(48c) GTL and CTL Commercialization: Status and Impact on Global and Regional Product Markets

Interest in commercial gas-to-liquids (GTL) and coal-to-liquids (CTL) technologies, limited for over 70 years to countries with political rather than economic drivers, has heightened in the past decade with now-monthly announcements of technical advances and commercial agreements, studies and demonstrations and front-end engineering and design (FEED) awards, and even a groundbreaking or two. Companies with commercial GTL/CTL histories, such as Sasol and Shell, as well as others including BP, Syntroleum, ExxonMobil, Rentech, and ChevronTexaco, have made advances in hardware design, catalysts, and operating conditions in an attempt to improve GTL/CTL economics. Certain governments, such as those of Qatar, the State of California, Peoples Republic of China, and the State of Montana, have taken leading positions in developing and implementing GTL/CTL as a component of long-term strategies.

Key GTL/CTL products fall into the categories of fuels (primarily diesel but also LPG), specialty streams (lube basestocks and waxes), and petrochemicals (naphtha for steam cracking). This presentation will examine these product markets, particularly those of the automotive diesel, high-grade lubricants, waxes, and naphtha and the potential impact of GTL/CTL developments on the global and regional balance for these. Issues discussed will include projected volumes and quality, regionality, impact of regulations, and blending and transportation.