Name and Location
Lake Charles chemicals complex, Louisiana, US.

Client
Sasol.

Project Description
Sasol is preparing a multiproject investment in North America, which will result in the development of an integrated two-phase 96 000 bl/d gas-to-liquids (GTL) Secunda-type complex at Lake Charles, in the southern US state of Louisiana, and an integrated 1.5-million-ton-a-year ethane cracker plant.

The plan involves deploying Sasol technology, including the group’s proprietary GTL offering. A major difference, compared with the Secunda complex, however, is that the Lake Charles complex will not be backward integrated, as Sasol plans to buy gas from the numerous producers in the region.

Sasol also has its own gas resources, in Canada, which will give it a cover ration to provide up to 70% of the total gas consumption of Louisiana.

Value
The current project cost for the GTL facility has risen to between $11-billion and $14-billion, owing to a change in the fuel/chemicals configuration and higher cost escalations, which in turn, was caused by the phasing of the project after the ethane cracker has been installed.

The cost of the ethane cracker has also increased to between $5-billion and $7-billion, owing to an increase in plant capacity and the inclusion of additional downstream derivative units.

Duration
Beneficial operation of the ethane cracker plant is expected to be achieved in 2017, followed by the two phases of the GTL complex in 2018 and 2019.

Latest Developments
Fluor Corporation has been awarded the front-end engineering and design (Feed) contract for Sasol’s ethane cracker and associated derivative chemicals at its Lake Charles chemicals complex.
Feed work is under way and is expected to be completed late this year.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Fluor Corporation (Feed).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol, tel +27 11 441 3111 or +27 11 788 5092.
Fluor Corporation media relations, Keith Stephens, tel +1 469 398 7624.