Gas Technologies Announces Relationship with PCI Gases
Walloon Lake-based Gas Technologies LLC, developer of the GasTechno methane-to-methanol conversion process, Thursday announced plans to cooperate with PCI Gases LLC on the integration of PCI's Deployable Oxygen Concentrator Systems (DOCS) into the GasTechno process.
PCI's DOCS technology uses a Vacuum Swing Adsorption gaseous generation technology that offers the lowest total cost of ownership for onsite oxygen generation in its size class.
The target market for the integrated VSA/GasTechno methane-to-methanol conversion process is flare gas sources -- natural gas and oil wells that produce methane as a waste gas that is simply burned off -- that are typically remote, where liquid oxygen is either very expensive or otherwise unavailable. PCI's DOCS oxygen plants will allow Gas Technologies to pursue numerous markets to commercialize the GasTechno gas-to-liquid process.
Gas Tecnhologies CEO Walter Breidenstein said his team "spent a lot of time researching oxygen systems" and liquid oxygen delivery options. He said that since oxygen will be one of the largest costs outside the base GasTechno system, "we knew that scaling down required high quality, low cost oxygen for our most favorable process economics, and PCI's DOCS technology was the last technology standing in our opinion. We are very pleased they agreed to support our global strategy in reducing gas flaring and lowering CO2 emissions."
The GasTechno process converts gases to liquid methanol and ethanol with oxygen. Breidenstein described the process as being somewhat like a carburetor on a car that converts gasoline with air into energy -- GasTechno converts natural gas and oxygen into liquids.
Both companies will also evaluate a co-development agreement that would improve oxygen quality at small scales, and study options to scale-up the technology for larger GasTechno commercial plants.
Breidenstein said the future integration of both technologies shows great promise in the growing worldwide market to reduce gas flares and access low cost "stranded gas" -- gas that can't be economically transported for processing into more useful chemicals -- especially at offshore oil production platforms.
"The GasTechno process is a great example for the increasing need for mobile point-of-use oxygen plants that enable users to have low cost oxygen in remote areas," said Soeren Schmitz, general manager for PCI's Oxygen Solutions business.
The GasTechno platform converts methane into valuable commodity fuels, high-end intermediates and specialty chemicals via the GasTechno family of technologies. Gas Tecnhologies says GasTechno plants are scalable, transportable and profitable at small volumes, monetizing even modest sources of CO2, methane, landfill gas, biogas and bio-methane. The company's latest designs include a food and fuels production system that processes CO2 and methane, the greenhouse gases primarily responsible for global warming. More at www.gastechno.com.
Pacific Consolidated Industries LLC was founded in 1984 to manufacture cryogenic air separation devices for operation in extreme and remote environments. Since then, PCI has continually expanded its technology platforms to include membrane and adsorption (VSA) technology. PCI manufactures ruggedized on-site liquid and gaseous oxygen and nitrogen generators for a variety of markets, including military; medical; water and wastewater treatment; industrial; and the oil and gas industry. PCI is based in Riverside, Calif. More at www.pcigases.com.
