World’s first modular small scale GTL facility passes test programme

British company, CompactGTL, is to provide an update on its plant supplied to Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras). Petrobras’ CENPES Research and Development Centre has successfully concluded its qualification test programme of the world’s first modular small scale GTL facility and has qualified and approved its process conception for use by Petrobras.

The approval of the performance of the plant by Petrobras is a significant milestone for CompactGTL whilst it continues to undertake project studies, on behalf of clients worldwide, for commercial scale modular gas-to-liquids technology.

The CompactGTL solution offers an alternative to gas flaring and the plant incorporates all aspects required for commercial application in treating associated gas at remote onshore and offshore oilfield locations, including gas pre-treatment, pre-reforming, reforming, waste heat recovery, process steam generation, syngas compression, Fischer Tropsch synthesis, FT cooling water system and tail gas re-cycling, which can be integrated to a host facility or operated as a stand alone operation.

The proprietary mini-channel SMR and FT reactors, operating in conjunction with new catalysts coated on metal substrates (combustion, reforming and FT) demonstrate a compact, low centre of gravity GTL process for the first time.

CompactGTL’s Chief Executive, Nicholas Gay, said: “We are pleased that the commercial demonstration plant has passed the programme of testing by Petrobras. It has been a real team effort working with Petrobras throughout the past year on this test programme, which has produced some extremely positive results and has shown the plant can be robust, with the operational availability expected of large scale commercial facilities. We can now progress our plans in conjunction with clients throughout the world to develop commercial scale modular gas to liquid plants.”

CompactGTL is predominantly backed by funds advised by Coller Capital, a global private equity investor.

The commercial deployment of CompactGTL’s new technology could see companies able to increase their daily yields by up to 10 000 bbls/d, and generate additional annual revenue of up to US$ 150 million a year.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/20012012/compactgtl_gtl_facility_passes_tests/