ENERGY, GAS & xTL
We help organisations power a cleaner futureThe energy, gas and xTL industries are undergoing significant change. Lower carbon and cleaner energy have become the new frontier for innovation as companies transition away from coal-based feedstocks.
Socio-political factors are disrupting the supply and demand equilibrium, leading to price volatility and instability, making long term planning even harder. The impact of Covid-19 has disrupted the economic cycle; and the pandemic is expected to fundamentally impact businesses which will have to now adapt quickly in order to prosper.
Achieving new efficiencies in existing operations is also vital for businesses to continue to prosper.
Energy, gas and xTL companies will need to act quickly in order to reposition their business for a new economic reality. This transformation will require owners to have access to an unprecedented depth of experience, skill and innovation.
How we help ENERGY, GAS & xTL clients
We work with established owners, project developers, development agencies and financiers to identify opportunities, develop and implement successful energy, gas and xTL projects that deliver the necessary return on capital investment and that result in an efficient, competitive, sustainable and environmentally responsible business. We also support existing businesses to improve productivity, reliability and quality of operations. We do this through understanding the root causes of suboptimal performance, followed by interventions to address these.
Our depth of experience and expertise in the entire energy, gas, xTL value chain is unique. OTC consultants each have over 30 to 40 years’ experience typically in owner/operator roles in project and business development and operations.
How we work
We provide subject matter expertise, process facilitation, project, operations and business advisory support, with energy, gas and xTL specific experience and expertise, to our clients.
Our approach has evolved over many years being hands-on involved in strategy, business development, operations, profitability improvements as well as community relations. Our methodology is adaptable to meet our clients unique requirements. And, because we are a virtual team, we can effectively support our clients using online collaborative tools.
Our aim is to optimise businesses through detailed analyses of business and operations performance and identification of improvement opportunities. Opportunities are translated into either interventions ( organisational, procedural) or capital projects.
We will always ensure that business objectives are translated into project objectives. We take on the role of owner representative and/or as members of a project team together with developers, financiers, EPC contractors and operators to optimise and deliver on shared business objectives. We also have an extensive network of strategic partners and alliances which can be quickly drawn on to ensure the best possible outcomes.
We have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of proven best practices which we use in assignments.
Related Services and Offerings
- Business audits and due diligence
- OTC Toolkits
- Technology & Product Development
- Operations analysis and profitability improvement
- Time and motion studies
- Stochastic modelling
- Oversight of EIAs
- Hazard analysis and HAZOP studies
- Process safety strategies and oversight
LATEST ENERGY, GAS, xTL INSIGHT
Natural Gas for Road Transport
By Freek van Heerden, Corne Thirion and Jurie Steyn. Introduction Natural gas is a fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane (CH4) and is the cleanest of all hydrocarbon fuels. It generates carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, upon combustion and is therefore not...
WHAT IS xTL?
xTL refers to a family of processing technologies that synthesise liquid fuels from carbon sources such as coal, natural gas or biomass. For example “Coal to Liquids” is often used to describe the Fisher-Tropsch process for the manufacture of synthetic fuels.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is playing an increasingly important role in the overall energy mix. With new discoveries of both interior and offshore deposits in the Southern Africa region, liquified natural gas (LNG) represents a significant source of cheap and clean energy suited to powering the new economy.
Natural Gas means any source of methane containing gas that could be purified and liquefied and could include conventional and unconventional sources. Unconventional sources are for example, coal bed methane, coal shale gas, shale gas, biogas, and synthetic natural gas derived from gasification.
OTHER RECENT ENERGY, GAS & xTL INSIGHTS
Small-scale versus Large-scale LNG Plants
By Jurie Steyn. Introduction Consumption of natural gas (NG) has grown rapidly over the past three decades and today accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s primary energy supply. Although global primary energy consumption fell by 4,5% in 2020 due to the Covid-19...
Natural Gas for Power Generation
By Corne Thirion and Jurie Steyn Introduction The world needs an abundant supply of clean and affordable energy to support economic and social progress and build a better quality of life, particularly in developing countries. Until recently, this desire for energy has...
Outlets and Applications for Natural Gas
By Jurie Steyn Introduction South Africa’s energy sector has been in a state of insecurity for many years, and this will probably continue into the foreseeable future. Carbon emissions are high due to an over-reliance on coal as feedstock. This sets the scene for a...
Comparison of inland NG,LNG and imported LNG
By Anton Putter, Freek van Heerden and Herman van Heerden. Introduction The question often arises on the best way to start a natural gas (NG) industry or grow the NG industry in a country. South Africa is a good case in point where the NG industry has stagnated over...
Overview of LNG Technologies
By Christine Render (OTC) and Bill Howe (Gasconsult). This article explores the most commonly used technologies for the different LNG plant capacity ranges.Introduction Natural gas (NG) has become an increasingly important energy resource and is an important feedstock...
Safe and Clean Storage of Natural Gas
In this article, we discuss the different natural gas storage methods and the safety and environmental considerations in both transport and storage of natural gas. Introduction Transportation of natural gas is intricately linked to its storage infrastructure. If...
Traditional gas transport modes
The efficient and effective movement of natural gas (NG) from producing regions to consumption regions requires an extensive and elaborate transportation system. In many instances, NG produced from a particular well will have to travel a great distance to reach its...
Overview of the LNG industry
In this overview of the natural gas (NG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) industries, the emphasis is on the global LNG industry. Where applicable, brief remarks are included on LNG in southern Africa. The purpose of this article is to provide background on the LNG...
Hydrogen for Vehicular Transport
I have had very few opportunities to use a motor vehicle during the past several months of Covid-19 induced incarceration. Not being able to travel, affords one the opportunity to reflect on what the future may hold for vehicular transport. In other words, what will...
Hydrogen as Energy Carrier
In this article, we share some thoughts about a potential future hydrogen economy, discuss the different production routes for hydrogen, consider logistic implications of hydrogen storage and distribution, and describe some of the applications of hydrogen, and particularly transport applications.