A pilot system for the transformation of natural gas into liquid hydrocarbons, was recently opened in the ENI refinery of Sanazzaro de' Burgondi (PV),.
It is an advanced technology, borne of the collaboration between the Institut Français du Pétrol (IFP) and EniTecnologie, which has allowed the valorization of the skills of the two research structures.The project, started in 1996, has obtained high quality results, defended by 44 patents. The system, the realization of which has required ha an investment of 16 million Euro, has a production capacity of 20 barrels of products a day and its functioning will enable the perfecting of the technology in view of an industrial scale exploitation.
The topic of transformation of natural gas into liquid petrol products was always strategic for the research sector in the petrol industry: the aim is that of allowing the exploitation of the enormous volumes of gas which currently, throughout the world, are not used (about 14% of the whole world production). This is gas that is not extracted because it is too distant form the consumer areas, therefore the cost of transportation ids not economically justifiable, or gas extracted with petrol, which is reinserted in the wells or burnt or dispersed in the atmosphere.
The technology used in the pilot system allows the transformation of this unutilized gas in petrol products such as fuel, kerosene and diesel gas oil of excellent quality, and especially completely devoid of sulphur and aromatics, as well was easily transportable.
December.2001
Eni
