Index 1- Introduction 2- History of GTL 3- GTL Processes :

abcdProducing natural gas Separating the gas Making synthesis gas Making Liquid waxy hydrocarbons

4- Making GTL Products

I-

Intoduction

GTL is an abbreviation for Gas to Liquid . GTL is a technology developed by Shell . They have spent nearly 40 years researching technology to convert natural gas-to-liquid (GTL) into products used for transport fuel, lubricants and the raw materials for chemicals and detergents.

ii-

GTL Story

In 1973 , they take the Fischer-Tropsch process that converts gas and other feedstocks to liquids and further develop it . In 1983, they build a plant in Amsterdam for larger scale tests on paraffin synthesis and conversion to make GTL products . In 1993, the first commercial GTL plant starts up at Bintulu, designed to produce 12,500 barrels per day of high quality GTL products Air pollution from the forests fires causes an explosion in the air separation unit at Bintulu in 1997 and interrupts the production . Production resumes . More technical improvements raise production capacity to 14,700 barrels per day . The Government of the State of Qatar approves the Pearl GTL project in 2006. The plant will be ten times the size of Bintulu.

iii- GTL Processes

A- Producing natural gas:

Natural gas produced from underground reservoirs .

Quick facts :
In Qatars GTL the natural gas produced from the Qatar's North Field is the world's largest natural gas field. It contains over 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, about 15% of the global total. Two unmanned offshore platforms each operate 11 wells. The gas flows through two pipelines to processing facilities at the onshore Ras Laffan industrial zone. The steel used in the pipelines weighs as much as 18 Eiffel Towers.

Special chemicals are injected with the gas to protect the carbon steel pipelines against corrosion.

B- Separating the gas:

Water and sulfur are separated from the natural gas in the scrubber(By using chemical reactions). The gas is then cooled and the natural gas liquids are removed via distillation. The remaining pure natural gas (methane) flows to the gasification unit. Quick facts :
natural gas liquids (NGLs) are ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), and natural gasoline.They have a high molecular weight so it also called havier hydrocabons. Natural gas liquids are removed from the natural gas feed to recover the heavier allow the treated gas to move through the pipeline network. hydrocarbons and to

The liquids are removed from the stream because they are more valuable (have higher prices) as raw materials . the heavier liquids can condense out of the natural gas stream and cause problems in transporting the gas through pipelines.

In Qatars GTL the NGLs are piped to Ras Laffan port and sold as chemical feedstocks . The extracted sulphur is used for other purposes, such as producing fertilisers, in asphalt and concrete.

C- Making synthesis gas :

Briefly the methan and Oxygen (or steam) are converted into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide known as synthesis gas, or syngas.There are many ways to produce the syngas like : 1-Partial oxidation (exothermic)

2-Steam reforming (endothermic)

3- Dry reforming (endothermic)

Quick facts :
In Qatars GTL Shell uses the first method to produce the syngas . Pure oxygen for the gasification process is extracted from the air through eight vast air separation units. Air is cooled to liquefy the oxygen and nitrogen. Distillation separates out oxygen in a cold box like an icebox, this helps to maintain the low temperature that is required to separate the oxygen.

Pure gases can be separated from air by first cooling it until it liquefies, then selectively distilling the components at their various boiling temperatures. Each distillation cold box is as tall as a 10-storey building.

The air separation units produce over 28,000 tonnes of oxygen each day. If this were not produced onsite, more than 1,000 trucks per day would be needed to bring it in.

D- Making Liquid waxy hydrocarbons

The syngas is sent to Fischer-Tropsch reactor that catalytically converts the carbon monoxide and hydrogen into long chain of hydrocarbons and water . Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, for example, produces gasoline from synthesis gas according to the reactions : a- Paraffins: b- Olefins: c- Alcohols:

Long chain of hydrocarbon

Fischer-Tropsch Reactor

Fischer-Tropsch process
The FischerTropsch process is a collection of chemical reactions that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen (Syngas) into a long chain of hydrocarbons. The synthesis gas enters one of F-T reactors. Each reactor holds a large number of tubes containing a catalyst. The catalyst serves to speed up the chemical reaction in which the synthesis gas is converted into long-chained waxy hydrocarbons and water.

How to adjust the ratio of

???

1- Membrane Separator (Removing gydrogen): As a result for the syngas production process the excess hydrogen is produced . This mixture cant be entered to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor as the reactor needs a ratio of we need to use the membrane separator where the excess hydrogen is removed . . So,

Membrane separator

2- Water-gas shift technology (Producing hydrogen) : The water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) is a chemical reaction in which carbon monoxide reacts with water vapor to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen Quick facts : For Qatars GTL Plant
There is 24 F-T Reactors . The catalyst consists of tiny granules, just millimetres long with microscopic holes, containing minute metal(Cobalt) particles. The total surface area of the microscopic holes inthe catalyst granules is more than eighteen times the surface area of Qatar.

The synthesis process generates a lot of heat, which is also used to produce steam that in turn powers the GTL plant via steam turbines. All water in the GTL process is purified and reused in the utilities system of the plant to generate steam. Placed end-to-end the tubes would stretch from Qatar to Japan.

Then the of hydrocarbons and water are sent to a separator to remove the water from the mixture . Quick facts :
Water passes though filters with openings 200,000 times thinner than a human hair. The plant does not draw on any water from Qatars resources. It reuses process water as cooling water and to generate steam for power.

iv- Making GTL products

The long hydrocarbon molecules from the GTL reactor are contacted with hydrogen and cut (cracked) into a range of smaller molecules of different length and shape. Distillation separates out the products with different boiling points.
GTL PRODUCTS :

1- GTL Gasoil GTL Gasoil is an alternative to diesel that is virtually free of sulphur and aromatics, producing fewer local emissions. It can be blended easily with conventional, oil-based diesel and used in the existing diesel distribution system. Trials in heavily congested cities such as London, Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai and Rotterdam have shown that buses, taxis and trucks running on high concentrations of GTL gasoil can contribute to improved local air quality. This is because GTL Gasoil burns with lower sulphur dioxide and fewer nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based diesel. 2- GTL Normal Paraffin GTL Normal Paraffin (detergents) is an alternative premium feedstock for detergent production. Detergent manufacturing companies usually extract conventional normal paraffin from oil-based kerosene. 3- GTL Kerosene (50/50) GTL kerosene is an alternative to conventional oil-based kerosene. It can be used for heating and lighting, but its primary use is expected to be for aviation, contributing to the diversification of the aviation fuel supply.GTL Kerosene burns with lower sulphur dioxide, lower nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based kerosene. At higher concentrations it could help improve air quality at busy airports.

4- GTL Base Oils GTL Base oils can be used for the manufacture of lubricants that keep vehicle engines, gearboxes and transmissions operating smoothly. 5- GTL Naphtha GTL Naphtha is an alternative to high quality feedstock for chemical manufacturing that make the building blocks for plastics. It offers superior yields of ethylene/propylene and lower feedstock costs than conventional naphtha.

6- GTL Waxes GTL waxes are virtually odourless, making them ideal for use in applications requiring the addition of colour or fragrances, such as printing inks, packaging, fiberboard, plastic processing, candles and coatings. 7- Sulphur !!!!!!!!! It is widely used in : Fertiliser industry . Shell-patented technology that adds a mix of elemental sulphur and sulphate to fertilisers. Shell Thiogro technology makes sulphur a vital nutrient for many crops . ( it can increase yields by 14% on average in sulphur deficient soils.) . Rubber industry . Making steel and pharmaceuticals. Making asphalt . Shell Thiopave also patented by Shell mainly consists of sulphur and replaces up to 30% of the bitumen used in making a road. It can be made at lower temperatures than conventional asphalt .

References :
12345http://www.natgas.info http://www.shell.com www.youtube.com Presentation is named by (Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels Using Iron-Transport Membrane Technology) . Presentation is named by (Gas to Liquids Technology) prepared by Wisam El-shalchi .