Gas-to-liquids plant almost ready

Scientists from around the world will soon plug into the Internet to test new natural gas technologies in the $86 million gas-to-liquids test plant built in Nikiski, near Kenai.

The plant, built by BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., is essentially complete and is in the process of being started.

It is a commercial demonstration unit to test a new compact reformer unit that BP developed, according to Shane O'Leary, BP's former manager for the project. The reformer is the first stage of the plant, which converts natural gas into a liquid product.

With technology used today the former is the most costly part of a gas-to-liquids plant. If BP is successful in testing its smaller, less-costly reformer, the cost of producing liquids from gas will be reduced.

With the plant complete, O'Leary has been transferred to another job in BP. Len Seymour has taken over management of the project at BP.

One aspect of the plant is its automation and advanced instrumentation. Scientists in London, Houston or anywhere in the world will be able to conduct experiments in the plant using the Internet for data transfer through the use of "DataLink," a new software system.