Posted on 04/20/2015 5:29:34 AM PDT by thackney
Siluria Technologies’ new ethylene plant is a 4-story-tall maze of pipes and valves and pressure vessels. If it were a standalone plant it might be impressive. But this one is tucked in among dozens of giant petrochemical complexes along the Houston Ship Channel and situated within a larger polypropylene site operated by Brazilian chemicals giant Braskem
So how does this facility stand out? Because it’s unique. All the rest of the world’s ethylene is made the old-fashioned way: by breaking apart larger hydrocarbons such as naphtha (sourced from crude oil) or ethane (found in natural gas). In contrast, Siluria’s technology is all about building up ethylene out of smaller methane molecules. The plant takes in purified methane, mixes it with oxygen in the presence of a revolutionary catalyst and creates the plastics feedstock ethylene.
Ethylene, the single most commonly produced petrochemical in the world, is the basis for myriad plastics like polyester, beverage bottles and PVC. It’s vital for the production of solvents, coatings, antifreeze and pharmaceuticals. By some estimates the worldwide ethylene amounts to $150 billion a year. And there’s so much cheap crude oil and natural gas flowing through the United States right now that up and down the Gulf Coast the world’s biggest chemical companies have unleashed tens of billions of dollars in a building boom to expand ethylene production. ChevronPhillips Chemical Company is investing $6 billion to build an ethane cracker. Near Lake Charles, Sasol is spending $8 billion on an ethane cracker and six chemical plants. OxyChem is building its own billion-dollar cracker in Ingleside. ExxonMobil is constructing one at Baytown.
...Siluria thinks its process, called the oxidative coupling of methane, can do it cheaper...
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
You consistently post some of the most fascinating articles on FR. This is a pretty amazing story.
It is still very early in the research for this process. Their pilot plant doesn’t even produce enough to be commercial to sell.
It’s early but it is an indication that “peak oil” is receding farther yet into fantasy.
Sounds like a lotta crackers down south.....................
>> lotta crackers down south
:-)
Thanks. We’re rather proud of our crackers down here.
It may not be commercial yet but it certainly has some rich potential with the various outputs expected from the technology application. Good read - thanks!
How is a plant process converting methane into ethylene an indication of oil reservoir production?
Making gasoline cheaper out of natural gas extends the supply even further. What we need now is for someone to discover how to do that with coal.
Google”Fischer-Tropsch”
This isn’t making gasoline or other vehicle fuel. It is making the feedstock for solid plastic.
The article says that it is good for gasoline as well. And feedstock for plastics is also oil and primarily was oil.
The article says that it is good for gasoline as well. And feedstock for plastics is also oil and primarily was oil. Cheaper use of natgas takes pressure off of oil and stretches it that much farther.
Fair enough, although the title is misleading as they haven’t made gasoline yet this way. The article states it is their next step to try.
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