GTL Demonstration Plant Update

RNS Number : 9560E

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC

15 April 2011

 



15^th April 2011

OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC

("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Group")

GTL Demonstration Plant Update

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading technology innovator for synthetic oil production, is pleased to announce that its Gas-to-Liquids ("GTL") demonstration plant has recently arrived in Fortaleza, Brazil following the timely completion of its construction in Asia last year.

The integrated GTL demonstration plant incorporates the Group's proprietary microchannel reactor and catalyst technologies for the key Steam Methane Reforming ("SMR") and Fischer-Tropsch ("FT") steps of the GTL process. The demonstration is fully funded and managed by the Group's partners Toyo Engineering Corporation and MODEC, Inc., in collaboration with the Brazilian national oil company Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. ("Petrobras") which is hosting the demonstration at its Lubnor refinery in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The GTL plant will be reassembled at the demonstration site, and will then progress to the pre-commissioning and commissioning stages. These are expected to be completed within four months. The demonstration plant is scheduled to start up in September, subject to successful commissioning and availability of the required utilities from Petrobras. Following start up, the demonstration will operate for approximately nine months.

Roy Lipski, CEO of Oxford Catalysts Group said:

"We are very pleased to be able to announce continued progress towards demonstration of our GTL technology. We are grateful for the continued support from our partners Toyo Engineering and MODEC, and for the very significant investment they have made in our technology.

"This project at Petrobras is an important early demonstration of the Group's technology for GTL with one of the world's largest users of FPSOs. Not only could it stimulate adoption of our products in the offshore market, but could also pave the way for early deployment in the larger onshore market."

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For further information, please contact:

Oxford Catalysts Roy Lipski, CEO Susan Robertson, CFO	[phone] [phone]
Cenkos Securities (Nomad and Broker) Ken Fleming / Jon Fitzpatrick	[phone] [phone]
Financial Dynamics Billy Clegg / Alex Beagley	[phone]

Notes to Editors

Oxford Catalysts designs and develops technology for the production of synthetic oil from both conventional fossil fuels and renewable sources such as bio-waste. The Group is focused on the emerging market for distributed smaller scale production of synthetic oil via Fischer-Tropsch ("FT") synthesis − a market that has the potential of producing as much as 25 million barrels of fuel a day.

The FT reaction is used when converting natural gas, coal or bio-mass into clean high-performance synthetic oil, processes known as GTL, CTL and BTL respectively. The Group is the recognised world leader in the design and development of high-activity catalysts and associated novel chemical reactors for the smaller scale production of synthetic oil. (The Group's reactor technology − known as microchannel process technology − is marketed under the brand name of Velocys).

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE: OCG). The Group has some 80 employees with facilities near Oxford, UK and Columbus, Ohio, USA.

www.oxfordcatalysts.com

www.velocys.com

 

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