MOSCOW (MRC) -- Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company and Shell Catalysts & Technologies have signed a technology licence agreement for the Mustakillikning 25 yilligi (25 years of independence) gas project in Uzbekistan, said the company.
As part of this deal, Shell Catalysts & Technologies will offer an integrated technology licence for the gas treating and sulphur recovery block.
The project, in Uzbekistan’s southerly Surkhandarya region, will process five billion cubic metres of raw natural gas a year that contains high levels of hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and mercaptans. Cost-effectively removing these impurities and disposing of them safely or converting them into saleable by-products is critical to the project’s success.
The integrated gas treatment and sulphur recovery unit designed by Shell Catalysts & Technologies features several leading-edge Shell proprietary technologies that offer significant reductions in capital and operating costs compared with the alternatives.
The offer includes the use of Shell’s proprietary hybrid solvent technology: Sulfinol. Sulfinol is a market-leading mercaptan removal technology with more than 220 references worldwide. Unlike alternative technologies, the Sulfinol process removes contaminants, including mercaptans, in a single process step, which can help to reduce capital expenditure by up to 30%, operating costs by 10–30% and life-cycle costs by 15–30%.
The Shell Claus offgas treating (SCOT®) process will be used to enhance sulphur recovery, and the Shell sulphur degassing process will remove hydrogen sulphide from the liquid sulphur produced. In addition, to remove carbon dioxide, the unit’s design features Shell’s ADIP ULTRA process.
"We are seeing more and more gas projects having to contend with highly complex gas compositions. These are often beyond the capabilities of standard, off-the-shelf solutions, but, by tailoring our approach to their specific objectives, we are helping customers to meet stringent product specifications and emissions standards, and to reduce their capital and operating costs. Shell is pleased to offer its market leading and innovative gas processing and sulphur recovery technologies to Uzbekistan. We look forward to working with Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company to push the boundaries of what is technically achievable,” says Andy Gosse, Vice President, Shell Catalysts & Technologies.
The project will be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 (2018–2022) will comprise geological exploration, well drilling, field infrastructure construction and gas processing plant construction. Stage 2 (2023–2025) will see the construction of a gas–chemical complex that will generate up to 500,000 t/y of polymer-based products.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polyprolypele (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,255,800 tonnes in the first seven months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 796,120 tonnes in January-July 2019, up by 11% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
The investment consortium, which includes Gas Project Development Central Asia AG, Altmax Holding Ltd and Uzneftegazdobycha JSC (a member of Uzbekneftegaz), established Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company to manage the field’s development.
Shell Catalysts & Technologies, part of Shell, is a leading technology licensor and brings owner–operator–innovator–licensor capabilities to the market. It has more than 1,200 references for gas processing technologies at gas plants and refineries worldwide.
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