[Stoves] fLARED NATURAL GAS.

[John Davies]

Greetings Stovers,

I write to fill in an apparently little known fact. Sasol is building a 
plant in Nigeria to utilize the flared gas, or a good part of it. This 
project would have already been in production, but has been delayed several 
times buy political instability in the oil producing regions.  An identical 
plant is at the commissioning stage in Qutar.
This is proven technology which has been in operation in South Africa for 50 
years. The newest technology, coupled with a high oil price has made this 
process economically viable. This is also much more energy efficient than 
liquefied natural gas, and without the dangers associated with the 
transportation of the product.

This plant will convert the gas into Synthetic Diesel ( ADO ) the stuff that 
self ignites in internal combustion engines, with a density of 0.83 and HV 
of about 46MJ / Kg..
The process produces an environmentally friendly fuel, with no sulphur, and 
aromatic content. ( no acrogens produced due incomplete combustion )  This 
can be used as a vehicle fuel or burned for heat production.
The transportation is safer than methanol, and is more economical due to the 
higher HV per kg and Litre. The cost is not very much more than a methanol 
conversion plant, and considered more economical.

Keep up the good work with stoves,
John Davies.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harry Stokes" <hstokes at blazenet.net>
Nigeria is responsible for some 40% of all gas flared worldwide.  The World
Bank is promoting large scale utilization of this gas, for example the
construction of LNG facilities to freeze the gas and ship it to the West.
This is an enormously expensive undertaking, which only the West can afford.
This same gas could be made cheaply and easily into methanol at the flow
station or the wellhead for use as an all-purpose fuel for cooking,
lighting, distributed electricity generation, and so on.  It would then be
available for the Nigerian people themselves, who deeply resent their
current state of deep energy poverty.