BRASKEM S.A. 
By Braskem, the leading producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, and Siluria Technologies, a U.S.-based pioneer in the commercial production of fuels and chemicals from natural gas, have formed a collaboration for the direct conversion of methane in natural gas to ethylene, a feedstock used by the petrochemical industry.
Siluria's proprietary oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) technology provides multiple opportunities for deployment across multiple industry segments, including petrochemical applications, with the possibility of eliminating the initial extraction of ethylene from naphtha cracking. The companies will conduct a joint feasibility study to identify commercial deployment opportunities of the technology at Braskem's ethylene consuming plants.
The agreement provides for license options for the world-scale deployment of Siluria's technology by Braskem, as well as opportunities for Braskem to be a purchaser of the ethylene produced by future Siluria plants. The collaboration also foresees rights for Siluria ownership participation in Braskem future commercial projects using the OCM technology. The Brazilian company will also host a Siluria OCM Demonstration plant, which is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2014, at one of its U.S. units.
"We are very pleased to be working with a world leader in olefins and derivatives manufacturing in Braskem," said Ed Dineen, CEO of Siluria. "Their industry expertise, substantial footprint and aspirations for growth make them an ideal first partner in Siluria's multiple-partner strategy to deploy our technology across the chemicals, fuels and natural gas processing industries."
"Braskem is pursuing the growth of our business in the Americas and globally," said Fernando Musa, CEO, Braskem America. "We believe the Siluria's technology could play an important part in our growth strategy as well as potentially strengthen our existing asset base."
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