A New GTL Technology - Steam/CO2 Reforming and FT Synthesis with Novel Catalysts

Abstract Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), which is a former Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC), has been developing natural gas to liquids (GTL) conversion technology since the year of 1998 in collaboration with five Japanese companies, namely; JAPEX Co. Ltd., Chiyoda Corp., COSMO Oil Co. Ltd., Nippon Steel Corp., and INPEX Corp. Our new GTL process is particularly effective when it is applied to natural gas feed stock containing 20–40 % of CO2. It does not require the three expensive items; (1) an oxygen supply plant, (2) a unit for CO2 separation from natural gas, and (3) a H2 separation unit to optimize syngas composition (1). The reduction of these facilities, which are indispensable to the conventional GTL process, would results in less CAPEX and OPEX. JOGMEC and five private companies conducted the operation of Yufutsu pilot plant of 7BPSD capacity, until in October 2004, and we have derived the following outcomes :recorded around 6,600 hour operation with the identical catalyst of syngas production,produced GTL products of daily rate at 7.2BPSD,establishment of basic recipe to prepare final GTL products in order to fit the quality standard, andverification of economics of our technology. This paper aims to present the result of pilot plant project and the general overview of our new technology. Introduction One of the most unique characteristics of our new technology is to be able to utilize CO2 which containted in the natural gas and not to require any O2 supply. Therefore our new technology is the most attractive measure to monetize widely and effectively when stranded gas reserves including around 30 % of CO2, which are located far from an exsiting gas market and have been left undeveloped due to mainly high concentration of CO2 and high cost of gas transportation such as a gas pipeline and LNG. Additionaly, our process has an attractive combination scheme with LNG plant by utilizing CO2 exhausted from it (2).