Oxford Catalysts Share Discussion Threads

[haydock] 23/9/2013 19:50

How much cash do you have on your balance sheet at the moment?

RL: We will release interim results at the end of September so I can only refer you back to what it was at the beginning of the year [according to the annual report, Oxford Catalysts had £33.7 million of total equity on 31 December 2012]. But I can say that we have plenty of money for the foreseeable future and are not about to do a fundraising.

[wes1] 23/9/2013 14:04

Pinto Energy LLC

Announcing Gas-to-Liquids Plant in Ashtabula, Ohio

Pinto Energy LLC, a developer of smaller scale Gas-to-Liquids facilities, is pleased to announce its Ashtabula GTL project.

The 2,800 barrel per day (bpd) plant will be built at Pinto's 80-acre industrial site to the east of Ashtabula, Ohio.It will convert abundant low-cost natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shale region, into high value specialty products (solvents, lubricants and waxes), as well as ultra clean transportation fuels.

The state of the art GTL facility will create 30 new, direct, well-paying jobs, 400 temporary construction jobs, as well as result in the creation of an estimated 112 indirect jobs, to give a total of 542 local jobs. Pinto recently filed the project's air and water permits, and is in discussions with regional economic authorities for further local support.

"Pinto is pleased to be joining the Ashtabula community," stated Guy Dove, Chairman of Pinto Energy. "By building one of the first North American GTL facility in Ashtabula County, Pinto is creating well-paying jobs and extending the benefits of increased domestic energy production to North Eastern Ohio."

North American natural gas production has increased significantly in recent years, leading to persistent low natural gas prices and an increase in gas conversion projects. Gas-to-Liquids technologies, such as Fischer Tropsch (FT), have existed since the early 20 th century, but recent technological advancements have radically transformed the GTL landscape.

After a thorough review of the existing technologies, Pinto has chosen to utilize Velocys Plc (Velocys) FT technology. Velocys advanced catalysts and proprietary microchannel reactors offer unparalleled efficiencies for GTL projects today. Pinto has agreed to commercial license terms with Velocys and made a down payment towards the FT reactors.

"Velocys offers the most efficient and cost effective GTL technology on the market today," stated Michael Reinart, President of Pinto Energy." Pinto looks forward to working with Velocys on our Ashtabula GTL facility and other GTL projects in the Pinto portfolio."

Pinto has chosen Ventech Engineers International LLC (Ventech) as the project's EPC Contractor. Ventech is a global leader in the design and construction of new modular refineries, and will build these GTL plants at their Pasadena, Texas fabrication complex. The modules will be transported to the Ashtabula project site for installation.

Ventech began designing the Ashtabula facility in April 2013. The plant design is expected to be complete at the end of 2013, and Pinto is seeking to start construction in the first half of 2014. Mechanical completion of the plant is expected in late 2015, with start-up in early 2016.

[gac141] 23/9/2013 13:22

Oxford Catalysts nearing inflection point?
By Julie Fisher | Mon, 23rd September 2013 - 13:04

Shares in Oxford Catalysts Group (OCG) have risen 5.4% after its gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology was selected by Pinto Energy for a planned US GTL plant.

American company Pinto is planning the 2,800 barrel-per-day plant at Ashtabula, Ohio to convert natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shale region into solvents, lubricants, waxes and transportation fuels.

It began designing the plant in April and has applied for air and water permits. The plant is expected to be operational by early 2016.

Pinto chairman Guy Dove said Oxford Catalysts, which is shortly to change its name to Velocys, was "the best choice for smaller-scale GTL".

Oxford Catalysts' technology could also be used at a number of other small-scale GTL plants which Pinto hopes to develop across Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Texas and the Gulf Coast.

In an interview with Interactive Investor earlier in September, Oxford Catalysts chief executive Roy Lipksi said technology stocks such as his own were "defined by these big re-rating events" as they proved themselves as viable concepts.

"There is another on the horizon, when our first customer commits to construction of a plant," he added. "That will be a big inflection point for us."

[gac141] 23/9/2013 09:46

Pinto Energy

Pinto Energy is in discussions to develop distributed scale GTL facilities across North America, including:

Pennsylvania
North Dakota
Texas
Gulf Coast
We are always seeking new potential sites that may benefit from good feedstock supply (Ethane or Natural Gas) and existing infrastructure

[cestnous] 23/9/2013 07:43

Price reaction beginning now. The potential here is tremendous and widely overlooked imo., maybe because of the perceived lead in time scale. Bought my initial position at too high a price in retrospect, but now built a larger position at lower cost. Time to sit back and wait.

[wes1] 23/9/2013 07:36

The following was published four months ago (3rd May 2013) -

Velocys Inc. is ratcheting up its technology to convert natural gas to liquid fuels with the opening of a pilot plant off Route 33 in Union County near Dublin.

The $4 million facility will serve as a testing and training site for companies deploying a Velocys technology that makes it possible to build gas-to-liquids plants close to remote oil and natural gas fields, including ones in the Utica shale play in Ohio, said CEO Roy Lipski.

"Our technology can add value to shale gas and stimulate Ohio's economy," he said. "At the same time it will be better for the environment. We're turning a low-value gas – shale gas – into a high-value, ultra-clean fuel."

Lipski was referring to diesel and jet fuels derived from natural gas. Velocys' technology also can be used at facilities that convert natural gas into non-fuel products, such as food-grade waxes, cosmetics and lubricants.

"It took 15 years and $300 million to get where we are today," he said of research started at Battelle in Columbus, which spun off Velocys in 2001.

Now a subsidiary of Oxford Catalysts Group Plc, Velocys specializes in microchannel reactors and process technology used to convert natural gas and biomass to clean fuels. The company has figured out how to shrink the hardware in large, conventional gas-to-liquid conversion plants, allowing for construction of smaller, more affordable modular plants.

"There is a real need for smaller projects that can be built in gas fields," said John Baardson, CEO of Houston-based Pinto Energy, which lines up financing and permits for gas-to-liquids projects.

It can cost more than $1 billion to finance a conventional plant, Baardson said, but the modular construction made possible by Velocys' technology slashes that investment.

"It's very difficult to go to a bank and ask for $1 billion," he said. "It's easier to ask for $100 million, like we're doing."

Velocys has 40 serious prospects for gas-to-liquid plant projects worldwide, Lipski said, including 10 in the engineering stage in the U.S. The modular plants will be developed in North America through an agreement between Velocys, which supplies the technology, and Ventech Engineers International LLC of Pasadena, Texas, that will design and build the facilities.

Ventech placed an order with Velocys for microchannel reactors to go into a modular gas-to-liquids plant, Lipski said. In addition, Calumet Specialty Product Partners LP, a producer of petroleum products, will use Velocys' technology to expand a plant in Karns City, Pa., that will convert natural gas into waxes and other products.

Velocys used a $5 million grant from Ohio's Third Frontier program to fund development of its gas-to-liquids technology and the pilot plant, said Jeff McDaniel, the company's commercial director. The Air Force also provided equipment for the project.

"The big winners," he said, "will be the people who take natural gas and turn it into high-value products. That's what we're all about."

hxxp://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/05/03/battelle-spinoff-opens-in-dublin-to.html

[adorling] 23/9/2013 07:09

I like that it states that it is planned to be the first phase of a multi-train facility. Good progress, now let's see the price move on that positive news.

[cestnous] 23/9/2013 07:09

Added first thing. Not something I usually do but couldn't resist with no reaction on this news.

[gac141] 23/9/2013 06:32

Fantastic news for us all. Well done the "Velocys" Team.

[cestnous] 23/9/2013 06:18

Wake up boys; news out

2,800 bpd US Gas-to-Liquids Plant

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC (OCG.L), the technology innovator for smaller scale Gas-to-Liquids (GTL), is pleased to announce selection of the Company's technology and progress towards a 2,800 barrels per day (bpd) GTL plant in the US.

The GTL facility is being pursued by project developer Pinto Energy, LLC ("Pinto") at an 80-acre industrial site that it owns in the Port of Ashtabula, Ohio. Pinto will convert abundant low-cost natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shale region into high value specialty products (solvents, lubricants and waxes), as well as ultra clean transportation fuels.

The plant's location will also benefit from access to substantial existing infrastructure, including a waste water treatment plant, an air separation unit, a gas pipeline, product loading facilities for both barge and rail, and local customers for some of the plant's bi-products.

Following selection of the Group's FT technology and agreement on commercial license terms, Pinto began designing the Ashtabula plant with Ventech Engineers International LLC in April 2013, and recently filed the project's air and water permit applications.

The design is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, and Pinto is working towards issuing the final notice to proceed in the first half of 2014. Mechanical completion of the plant is expected in late 2015, with start-up in early 2016. Pinto has secured funds to complete the engineering, permitting and all other upfront work; construction financing is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2014.

This 2,800 bpd project is planned to be the first phase of a multi-train facility at Ashtabula. In addition, Pinto has a portfolio of other sites where it intends to develop smaller scale GTL projects with the Group's technology.

Roy Lipski, CEO of Oxford Catalysts Group, said:

"We are delighted to see such significant progress towards a smaller scale GTL plant in North America using our technology. This highlights the unique opportunity presented by the region's abundant shale gas reserves, as well as the drive for energy security and cleaner fuels. We're pleased to be working with Pinto on this project local to us in Ohio."

[wes1] 22/9/2013 12:12

18 Sep 2013
...Oxford Catalysts is another company using GTL processes to create vehicle fuel from natural gas. In this instance, Oxford Catalysts can produce premium diesel for $1.57/gallon using natural gas, while it costs roughly $2.95/gallon to produce premium diesel from conventional oil.
hxxp://www.hardhatters.com/2013/09/natural-gas-to-gasoline-conversion/

[gac141] 19/9/2013 15:00

Maybe/ Maybe not us right now but definitely we should be involved in the future...

[wes1] 18/9/2013 15:38

This was in The Times this morning –
Deal of the Day: Graphene NanoChem jumped 10.7% to 72¼p after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved both its biofuel product, made from waste oils and fatty acids derived from the palm oil industry, and its Malaysian chemicals facility. PlatClear can now be sold in a market that is forecast to be the world's largest for biofuels by 2017.

There are plenty of other companies in various stages of coming to market that some may perceive to be competitors to OCG

When parliaments (and philanthropic private companies like Google or Gates Foundation), foresee problems on the horizon they incentivise research companies with grants and awards in order to seek solutions.

In this instance we are looking at greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our carbon footprint. All those companies, such as CompactGTL are looking for solutions to different problems, be it clean fuel, reducing flaring or producing electric power.

The EU got involved a couple of years ago. The target is to produce a couple of million tons of sustainable biofuel by 2020. Then the target will be to ramp up production until they attain that figure annually with nine plants.

The immediate target is to get the first facility up and running by 2015 – it will take 2-3 years to build so time is running out if they want to keep to schedule.

It is expected that by this time a lot of companies will be losing their subsidies, leaving the way clear for the efficient ones to clean up. (including OCG hopefully)

[gac141] 18/9/2013 14:45

30th it is.

[visionon] 18/9/2013 14:22

Folks - do we have an interims date ? last year was 21st and the year before the 16th. Name change is 25th so i'm wandering if they are hanging on until then. 30th presumably the latest date without upsetting folk.

[visionon] 18/9/2013 12:30

gastechnology.org one now opens. thanks !!

[visionon] 18/9/2013 12:27

gac141 another good find. you are on a roll.

[gac141] 18/9/2013 11:55

Who might supply the GTL Units???

[gac141] 18/9/2013 09:20

Hmmm..Neither can I at the moment..I'll try later

[visionon] 18/9/2013 08:49

gac141 - would like to read that but it comes up with a message "can't connect with server".

[gac141] 18/9/2013 07:13

Yes this was a great find Wes1...Well done

[wes1] 18/9/2013 06:53

I see BH has full article on iii