Oltin Yo’l GTL, a gas-to-liquids, project in Uzbekistan has been launched.

The project was named at a formal ceremony in Tashkent involving representatives from the three companies who make up the joint venture: Uzbekneftegaz, Sasol, and Petronas.

In English, Oltin Yo’l translates to “golden road” and is a reference to the centuries-old trade routes which passed through Uzbekistan and specifically through Samarkand, the country’s second city.

The naming of the JV project followed a ceremony to mark the start of infrastructure development by the government of Uzbekistan at the proposed GTL plant site at Shurtan in the south of Uzbekistan, aimed at supporting the project schedule to enable a final investment decision, which is expected during the second half of 2013.

When commissioned, Oltin Yo’l GTL, a 38,000 bpd plant, will produce a combination of GTL diesel and GTL naphtha and, in an important development in the application of GTL fuels, GTL kerosene for the aviation sector.

“Sasol is proud to be part of this strategic project, which will provide Uzbekistan with world class environmentally friendly fuel, contribute to the country’s energy security, and diversify the utilization of its domestic gas resources,” said David Constable, CEO of Sasol.

“This project will significantly contribute to the economic growth of Uzbekistan by bringing billions of dollars of foreign direct investment into the country, thereby creating hundreds of skilled jobs, and additional indirect employment opportunities for the country’s population.”