Shell doubles capacity at GTL plant in Malaysia

Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s newly expanded solid wax plant at the gas-to-liquids (GTL) complex at Tanjung Kidurong, Malaysia, is doubling its current daily capacity of 14,7000 barrels using natural gas from offshore Sarawak, Managing Director Ate Visser said.
Visser, who is also Asia Vice President of Gas Shell Upstream International, said the US$100 million plant, completed in November last year, had the capacity at present to convert about three million cubic meters of natural gas to produce about 150 kilotons of waxes per annum, including granules and slabs.
“Our investment in the plant is a strategic one. We believe there is a long-term growth potential for synthetic waxes,” he said.
“We are proud that our waxes are marketed to over 50 countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Australia,” he said.
A joint venture between Shell, Mitsubishi, Petronas and the Sarawak state government, it is the world’s first commercial GTL plant, opened in 1993 and operated by Shell MDS.