Sasol Examining Coal- and Gas-to-Liquids Projects in Algeria and US

11 October 2005

Sasol has announced that it is evaluating several new gas-to-liquids (GTL) and coal-to-liquids (CTL) opportunities over and above the ventures it is currently developing with partners in Qatar and Nigeria.

The Algerian Ministry of Mines & Energy and Sonatrach, the Algerian national oil company, are soliciting bids for a 34,000 barrel per day GTL project at Arzew using potential gas reserves in the Tinrhert area. Sasol Chevron, the joint venture between Sasol and Chevron Corporation submitted a non-binding technical proposal at the end of September 2005. The Algerian authorities have set the middle of 2006 as the date for commercial submissions.

Another opportunity is the USA (earlier post). Sasol is currently in the early stages of evaluating several potential CTL ventures in the USA. These studies are all in pre-feasibility stage and Sasol has taken no decision whether or not to pursue any of these opportunities.

Sasol, with a market capitalization of approximately US$12.5 billion, is the world’s largest producer of synthetic fuels. In addition to advancing its two 34,000-barrel/day GTL projects in Qatar and Nigeria, the company is completing feasibility studies in China for two potential 80,000-barrel/day CTL projects.