Gas-To-Liquids Update

The world's proved natural-gas reserves, currently exceeding 5,000 Tcf, have grown at a faster rate than proved oil reserves. Approximately 3,000 Tcf of the gas reserves is considered stranded (i.e., accessible by drilling but too far from potential markets for economical transportation to those markets). The chemical conversion of methane to liquid fuels and other higher-value products or derivatives, which may be more cost-effective to transport long distances from remote gas sources, has attracted renewed interest. Even though Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis (FTS) is a technically proven gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, the conversion of natural gas to liquid fuels such as diesel and gasoline has only recently been perceived as a potentially viable commercial proposition.

View a Synopsis of SPE 93580.

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 93580, "GTL Update," by G. Apanel, SRI Consulting, prepared for the 2005 14th SPE Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, 12-15 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.