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Lake Charles petrochemicals complex, US

12th April 2013

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

  

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

Client
Sasol.

Project Description
Sasol is gearing up for 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 because of 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 during 2017, followed by the the two phases of the GTL complex during 2018 and 2019.

Latest Developments
Sasol has placed a purchase order for the main ethylene compressor trains, which are critical long-lead items for the world-scale ethane cracker, from MHI Compressor International Corporation.

This follows the announcement in December 2012 of the start of the front-end engineering and design phase for the ethane cracker with downstream derivatives.

Sasol also recently selected Univation Technologies’ Unipol polyethylene process and ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing’s tubular process technology for the new linear low-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene plants in Louisiana, respectively. 

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol, tel +27 11 441 3111 or +27 11 788 5092.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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