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Microcap & Penny Stocks : Rentech(RTK) - gas-to-liquids and cleaner fuel
RTK 0.200+5.3%Oct 13 5:00 PM EST

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To: TokyoMex who wrote (478)12/6/1997 7:19:00 PM
From: John S. Baker   of 14347
 
Thank you for posting this nice summary.
My only quibble is that I question whether Sasol is actually *making money* on gas-to-liquid conversions. Seems to me I remember that their technology was very heavily subsidized by the South African government during an embargo period, and that is why they already have producing plants.
If memory serves, there are two possible ways this process becomes cost-effective.
One is in converting natural gas at (or near) the well-site into a useful product. Many wells are located in areas far away from the necessary pipelines to bring the natural gas to market, so it is vented/burned off into the atmosphere. Cobalt-based processes are better for this option.
The other is for cleaning out the junk that is left over in the natural refinery processing of crude oil. Not only do they get high-quality diesel fuel out of teh process, but they clean up a very nasty mess which otherwise would cost a lot to remediate. And this is where the iron-based process (RNTK's) excels.
So, if my merory and understanding are correct, nobody yet is "making money" off of GTL conversions.

As I said, it's only a quibble.

JSb.
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