| Popis: |
In 1996, proven gas reserves were estimated to be at 150 x 10{sup 12} (trillion) cubic meters. At an annual production of about 2.2 trillion cubic meters, the current reserves will last more than 65 years. To date, the use of natural gas for chemical production has been mostly limited to ammonia and methanol. The gas-conversion options that producers should consider are converting gas to liquids (transportation fuel), to methanol and ammonia, and to petrochemical intermediates or final products. Niche liquefied natural gas (LNG) applications should also be evaluated. This paper examines these options and shows that the conversion of natural gas to ethylene and propylene and their derivatives is a most-attractive option. 18 refs. |
