Who We Are

EXTIEL (pronounced X-T-L), stands for X-To-Liquids, where “X” represents virtually any carbonaceous feed material. The synthesized “Liquids” are high performance, long-chain, non-toxic, food grade and biodegradable products of a quality not attainable through traditional refinery unit operations.

Extiel is a vertically integrated manufacturer of these products, utilizing a decentralized and distributed manufacturing model to ensure long-term reliability of supply. We synthesize exceptionally pure, safe, high-performance chemical intermediates, solvents, base oils and paraffinic waxes. We help our customers make better, safer and more environmentally friendly end-products by incorporating our fully-synthesized product stocks. Premier, well-proven manufacturing processes ensure that customers receive superior products made to exacting specifications at market competitive prices.

Feed material “X” can be in gaseous form, such as clean, abundant pipeline natural gas, associated petroleum gas (APG), anaerobic digester gas or landfill gas. The “X” can be a liquid including gas condensate and y-grade NGL mixes. Even renewable liquids and solids including carbon-rich agricultural, municipal or industrial wastewater, wood, switchgrass, corn stover and solid waste materials like coal fines, used tires, used railroad ties and MSW can be the source of carbon for our process. Finally, we can safely convert solid material like abundant coal into clean liquid hydrocarbons.

Natural Gas to Chemicals Industry

In recent years there has been tremendous activity in the US and Worldwide in the discovery and production of natural gas. Capital markets have responded to the availability of cheap natural gas with billions of dollars flowing to construct process plants that utilize natural gas as a feedstock. Products such as ammonia, urea, methanol, polyethylene, polypropylene, linear alpha olefins and poly alpha olefins to name a few are all made from natural gas, and capital projects are in development to increase output of all of these essential products. 

Extiel operates in this very active gas-to-chemicals market segment. The value created converting natural gas into Extiel products is among the highest in the specialty chemicals industry. While many of the chemicals listed above enjoy deep, global markets, specialty chemicals utilizing Extiel technology are in great demand and short supply.

Regardless of the carbon source, be it solid, liquid or gas, Extiel has the technological building blocks to convert low cost, low energy density or “stranded resources” into high-performance, energy dense, environmentally safe and easily transported products.

The team at Extiel is world-class in the catalytic synthesis of ultra-pure paraffinic molecules that are non-toxic, food grade and biodegradable. Imagine the ability to create superior products that are safe for human and environmental contact, while replacing conventional crude oil derived distillate with Extiel’s clean, synthesized hydrocarbons without compromising performance.

These synthesized organics play a key role in the creation of thousands of safe products including food, pharmacologicals, cleaners, degreasers, environmentally safe insecticides, food grade lubricants, low VOC polyurethane, varnish, paints, coatings and caulk.

We continuously research and test product improvements and new chemical synthesis technologies to provide our customers with superior products.

Synthesized Products

Synthesized vs Synthetic

Synthetic hydrocarbons are not the same as synthesized hydrocarbons. Many synthetic hydrocarbons, such as Group II and Group III base oils, are actually mineral crude oil that has been hydro-processed. These low-quality synthetics are characterized by the presence of residual impurities including bound-sulfur, metals and aromatics including Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene, BTEX) to name a few.  Synthesized molecules, on the other hand, are built one carbon at a time creating a perfectly clean hydrocarbon with zero sulfur, metals, alcohols and aromatics. Starting with clean natural gas (primarily CH4), Extiel separates the carbon and hydrogen in a process called “reforming” then systematically builds up long-chain hydrocarbons through polymerization of methylene creating pure paraffinic hydrocarbons, ranging in size from C6 to C100. The process is analogous to the polymerization of ethylene to form polyethylene or propylene to form polypropylene.

Extiel is committed to global stewardship. Our GTL products are food grade, biodegradable, and safe for human and environmental contact. These products often replace hazardous crude oil-derived alternatives while providing superior performance. Our manufacturing process is much simpler and cleaner than petrochemical processing of crude oil with a fraction of the environmental impact.

Our GTL facilities have a very small environmental footprint, generating no solid or liquid hazardous streams. Hazardous discharges are not possible. The manufacturing process produces no objectionable odors or plume. Only a mineral-enriched water stream is discharged from the water purification unit and steam generators.

Natural gas is both clean and abundant. In many oil producing locations, gas is flared because a path to monetization does not exist. Extiel can reduce the carbon footprint of oil production while creating value for the gas producer and product buyer alike.

A reliable supply of hydrogen is critical for many industries such as refining, chemical production, fuel cell operations, glass making and electronics. To produce fuels that are EPA Tier 3 compliant (ultra-low sulfur), refinery operators will consume greater quantities of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is traditionally supplied as a compressed or liquefied gas or produced on-site from natural gas. Extiel’s Steam Methane Reformer produces ultra-pure hydrogen as a byproduct and results in an additional high value product stream while reducing the environmental footprint of the plant.

Sustainable with Small Environmental Footprint

Accelerated Project Development

Extiel has strategic alliances in place, including development of several logistically optimal plant sites in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. The process of securing the land and required gas, power and water supply agreements is underway. Together with our high quality equipment fabricators and our EPC partner, Extiel is ready to quickly deploy production capacity to meet growing demand for these high performance products. Our world class EPCs and operators guarantee optimized plant performance, project scheduling and capital cost for each project.