Free Republic

South African petrochemical company Sasol is delaying a decision on whether to move forward with a proposed $14 billion gas-to-liquids facility outside of Lake Charles, the company said Wednesday (Jan. 28). Sasol said the plans are being put on hold as the company saves cash in response to falling oil prices. The gas-to-liquids facility is part of a $21 billion planned complex in Westlake, one of the largest foreign investments in Louisiana history. "Albeit at a much slower pace, we will continue to progress the U.S. GTL facility," Sasol president and CEO David Constable said in a news release. "This...

South African chemical company Sasol Ltd. has given final approval to move forward with an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex at its existing Lake Charles manufacturing facility, the company announced Monday. The ethane cracker will produce 1.5 million tons of ethylene every year. The process involves breaking down the molecules of ethane -- which is found in natural gas -- to create ethylene, a key ingredient for the petrochemical industry. It's used in products like food packaging, fragrances, detergents and tires. After clearing a key permitting hurdle earlier this year, the company said Monday it has given the...

SNIPPET: "South African police say they have arrested four men in the capital, Pretoria, for attempting to sell what they describe as an industrial nuclear device to undercover officers. The men - all South Africans - were arrested Friday at a Pretoria gas station, where they attempted to sell the device for about $6 million. Police say Interpol was also involved in the operation."

Afterburning engine tests of synthetic fuel are under way, and the US Air Force is preparing to certificate its second aircraft type to fly on the natural gas-based jet fuel. "We have started doing [Rockwell] B-1 engine testing and we have flown the [Boeing] C-17," says the USAF. Running a blend of synthetic and conventional jet fuel in the Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered C-17 transport will be a bridge to commercial aviation use, with airlines and manufacturers closely watching tests of fuel produced using the Fischer-Tropsch process.

The company makes liquid fuel from coal, not Mideast oil. And its margins are huge Some 90 miles southeast of Johannesburg, the cooling towers and pipes of a giant industrial installation sprawl across five square miles. What happens at Secunda, as the place is known, is of great interest these days. At a time of sky-high oil prices, Sasol Ltd. ), Secunda's owner, churns out 160,000 barrels of gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel a day, enough to cover 28% of South Africa's needs, without using a single drop of crude oil, imported or otherwise. Sasol is not a household...