Catalytic conversion of gas to liquid fuels

The major energy related problem in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s will be a shortage of liquid fuels. Coal, oil shale, biomass, natural gas and condensates appear to be the most likely sources of substitute liquid fuels in Australia in the post crude oil era. At present, the direct conversion of natural gas (methane) to liquid products seems unlikely to be a commercial possibility. Therefore in the foreseeable future, fischer tropsch synthesis, and methanol production via synthesis gas seem the only alternatives. The mobil methanol to gasoline process employing the shape selective zsm catalysts is promising new technology, and in our view represents the most likely route to be employed in the coming decades. The zsm catalyst however, might be successfully employed to improve the product selectivity in fischer tropsch synthesis. There are options for using methanol derived from natural gas in other ways. There is a possibility that developments along the zsm line may in part replace the separate cracking and reforming catalysts, and so methanol might be coprocessed with other petroleum fractions in future refineries. In addition, methanol might be coprocessed as a source of hydrogen in the processing of coal or shale derived materials, thereby eliminating the need for costly hydrogen compression. Thermal cracking of lpg could provide a source of light olefins, which might themselves be converted to hydrocarbon liquids.