Eni Licenses out Tech for Uzbek Gas-to-Chemicals
Italy's Eni, through its chemicals subsidiary Versalis, has licensed out its technology for a methanol-to-olefins (MTO) complex in Uzbekistan's Bukhara region, the oil major reported on February 2.
Versalis will license out a low density polyethylene/ethyl vinyl acetate (LDPE/EVA) swing unit, with a 180,000 metric ton/year capacity, to Russian-Uzbek contractor Enter Engineering. LDPE and EVA are ethylene polymers used for producing a range of materials including film coating, injection moulding, packaging, medical appliances, foams and as a base component for hot melt adhesives.
The contract was acquired by Versalis in partnership with US-based plant lifecycle specialist ECI Group.
The Bukhara MTO plant is being developed by Jizzakh Petroleum, a joint venture between Uzbekistan's Uzbekneftegaz and Russia's Gazprom. The $2.8bn project will use up to 1.5bn m3/year of gas as feedstock. But the schedule for its development is unclear.
Uzbekistan is looking to build out its petrochemicals sector to add value to its gas resources rather than exporting them to China and Russia. Another key project is a $3.6bn gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant, due online later this year.