South African chemicals group Sasol (Johannesburg; www.sasol.com) has “decided to delay the final investment decision on its large-scale, gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in Louisiana.” The decision is set against the backdrop of the significant fall in the oil price and the questionable economic feasibility of such a plant at this point in time.

While pulling back from this particular project, the company at the same time emphasised that it will go ahead with building a 1.5m t/y ethane cracker and downstream PE lines at the site. “Given the robust project economics” of the site, Sasol said it is confident that “this facility is the first step in developing the site near Lake Charles into an integrated multi-asset, multi-business hub.” Construction in Louisiana officially kicked off a few months ago (see Plasteurope.com of 29.10.2014).