohols that are produced as a by-product. PetroSA's GTL technology is recognised around the world for producing the "cleanest fuels" through an environmentally responsible process that releases minimal emissions. This is one of the reasons why PetroSA's petrochemicals and fuel products are in growing demand in the international market.
The sanction years in the 1970's and 1980's created an ideal breeding ground in South Africa for the development of strategic projects.
