Contact: mail@duncanseddon.com
Recent Energy Documents by Duncan Seddon & Associates.
DUNCAN SEDDON BSc, PhD, FRACI, CChem, MSPE
Chemical Economics
Chemical Economics – publications in chemistry in Australia
The following documents are original submitted documents which were submitted to Chemistry in Australia where they were published. These documents where edited before final publication and cut-down to suit the journal. This often involved deletion of material which some readers may find useful. These original documents also contain pertinent references. During the editing process the titles of the documents were changed and I have renamed the files according to the final publication title. Publication dates are found in my publications list or full CV
Chemical Economics and Similar Publications [pdf] 0.2mb
Characterising Economic Advantage [pdf] 0.2mb
Impact Of Energy Costs On Ammonia Production [pdf] 0.2mb
Mineral Processing [pdf] 0.2mb
Chemical Economics Of Cracking Operations [pdf] 0.2mb
Biofuels And Biochemicals [pdf] 0.2mb
New Coal Chemistry [pdf] 0.2mb
Biodiesel And By-products - Glycerine [pdf] 0.2mb
Refineries [pdf] 0.2mb
Is the value of the LNG exports higher than the value of the chemical industry? [pdf] 0.2mb
Petrol Additives [pdf] 0.2mb
Lithium [pdf] 0.2mb
Graphite And Graphene [pdf] 0.2mb
Plastic Bags [pdf] 0.2mb
Steel, Aluminium, Lng - Recent Events [pdf] 0.2mb
Coal, Iron And Steel [pdf] 0.2mb
Gas, Iron And Steel [pdf] 0.2mb
Remote Operations [pdf] 0.2mb
Underground Coal Gasification - The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread? [pdf] 0.2mb
Montreal And Kyoto - A Personal View Of Two Protocols [pdf] 0.2mb
Ammonia - Fertilizer And Explosives [pdf] 0.2mb
The Hydrogen Economy? [pdf] 0.2mb
Methanol [pdf] 0.2mb
Petrol Additives [pdf] 0.2mb
The Energy Saga [pdf] 0.2mb
The New World Of Electric Cars [pdf] 0.2mb
Carbon Dioxide Extraction - Part 1 [pdf] 0.2mb
Carbon Dioxide Extraction - Part 2 [pdf] 0.2mb
Carbon Dioxide Extraction - Part 3 [pdf] 0.2mb
Research, Development, Demonstration And Commercialisation [pdf] 0.2mb
Helium as a driver for gas field development
IRPC 2015 Helium as a driver for gas field development
- second most abundant element in the universe
- produced by hydrogen fusion within seconds of the Big Bang
- rare on earth
IRPC 2015 Helium as a driver for gas field development - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
Coal Naphtha
Condensate and Naphtha Forum (March 2012)
Naphtha has been produced from coal since the start of the industrial revolution in the 1780s. Today most of the naphtha produced from coal is as a byproduct in the production of coke for steel making. However, since the rise in the price of crude oil and crude oil derivatives over the past decade there has been increased interest in producing commodity products from non oil sources.
Coal Naphtha (CONDENSATE AND NAPHTHA FORUM) - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
Helium, will it be the next mineral to boom in Australia?
Helium exploration in Australia
Helium is a strategic industrial mineral element of which the occurrence on earth is relatively rare. It has become an increasingly important substance with the advent of super conductors (especially for MRI machines) and is needed for inert gas flooding during conductive metals welding and in the manufacture of silicon and germanium crystals and wafers.
Helium, will it be the next mineral to boom in Australia? - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
Some does and don'ts of converting coal and biomass to liquids
World GTL congress, January 2013 DOHA
Read here about the does and don'ts of converting coal and biomass to liquids.
Some does and don'ts of converting coal and biomass to liquids - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
The value of Naphtha in steam cracking
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Read here about the values of Naphtha in steam cracking.
The value of Naphtha in steam cracking - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), its potential and its challenges
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Coal is widely available in most parts of the world. Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) gives the promise of turning many poor quality coal resources into exploitable reserves by delivering energy in the form of synthesis gas – carbon monoxide and hydrogen, potentially at very low cost.
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), its potential and its challenges - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
DME (Dimethyl ether)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
I first came across the use of Dimethyl Ether (DME) as an alternative fuel for power generation back in the mid 1990s.
DME (Dimethyl ether) [pdf] 0.2mb
LNG and Carbon Tax
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Expansion of Australia’s LNG industry will negate any attempt to reduce carbon emissions by a carbon tax.
LNG and Carbon Tax [pdf] 0.1mb
The Carbon Emissions of Debt
Dr. Duncan Seddon
As a consequence of the GFC most western governments are taking on large amounts of debt.
The Carbon Emissions of Debt [pdf] 0.1mb
Ammonia Production Cost
Dr. Duncan Seddon
A featured document about the ammonia production cost's.
Ammonia Production Cost - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
CTL (Coal To Liquid) & BTL (Biomass to Liquids)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
A featured presentation about Some do's and don'ts of converting coal and biomass to liquids.
CTL & BTL - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
C9: The price of Ammonia
Dr. Duncan Seddon
About 130 million tonnes of ammonia is produced each year. However, most of this material is used on local domestic markets so that only about 20 million tonnes is traded.
C8: The impact of oil price on styrene price
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Styrene is made from intermediates from oil, so what is the impact of rising (or falling) oil price on the price of styrene?
C8: The impact of oil price on styrene price - Full Document
C7: The price of Methanol
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Most methanol traded outside of China is produced from natural gas in large facilities with outputs over 2000t/d. Some recent operations, often referred to as Mega-Methanol1, have capacities in excess of 5000t/d.
C6: The price of PARA and ORTHO XYLENE
Dr. Duncan Seddon
In the last commentary (C5: The impact of crude oil price on aromatics prices), we showed the good correlation between the price of crude oil and mixed xylene isomers. In this comment we discuss the impact of oil prices on para-xylene and ortho-xylene.
C5: The impact of oil price on BTX price
Dr. Duncan Seddon
What is the impact of rising (or falling) oil price on the price of the aromatics benzene, toluene and xylene(BTX)? Clearly since these products are made from oil derived intermediates such as naphtha by reforming or steam cracking, there is an expected positive correlation with the price of oil.
Selling GTL - some observations on the marketing of GTL products
Dr. Duncan Seddon
A featured presentation about selling GTL. The areas it will cover are: Retail forecourts for fuels, Premium blend-stock markets, Chemical markets, Gasoline/petrol via methanol, LPG via methanol, Naphtha via FT process and Diesel via FT process
Selling GTL - some observations on the marketing of GTL products - Download Document [pdf] 0.2mb
Historical Trend of EU - Asia Price Differentials (Sept 2012)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
This commentary concerns the historical trend in the price differentials between the spot market for olefins in the European Union and South East Asia (SEA). The following graph shows the trend from 2006 to mid 2012. For most of the trend curve we can see that the price for olefins in both the EU and SEA are very similar when as expressed in US$/t.
Historical Trend of EU - Asia Price Differentials - Full Document
Ethylene Price History and Trends (Sept 2012)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Most ethylene is produced by steam cracking of hydrocarbons in particular naphtha and ethane. The spot price in the EU is illustrated in the figure below for the period 1988 to 2012. The EU chemical industry contains many players and pipeline interconnections make the trade in ethylene relatively easy.
Butadiene Price History and Trends (Sept 2012)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Butadiene is principally produced in the steam-cracking of naphtha and gas oil to produce light olefins and in particular ethylene. The figure illustrates the reported EU spot price for butadiene and ethylene from 1988 to mid 2012. The price curve clearly falls into two parts, before and after about mid 2008.
The Impact of Oil Price on Ethylene Price (Sept 2012)
Dr. Duncan Seddon
What is the impact of rising (or falling) oil price on the price of ethylene? Clearly since ethylene is made from oil derived products such as naphtha by steam cracking, there would be expected to be a positive correlation with the price of oil.
The High Price of Butadiene
Dr. Duncan Seddon
There is a business opportunity to satisfy the increasing demand for butadiene. The main issue to be addressed is the high capital cost for the dehydrogenation of butane or butene and the separation of butadiene. There are clearly opportunities to lower this cost by finding alternative routes, possibly by re-engineering of older and largely abandoned processes which use ethanol or acetylene as the starting material.
The Greek Crisis and the Price of Energy in the EU
Dr. Duncan Seddon
Of the many facets of the crisis that is gripping EU most commentary is focused on monetary problems. However, there should be more attention paid to the cost of energy in Europe. Although this was not the main source of the crisis, it is of critical importance when considering how the distressed European economies are going to get out of the current mess.
The Greek Crisis and the Price of Energy in the EU - Full Document
Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) Destruction the new challenge to the underground coal mining industry
Dr. Mike Clarke & Dr. Duncan Seddon
With the advent of ‘Carbon Taxes’ the carbon footprint of coal has become an economic as well as an environmental issue and the emission of methane in mine out-bye air as ventilation air methane (VAM) is a pending liability As well as being economic and environmental concerns, VAM and VAM management have safety, social licence and operational factors that must also be addressed.
VAM Destruction the new challenge to the underground coalmining industry - Full Document
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), its Potential Prospects and its Challenges
Dr. Duncan Seddon & Dr. Mike Clarke
Coal is widely available in most parts of the world. Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) gives the promise of turning many poor quality coal resources into exploitable reserves by delivering energy in the form of synthesis gas, potentially at very low cost. The synthesis gas can be used for generation of electricity and the production of fuels and chemicals by commercially proven technology.
