Gas to liquids

Common card · No. 451621

Gas to liquids (GTL) is a refinery process to convert natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons into longer-chain hydrocarbons, such as gasoline or diesel fuel. Methane-rich gases are converted into liquid synthetic fuels. Two general strategies exist: (i) direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol, which is not commercially significant. (ii) Fischer–Tropsch-like processes that convert syngas (mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) into hydrocarbons. Alternatively the syngas can be converted to methanol, which is then converted to hydrocarbons (see MTG). Strategy ii can start from natural gas (steam reforming) or from coal. The goal for GTL is to produce liquid fuels, which are both more valuable and more readily transported than methane. Methane must be cooled below its critical temperature of −82.3 °C in order to be liquified under pressure. Because of the associated cryogenic apparatus, LNG tankers are used for transport. Methanol is a conveniently handled combustible liquid...

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