Uzbekneftegaz and Honeywell UOP (USA) reached an agreement on the use of technology MTO and Separex, produced by the US company.
Honeywell UOP is one of the American companies with which an agreement was reached on the implementation of joint projects within the framework of the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United States in May 2018, Uzbekneftegaz’s press service said.
In particular, within the document, the Uzbek company and Honeywell should consider development of the project for organization of a complex for production of methanol from natural gas, olefins from methanol using technology MTO (methanol to olefins) and a derivative of olefins worth US$3.2 billion.
Based on the results of the development and approval of the preliminary feasibility study of the project, the forms of further cooperation with Honeywell UOP as a licensor of MTO technology will be discussed.
Separex technology by Honeywell UOP is also highly demanded for gas processing enterprises of Uzbekneftegaz.
Separex membrane systems are used to remove acid gas and water from the composition of natural gas. The systems are supplied on a block basis with spirally mounted membrane elements. As the specialists of the manufacturer note, the advantages of Separex membrane systems in comparison with conventional processes based on solvents are the improvement of the quality of the processed natural gas, as well as the reduction of capital and operating costs in the gas processing process.
In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, Honeywell UOP will conduct a pilot industrial test of Separex gas separating unit at one of the enterprises of Uzbekneftegaz.
If positive results are obtained, the issue of introducing this technology into other gas processing facilities of the country will be worked out.
Uzbekistan, which has a significant hydrocarbon potential, has about a third of all the mineral resources in Central Asia and currently is one of the world’s 20 largest producers of gas.
The amount of investments in the oil and gas industry over the years of independence made up over US$35 billion, of which 57% fall on foreign direct investment and loans.
Among the main economic priorities of the oil and gas industry at the present stage is deep processing of hydrocarbon raw materials, production of high-value-added products from it, expansion of the geography of exports, and attraction of investments.
