Economic appraisal of transporting gas-to-liquids products through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS)

N. Ejiofor, S. L. Patil, G. A. Chukwu, D. Reynolds, S. Khataniar, A. Y. Dandekar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Alaska North Slope oilfield is a potential candidate for the gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology. With over 38 Tcf of natural gas occurring on the slope, gas gathering for a GTL facility will be relatively easy. GTL fuels are environmentally friendly (sulfur free) with better ignition and burning properties than conventional petroleum products from crude oil. Evaluating the options of transporting GTL products through the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) together with crude oil, either as a blend of crude oil and GTL (commingled) or as alternate slugs of each product (batching), is the main focus of this study. Economic evaluation model was employed using Rate of Return analysis to identify the most favorable mode of transportation of the GTL products. Batching, using modern tracking and sensor techniques, was found to be a more economic mode, yielding the highest rate of return on the investment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)196-202
Number of pages7
JournalEnergy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning and Policy
Volume3
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Alaska north slope
  • Economic appraisal
  • GTL
  • Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Fuel Technology
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology

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