News

INFRA Technology attracts private investment.
Jan. 28, 2014

INFRA Technology attracts private investment.

INFRA Technology is pleased to announce that a prominent Russian businessman, Konstantin Nikolaev, has joined the company’s current shareholders. In accordance with the new shareholders’ agreement, he has acquired a significant minority stake.

INFRA Technology is a Russian innovation company for the development of advanced energy and new materials technologies, created in 2009 around a group of Russian scientists. In particular, the company has developed and patented the new generation of Fischer-Tropsch process – technology for producing high quality liquid synthetic oil and transportation fuels from carbon-containing feedstock - natural gas (gas-to-liquid, GTL), coal, biomass (XTL). This technology represents a breakthrough in the production of synthetic transportation fuels and will allow unlocking remote and otherwise stranded gas resources, monetizing associated petroleum gas, improving economics of shale gas production and helping to develop low quality oil fields. For the first time, Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) technology becomes profitable and helpsto reduce the environmental impact of the natural resources extraction process. For example, this technology allows to build economically viable modular GTL plants for processing such valuable feedstock as associated gas. Currently, more than 150 billion cubic meters of this resource are flared into the atmosphere.

Additional capital will allow INFRA Technology to implement commercialisation of its unique technology for producing synthetic transportation fuels. The planned investment programme includes building the pilot small-scale 100 barrels-per-day modular containerized GTL unit for converting associated gas into synthetic oil, establishing serial production of such small-scale units by the end of 2014, transfer of the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to industrial production, and thereafter full marketing and commercialisation of the technology.

In 2013 INFRA had built and sold the first prototype, based on its technology, to Gazprom’s VNIIGAZ.

Management believes that INFRA's technology would appeal to any producers and owners of the so-called stranded and remote hydrocarbon resources, including shale and associated gas. The company plans to start offering technology licences worldwide. The company’s operations will expand gradually, transforming INFRA into an integrated company, specializing in energy production, EPC and related engineering services.

Commenting on the new shareholder, Valery Balikoev, the company's President, emphasized that the capital raise opens significant new opportunities and brings INFRA to the forefront for development of the new generation of the GTL technology. He said: "This technology can become a game changer in the energy world, bringing natural gas and coal resources to the crude oil and transportation fuels market."

Under the shareholders’ agreement, the parties do not disclose the terms of the equity transaction.

About the company:

Infra Technology (www.infratechnology.com) is an innovation company in the field of advanced energy and new materials technologies. The company has developed and patented the new generation of Fischer-Tropsch process – technology for producing high quality synthetic oil and transportation fuels from carbon-containing feedstock (gas, coal, biomass). The invention includes unique proprietary family of highly productive catalysts and an original patented Fischer-Tropsch reactor.