Air Liquide to supply oxygen to OCI methanol hub

Air Liquide announced Monday that it was selected by Natgasoline, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OCI, as the supplier of oxygen for its new world-scale methanol plant in Beaumont, Texas. 

The company said it will invest around €90 million (more than $120 million) in this project.

Air Liquide has entered into a new long-term agreement to supply Natgasoline with 2,400 tpd of oxygen. To meet the growing needs of OCI for the production of natural gas-based chemicals, Air Liquide will build a new air separation unit (ASU) producing oxygen, nitrogen and argon. 

Connected to Air Liquide’s extensive pipeline network along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana, allowing for high reliability of supply, the ASU is expected to be commissioned by the second half of 2016.

The new Natgasoline methanol plant will produce approximately 5,000 tpd of methanol, making it the largest methanol production facility in the US based on capacity. Large quantities of pure oxygen are required for this method of large-scale methanol production. 

Air Liquide, via its engineering and construction activity, also signed a contract with OCI for the supply of the Lurgi MegaMethanol process technology to OCI’s Natgasoline facility. The MegaMethanol technology, which converts natural gas to methanol, is part of Air Liquide’s proprietary Lurgi technology portfolio.

“Our recent agreements with OCI demonstrate Air Liquide’s unique turnkey capabilities as a global technology provider and industrial gas supplier of choice," said Michael J. Graff, senior vice president for the Americas region at Air Liquide. "We are pleased to grow our relationship with OCI and create value for them with safe, reliable and high-quality solutions.”