The partners include Nippon Oil, Nippon Steel, Japan Petroleum Exploration, Inpex, Cosmo Oil, Chiyoda and the government-owned Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp (JOGMEC), along with support from the Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). METI has requested ¥1.8 billion (US$15.3 million) in the 2006 budget in support of this project.

JOGMEC has been researching GTL technology since 1998, with an emphasis on the efficient production of the syngas used in the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process that actually produces the end products. (The syngas production systems can represent some 60% of the total capital cost in a conventional GTL plant.)

Working in partnership with Chiyoda (which developed the catalyst), JOGMEC is developing a GTL process that eliminates the need for three units usually found the syngas section of a conventional GTL operation, thereby potentially significantly reducing the cost:

• CO₂ removal unit. The JOGMEC process instead uses CO₂ in syngas production.

• Oxygen plant. JOGMEC (like Syntroleum) does not use oxygen as an input into syngas production.

• Syngas conditioning unit. The JOGMEC process produces syngas suitable for the FT process in a single pass.

The JOGMEC process has only been tested in very low production pilots (7 bpd). This trial is designed to help perfect in support of building an overseas plant (likely in Indonesia) with a production capacity of 15,000 barrels per day.

Resources:

• METI FY 2006 Economic and Industrial Policy: Key Points