Fuels for the future: remote gas conversion

As much as two-thirds of the natural gas reserves in the world are located in areas where the means of transportation of this resource are not available. Because this remote gas cannot be easily brought to market, it has little value. For this reason new technologies are being developed to convert this gas, mostly methane, to higher valued, transportable products. Gasoline and distillate are the only markets large enough to accommodate the size of these reserves. Currently, the Mobil MTG process is being used in New Zealand for gas to gasoline conversion. This paper discusses a series of promoted metal oxide catalysts that transform methane to higher hydrocarbons. The products are olefinic with ethylene as the major component. The process is performed oxidatively either in a cyclic redox mode or as a catalytic reaction of methane and oxygen. At 25% methane conversion 70-75% C/sub 2//sup +/ selectivities are obtainable. This first-stage product may be passed over a second-stage acid zeolite catalyst to produce a gasoline range product. 27 references, 11 figures, 4 tables.