Stepping on the gas - standing room only as Sasol Chevron drives on GTL at Gastech in Abu Dhabi

The conference was held in the UAE from the 4-7 December and the excitement and interest was driven in part by the chance for an update on the ORYX GTL plant, the first world-scale GTL plant in Qatar which will put GTL products into the market in the first quarter of 2007.

Conference attendees heard a series of presentations covering the commercial development of the technology as well as the practical application of GTL products in the target markets. In a session co-chaired by Sasol Chevron and ORYX GTL, the industry's leading companies discussed their plans and projects.

Sasol Chevron co-chair Malcolm Wells said: "With speakers from Volkswagen, ORYX GTL, Foster Wheeler, Shell and ourselves, the industry was certainly putting out its best silver. The opening presentation from Alex Forbes gave the audience the opportunity to hear an informed and authoritative view of the industry from an independent third party who has followed developments from the earliest days. We were particularly pleased to have such a positive view from Volkswagen as they and the other motor manufacturers have such an influential role to play in the development of the fuels market."

Forbes Communication Limited Director Alex Forbes said: "2006 has been a momentous year for the GTL industry - on several levels. On the one level we have seen ambition projects taking large-scale steps towards commercial operation. On another, we have seen GTL products in action, with impressive results. GTL diesel, both neat and as a blendstock, has proved itself in big races, and in an epic, cross-continent expedition."

Running parallel to the Gastech conference was the Gastech exhibition, which showcased most of the major GTL projects and vehicles. Sasol Chevron showcased the Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge, a symbolic 11,000 km journey in which a standard, diesel powered Toyota Raider, 'African Renaissance', travelled from South Africa to Qatar on ultra clean GTL diesel. The expedition arrived in time for the inauguration of the trail blazing Oryx GTL plant in Qatar. Two of the key figures from that journey, expedition leader Ian Myburgh and fuel specialist Butie Mlangeni, were on hand at the Sasol Chevron exhibit to share some of their adventures.