American Companies Propose to Build Natural Gas Refinery in Ethiopia

Two American energy firms, Greencomm and Innovative Clear Choice Technologies (ICCT), have proposed to the Ethiopian government to build a natural gas refinery plant that can process gas to liquid petroleum at a cost of two billion dollars, according to the Ethiopian Reporter.

Ethiopia has proven natural gas reserves in the Ogaden basin. Greencomm and ICCT have proposed to the state-owned Ethiopian Minerals, Petroleum and Bio-Fuel Development Corporation to establish a public private partnership that would build a Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) plant in the Ogaden basin.

Andargie Bekele, petroleum exploration and development director with the Ethiopian Minerals, Petroleum and Bio Fuel Development Corporation, told The Reporter that Greencomm and ICCT have expressed their keen interest in constructing a GTL plant that converts natural gas into synthetic crude oil. Andargie said the proposed GTL technology would produce synthetic crude oil out of which benzene, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, LPG, and lubricants can be produced.