GTL could be back in fashion
Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology may now be economically viable for lubes and fuel production according to Shell.
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Fuelling the world's first GTL passenger flight in 2009 Image: Shell |
Although GTL, which converts natural gas into longer chain hydrocarbons and then into high quality base oil, is not a new technology, it has not been economically viable until recently. However, this is set to change, according to Shell, which recently opened the world's largest GTL plant in Qatar.
The potential for GTL is significant. Output at Shell's Pearl plant, which is due to come on stream by the end of 2011, will create syngas which can then be processed into jet or diesel fuels as well as high quality synthetic base oils for ultra low viscosity lubricants.
Shell's Global Solutions group manager, Mark Ferner, predicted the first commercial GTL products will be available in 2012 and a price "in line with high-quality synthetic base stock products". In recent tests, a GTL-based 5W-30 lubricants was compared against a standard lubricant of similar viscosity, with the former outperforming the latter in the Mack T12 test, according to Ferner.
