GTL and North Slope Gas
GTL and North Slope Gas
(OP)
General question. What do you guys think about the idea of using GTL on North Slope (and ANWR) natural gas conversion, and then using the Alaskan pipeline to deliver the GTL liquids? The pipeline (as I understand) is at much lower capacity than in the 1980's. There are 240 tcf of gas on the North Slope, and more showing up.
Anybody think this makes sense? As I understand, GTL products can be delivered at prices of $30/bbl. But that is $30/bbl of high quality product, not $50 of heavy crude.
It must be cheaper than moving natural gas in a $30 billion pipeline across 5,000 miles of arctic wilderness.
Thoughts??????
Anybody think this makes sense? As I understand, GTL products can be delivered at prices of $30/bbl. But that is $30/bbl of high quality product, not $50 of heavy crude.
It must be cheaper than moving natural gas in a $30 billion pipeline across 5,000 miles of arctic wilderness.
Thoughts??????





RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
Also out of curiosity (ignorance?) - aren't long distance liquid pipe lines quite diferent in design to gas ones? e.g. Can have some thick pipe wall requirements at low points due to liquid heads.
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
Best regards
Morten
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
rmw
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
Anyway some people uses GTL about the crogenic process - since the outcome is - ta-dah - a liquid
Best regards
Morten
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
For example, to a teenage in my past, the word "cool" connoted 'good' or 'OK' or 'groovy' while to me as an engineer, the word cool denotes a reference to a temperature relationship.
GTL generally connotes hydrocarbon liquids made from NG using the FT process, while NG refrigerated to its liquid state is referred to as LNG, and liquids of other constituentes of natural gas in their liquid state are referred to as LPG.
Anyone who is using GTL to refer to the cyrogenic process of liquifying NG is not using the common use of the term GTL. Not that refrigerating NG to its liquid state is not 'gtl'.
If you google GTL you will find most of the information pertains to converting (mostly stranded) NG to light hydrocarbon liquids that can be transported by conventional means (pipelines, boats, barges) to existing markets, transportation fuels, for example.
While I haven't done the google thing in a while, I would be shocked to find references to LNG as GTL. But, I am always willing to learn.
rmw
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
As for gas vs oil pipeline engineering, although you may find that a liquid pipeline needs heavier wall thickness at some points due to line packing, in the two ASME pipeline codes the oil pipeline design factor is fixed at 0.72, whereas gas pipeline design factors can be as low as 0.4 depending upon the habitaion around the pipeline, so you often find that the two things may cancel out and the total cost of the pipe is about the same for the same diameter and design pressure. However, a Main Oil Line pump is a lot cheaper than a large multi stage gas export compressor with it's intercoolers etc...
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
Bonzoboy
RE: GTL and North Slope Gas
I thought of this thread when I saw it. If I come back across it, I'll post the link. You might try googling all the pertinent words.
rmw