GTL PLANTS ARE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND OPERATE, THEY ARE VERY COMPLEX
"CHEMICAL REFINERIES" THAT PRODUCE A SUPER CLEAN FUELS

BOTH SASOL AND SHELL BUILT VERY COMPLEX PLANTS IN A DESERT
WHERE THEY COULD WORK 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR

IN ALASKA THE GTL PLANT WILL BE MUCH SIMPLER BUT CONSTRUCTION
CAN'T HAPPEN YEAR AROUND ON THE NORTH SLOPE

HOW HAVE ALASKAN ENERGY COMPANIES BUILT MEGA COMPLEX PLANTS
AND PROCESS UNITS IN THE PAST?

IN MODULAR FORM, LOADED ON BARGES, SEA LIFTED TO THE NORTH SLOPE
AND TOWED TO THEIR FINAL LOCATION

MANY OF THE ORIGINAL NORTH SLOPE FACILITIES WERE CONSTRUCTED THIS WAY
EXXONMOBIL RECENTLY USED THIS TECHNIQUE FOR ITS POINT THOMSON FACILITY

ARCO ONE THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPERS OF THE PRUDHOE BAY FIELD USED A SIMILAR BUT
DIFFERENT PROCESS TO REDUCE COSTS THAT CAN APPLY TO A NORTH SLOPE GTL PLANT

THEY BUILT THE 600,000 BBL/D SALTWATER TREATING PLANT (STP) ON A BARGE, TOWED
IT INTO PLACE ON THE NORTH SLOPE, BUILT AN ISLAND AND SLIP TO "DOCK" THE
600' x 125' MODULE IN THE BAY AND GROUNDED IT TO FORM A PERMANENT LOCATION

THE LEFT AND RIGHT PHOTOS ARE OF THE STP FACILITY LOCATED AT THE END OF A MANMADE
CAUSEWAY AND THE CENTER PHOTO IS A GOOGLE EARTH VIEW
THE GREEN IS SHALLOW WATERS.

THE STP FACILITY WAS FLOATED INTO PLACE AND THEN BALLASTED
SO THAT THE BARGE RESTS ON THE SEA FLOOR

THE ARCO STP IS A LARGE PROCESS UNIT BUT FOR A GTL PLANT THE
BARGE/SHIP WILL NEED TO BE MUCH MUCH LARGER

FORTUNATELY, SHELL HAS LED THE WAY WITH LARGER (MEGA) SHIPS/BARGES
WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PRELUDE FLNG
(more)

THE SHELL PRELUDE IS 1,600' LONG AND 240' WIDE BUT FOR THE NORTH SLOPE
THE SHIP WILL BE A BARGE BECAUSE IT WILL BE GROUNDED IN A BAY LIKE
THE STP BARGE NOT OPERATING IN THE OPEN OCEAN LIKE THE FLNG

IT MIGHT TAKE TWO OF THESE MONSTER BARGES TO HOLD A 240,000 BBL/D GTL PLANT A 120,000 BBL/D PLANT OR MODULE ON EACH. THIS COULD ALLOW FOR FURTHER EXPANSION OR
REMOVAL WHEN AND IF NORTH SLOPE GAS RESERVES INCREASE OR DECLINE