Profile: Syntroleum Corporation (SYNM.O)

Syntroleum Corporation (Syntroleum), along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the commercialization of its technology to produce synthetic liquid hydrocarbons that are substantially free of contaminants found in hydrocarbon products. The Company’s Bio-Synfining technology processes triglycerides and/or fatty acids from fats and vegetable oils with heat (thermal depolymerization), hydrogen and catalysts to make renewable synthetic fuels, such as diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, naphtha and propane. Syntroleum has identified 100 different fats and oils, for conversion to synthetic fuels via the Bio-Synfining technology.

The Syntroleum Process produces synthetic liquid hydrocarbons that are free of contaminants found in products made from crude oil. These synthetic liquid hydrocarbons can be further processed into fungible products through its Synfining Process. These products include ultra-clean liquid fuels, for use in internal combustion engines, jet/turbine engines, diesel engines and fuel cells, and specialty products, such as synthetic lubricants, process oils, high melting point waxes, liquid normal paraffins, and chemical feedstocks. The Syntroleum Process involves two catalytic reactions: conversion of carbonless material into synthesis gas and conversion of the synthesis gas or coal-derived syngas into hydrocarbons over its Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

Syntroleum has developed hydroprocessing technology, the Synfining Process, for conversion of the Fischer-Tropsch wax into a variety of products, including diesel fuels, heating oil, jet fuels, lubricants, naphtha and other materials. It has also developed an adaptation of Synfining Process to accommodate animal fats, greases, fatty acids and similar substances as feedstocks in the production of ultra-clean renewable fuels. These feedstocks are similar in chemical structure to the paraffins produced from the Fischer-Tropsch process. The Company’s Catoosa Demonstration Facility produced ultra-clean diesel fuel and jet fuel from natural gas using the Syntroleum Process and the Synfining Process.