Transcript October Missionary

The use of OLI and Aspen Plus
to develop / analyse & optimise a
strategy for the removal of specific
gases from a reformed gas stream
Dr Ralph Grob
Sasol Technology
October 2007
forward-looking statements
Sasol has made certain forward-looking statements in this presentation relating to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts of future results
and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may also relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies.
Words such as “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “seek”, “will”, “plan”, “could”, “may”, “endeavour” and “project” and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that the predictions,
forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in this presentation. You should understand that a number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These
factors include among others, and without limitation:
• the outcomes in developing regulatory matters and the effect of changes in regulation and government policy;
• the political, social and economic conditions and developments in the world, especially those countries in which we operate;
• our ability to maintain key customer relations in important markets;
• our ability to improve results despite unusual levels of competitiveness;
• the continuation of substantial growth in significant developing markets, such as China;
• the ability to benefit from our capital spending policies;
• growth in significant developing areas of our business;
• changes in the demand for and international prices of crude oil, petroleum and chemical products and changes in currency rates;
• our success in continuing technological innovation;
• our ability to maintain sustainable earnings despite fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates;
• our ability to attract and retain sufficient skilled employees; and
• our success at managing the risks of the foregoing.
The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive; when relying on forward-looking statements to make investment decisions, you should carefully consider
the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and events. Such forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not
undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact persons:
Cavan Hill (+27 11 441 3563, [email protected])
Brian MacKinnon (+27 11 441 3211, [email protected])
Hubert Naude (+27 11 441 3113, [email protected])
Additional sources of information on the investor section of Sasol’s
website http://www.sasol.com
• IFRS Annual report and Annual report on form 20-F: Sasol reports its results on a biannual basis in IFRS and annually in US GAAP. Sasol’s financial year end is June.
• Analyst fact book: A resource for analysts, shareholders and others seeking detailed
financial and operating information about the company. This section includes key extracts from
the Annual Report.
• Investor Insight Newsletter: Published twice a year between financial reporting periods
and includes a business review and updates on several key projects and initiatives at Sasol.
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Sept
2007
salient features
Sasol was founded in 1950 and listed on the JSE Ltd (JSE)
in 1979 and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in
2003
current market capitalization value around US$23 billion,
with current earnings from continuing operations (interim
31 Dec 06) of US$1.1 bn
employing 31 852 people world-wide Sasol is based in
South Africa with facilities in 15 countries including the
USA, Germany, Italy, the Middle East, West Africa, Malaysia
and China
Sasol produces ±20% of South Africa’s saleable coal and
about 37% of the country’s current liquid fuel requirements
(through Sasol Synfuels’ syncrude-based fuel component
output and Sasol’s 64% share in the crude-based Natref
output)
Sasol supplies all of South Africa’s pipeline gas and is the
country’s only producer of various chemical feedstocks,
most notably ethylene, propylene, ammonia, ketones and
methanol
over 50 years of innovation
 1950s – technology phase
first production of fuel from coal
 1960s – broadening phase
crude-oil refining and industrial gas
 1970s – expansion phase
Secunda coal-to-liquids complex
established
listed on JSE (1979)
 1980s – consolidation phase
 1990s – diversification phase
growth of domestic chemicals portfolio
Sasol is South Africa’s largest single industrial investor
≈ R30.8 billion expected to be invested locally over
the next 3 fiscal years
 2000s – globalization phase
gas-to-liquids (GTL)
Sasol’s integrated business model
Sasol is an integrated oil & gas company with substantial petrochemical interests. The Fischer-Tropsch process lies at the heart of
Sasol, allowing it to convert coal and natural gas into synthetic fuels and chemicals. Sasol is integrated upstream to produce its raw
materials, and downstream into fuel and chemical production and marketing.
Exploration and Production
Syngas Production
Fuel products
Sasol obtains its raw materials
(coal, gas and crude oil) through its
coal mining activities and oil and
gas exploration and production
activities, which are supplemented
by purchases from the open market.
Some raw materials are sold directly
to external markets.
Using steam and oxygen at high
temperatures, coal is gasified and
natural gas reformed to produce
synthesis gas [syngas, a mixture of
carbon monoxide and hydrogen].
In the liquid fuels business,
synthetic fuel components are
upgraded, and marketed
together with conventional
fuels produced in a refinery
from crude oil.
Co-products
Coal gasification and the F-T
processes also produce co-products
for recovery and beneficiation. These
include ammonia, crude-tar acids
and sulphur.
Fischer-Tropsch Conversion
Using a catalyst, the Fischer-Tropsch
(F-T) reaction converts syngas into a
range of hydrocarbons - co-products,
fuel and chemical components. Lowand high-temperature operating modes
provide different product splits.
Chemical products
Chemical intermediates from the F-T
process, are separated, purified and,
together with conventional chemical raw
materials, converted to a range of final
products - polymers, solvents, olefins and
surfactants, waxes and other products.
Markets
Sasol markets products directly
to the consumer, as well as to
commercial and industrial
markets, integrating its upstream
and downstream activities.
Overview
Coal / Gas-to-liquids
GTL & CTL are based on Fischer Tropsch technology
GTL
gas
natural
gas
gas reforming
coal
Fischer Tropsch
process
oxygen
coal
steam
coal
gasification
CTL
ammonia, phenolics
pitch & tar, sulphur
fuels
chemicals
the push for natural gas monetisation vs. coal-based energy
opportunities
major gas provinces
oil exporting regions
ORYX GTL in
production
Evaluating
opportunities
ORYX
expansion
evaluation
Evaluating
opportunities
Evaluating
opportunities
Evaluating
opportunities
CNL & NNPC 34k bbl/d
Nigeria construction
in progress
important criteria:




sufficient quantities of economically priced gas
ideally locations with existing infrastructure
access to suitable product markets
favourable investment climate
Evaluating
opportunities
Evaluating
opportunities
CTL opportunities under evaluation
Gas-rich regions & likely future GTL locations
fuel production in South Africa
Pande &
Temane
capacity
Sasolburg
Sapref
180,000 b/d
Enref
125,000 b/d
Calref
100,000 b/d
Natref
108,000 b/d
PetroSA 45,000 b/d
Synfuels 150,000 b/d
Mossel
Bay
■
blocks 16
and 19
■
Secunda
refineries
synfuel plants
crude oil pipeline
refined products pipeline
existing gas pipeline
natural gas pipeline
o prospecting areas
Cluster
overview
main operating divisions
International
South Africa
energy cluster
chemical cluster
production and marketing of ethylene and
propylene monomers, polypropylene,
polyethylene and PVC
Mining
coal mining activities
Polymers
Synfuels
production of liquid fuels, gases and
chemical products
Solvents
manufactures and markets globally a wide
range of oxygenated solvents and
co-monomers
Oil
crude oil refining; blending and marketing
of fuels and lubricants
Nitro
manufactures and markets ammonia,
mining explosives and fertilizers
Gas
distributes and markets natural and
methane-rich gas
Wax
operates wax manufacturing, blending
and marketing operations
Synfuels
International
develops and implements international
ventures based on Sasol’s F-T technology
Petroleum
International
develops & manages international upstream
interests in oil and gas exploration
and production activities
other
Technology
custodian and innovator of group’s
technology, engineering and project
management
Financing
responsible for centrally managing the
group’s cash and liquidity and all finance
related activities
Cluster
Sasol Technology
Sasol Technology
Research, Conceptualise, Design and Execute projects
These projects serve the growth aspirations of the Sasol Group
world wide
Sasol Technology can be classified as a “knowledge intensive organisation”
Total number of permanent employees - 1750
900 Engineers (Including 95 young Engineers recent to Sasol Technology)
310 Scientists
225 other professionally qualified personnel
315 administrative/ supporting personnel
copyright reserved 2007, Human Resource department, Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Problem Definition
Take the raw gas – Coal / Gas to Liquids and remove specific gases
Use a column with a stream to remove unwanted gases into the liquid stream
and provide a clean gas to the rest of the process
“Clean gas stream” must have impurities at the PPM and PPB levels specified
by the process vendors
SOLUTION is:
Treat the hot gases with a liquid solution rich in electrolytes to remove the
gases to the required PPM and PPB levels
The study
Knowing the feed flows, conditions and component analysis what electrolyte
mixture will work in the removal of the unwanted gases:
•
•
•
•
Which electrolyte system to use?
What concentrations of electrolyte solutions should be used?
How much of the electrolyte solution to use
What column configuration to use:
– Packed vs. Trayed
– Where to feed the electrolyte solutions
• 1, 2 or more feeds
– How many stages
– Temperature and Pressure of operation conditions
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Choosing the right Electrolyte data package for the job
In the R&D environment there were several known electrolyte packages
available: (alphabetical list no preference in the order given below….)
Aspen Plus (PITZER and ElecNRTL)
JESS
MINTEQA2
OLI
Standardising on the best
From the R&D perspective JESS and MinteqA2 were useful to provide:
• Theoretical mixtures based on experimental data
• All sorts of potential / theoretical chemical reactions
• Data was available from 100’s of different sources
From a practical simulation point of view
• Could not be used directly with a simulation package
• Data provided would need to be regressed to fit Aspen Plus data models
Aspen Plus
• Couldn’t trust the chemical reactions provided
– Range of ionic species was too few
– Didn’t have some of the solvents we were looking at
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
So why use OLI?
Data generated was for known and proven ionic species that we had already
measured in the aqueous system
Data package could be manipulated to look at different combinations of
solutions
Data package could be linked with Aspen Plus to generate flowsheet
information and create various studies
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Why combine a process flowsheet and OLI
Benefits of putting the model together
Known capabilities of the SASOL team (Expertise in Aspen Plus and OLI)
“What if study” capabilities in Aspen Plus
Extensive database inside of OLI that was “Out of the Box” ready for use
KEY……..
OLI covered all chemical species we were interested in plus some we didn’t
know would exist
Aspen Plus could create multiple flowsheets quickly and effectively
The model overview
Cleaned gas
Electrolyte fluid
Alternative 2nd electrolyte fluid
Reform Gas
Contaminated liquid to recycle process
Modelling effort
Modelling effort took 6 months
8 detailed models developed looking at:
• 5 different types of electrolyte solutions (dosage and chemical species)
• 6 different gas flowrates
• 10 different electrolyte solution flowrates
• Split flowrates for the electrolyte solution
Each model measured:
• pH
• Composition of key components in the exit gas down to ppb
• Composition and species of key components in the extraction liquor
• Composition and flowrate of each of the electrolyte streams
• Position of the electrolyte streams
• Plus all the usual flowsheet variables, temp, pres, flowrates etc
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Typical plot of simulation vs actual stream composition
NOT THIS PROCESS
Stream F2
44.0
42.0
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A+ simulation
Plant
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Testing against the real system
Testing required a skid mounted unit that could connect to various locations
within the plant.
Skid unit was very well instrumented and linked to a data historian to capture
results in real time
Results of some of the electrolyte species were difficult to measure on-line so
lab samples were taken and analysed off-line
Results:
Components measured in the OLI/Aspen Plus model were within 2-3 ppm or 5-9
ppb of experimental results
Flowrates, Temperature and Pressure of the feeds in the OLI/Aspen Plus model
were set to be the same as that measured in the plants
Flowrates, Temperature and Pressure of the products in the OLI/Aspen Plus
model were within 1 – 4% of those measured in the plants and well within the
accuracy of the meters used to measure these variables
Results
Actual results cannot be shown for commercial reasons.
They were however good enough for the simulation to be used to develop a
process
Topics
Sasol & Sasol Technology
Problem definition
Choosing the right electrolyte package for the job
Why use OLI
Benefits of using OLI and Process Simulation tools
Testing against the real system…
Documenting the results
Documenting the results
Standard templates are used within Sasol that act as an “Aide Memoir” for the
developer of the applications
Documentation regarded as important lesson in communicating the results to
other team members
Well documented models