METHANOL TO GASOLINE

(MTG) TECHNOLOGY

An Alternative for Liquid
Fuel Production

Mitch Hindman 

ExxonMobil Research & Engineering (EMRE)

World CTL Conference

AGENDA

• Coal/Biomass to Liquid Fuels Background

• EMRE Methanol to Gasoline Technology

• MTG and Fischer-Tropsch Comparative Analysis

• EMRE MTG Licensing – The MTG Advantage

2

Coal/Biomass  TO 

LIQUID FUELS 

BACKGROUND

OPTIONS FOR COAL LIQUEFACTION

Direct

Liquefaction

Fischer-

Tropsch

Synthesis

Coal /

Biomass

Methanol

Synthesis

“Synthetic

Crude”

CH

3

OH

“F-T Crude”

CO

2

O

2

H

2

O

Coal Gasification

Syngas: H

2

CO

2

O

2

Coal Gasification

Syngas: CO + 2H

2

H

2

O

H

2

Direct

Indirect

4

OPTIONS FOR COAL TO LIQUID FUELS

H

2

Direct

Liquefaction

Fischer-

Tropsch

Synthesis

Gasification

Gasification

Coal /

Biomass

MeOH

Synthesis

Refining

Gasification

MTG

Refining

Liquid

Fuels

5

EMRE METHANOL 

TO GASOLINE 

TECHNOLOGY

• MTG reactions de-hydrate methanol and

convert the available carbon and hydrogen
into various hydrocarbons

• The “Shape Selective” MTG catalyst limits

the synthesis reactions to 10 carbons

• The result is sulfur free gasoline with a

typical 92 Research Octane

• The first MTG plant was operated in New

Zealand from 1985 to 1997 converting
natural gas to gasoline

EXXONMOBIL MTG TECHNOLOGY

Methanol

Water

Gasoline

7

MTG REACTION PATH

8

2 CH

3

OH

CH

3

OCH

3

+ H

2

0

CH

3

OH, CH3OCH3

Light Olefins

+ H

2

0

Light Olefins

C

5

+ Olefins

Paraffins
Naphthenes
Aromatics

C

5

+ Olefins

Methanol

Di-Methyl Ether

Methanol,

Gasoline

Di-Methyl Ether

MTG YIELDS AND PROPERTIES/COMPOSITION

9

MTG GASOLINE YIELDS

Percent of

Feed

Percent of

Hydrocarbon

Product

Gas

1%

2%

LPG

5%

11%

Gasoline

38%

87%

H

2

O

56%

-

MTG GASOLINE  

PROPERTIES/COMPOSITION

Octane, RON

92

Octane, MON

82

(R+M)/2

87

Paraffins, vol%

53

Olefins, vol%

12

Naphthenes, vol%

9

Aromatics, vol%

26

Benzene, vol%

0.3

Sulfur

nil

• Methanol is fed to a fixed bed reactor system where all of the

methanol is converted to hydrocarbon and water

• MTG reactor effluent is separated into gas, raw gasoline and water

• Raw gasoline is separated into LPG, light gasoline & heavy gasoline

• Heavy gasoline is hydro-treated to reduce durene content

• Heavy and light gasoline are re-combined into finished MTG gasoline

EMRE MTG PROCESS

10

EMRE MTG PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM

LPG

Light

Gasoline

Treated

Gasoline

Heavy

Gasoline

MTG

Reactor

System

(Multiple)

C2-

Stabilized

Gasoline

LPG

DeEthanizer

Stabilizer

Stabilizer

Splitter

HGT

Reactor

Methanol

Purge Gas

Raw

Gasoline

Finished

Gasoline

Blending

H

2

O

11

NEW ZEALAND MTG FACILITY: NEW PLYMOUTH NZ

14,500 BPD plant in New Plymouth New Zealand.

Plant ownership 75% NZ Government and 25% ExxonMobi

l

.

MTG

MTG

SynGas and

SynGas and

MeOH Generation

MeOH Generation

12

• The New Zealand MTG experience demonstrated MTG to be a robust technology

• Daily gasoline yield and octane indicated a very consistent process performance

• After start up the unit ran reliably with an on-stream factor greater than 96%

NEW ZEALAND PLANT OPERATING EXPERIENCE

Initial Startup: October, 1985

> 96% Stream Factor over 7 year period

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

0

360

720 1080 1440 1800 2160 2520 2880

Elapsed Time, Days

Rx Stream Factor

GASOLINE OCTANE, RON

90

92

94

96

1st Calendar Year

85

90

95

GASOLINE YIELD

WT% OF HC

1st

Calendar

Year

13

• Operability

– Gas phase conventional fixed bed reactors

– On-stream MTG catalyst regeneration and replacement

– Gasoline production is de-coupled from syngas generation and methanol

synthesis -- Improves on-stream factor vs. direct coupled operation

KEY MTG FEATURES

14

• Second Generation Design based on 10 years

learning's from New Zealand operation

• Improved heat integration

• Improved process efficiency

2

ND

GENERATION MTG TECHNOLOGY

Ongoing 2

nd

Generation

MTG Catalyst Research

ExxonMobil is the world leader In

catalyst development and manufacture

15

World’s First Coal to Liquids Plant using MTG

16

• First 2

nd

generation MTG: JAMG plant in Shanxi

Province China

• Start Up; June 2009, 2,500 B/D gasoline

MTG Unit

• DKRW announced in Dec. 2007 the first U.S. CTL plant to utilize MTG in

their 15 KBD Medicine Bow, WY Project

• Synthesis Energy Systems in September, 2008 announced their license for

MTG Technology for a series of global CTL projects

OTHER MTG LICENSES

17

MTG AND FISCHER‐TROPSCH 

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

FISCHER-TROPSCH

MTG

F-T & MTG COMPARATIVE STOICHIOMETRY

(

CO + 2H

2

)

Î (

-C

1

H

2

-)

+ H

2

O

SYN GAS

Gas &

F-T Liquids

(

CO + 2H

2

)

Î CH

3

OH

Î (

-C

1

H

2

-)

+ H

2

O

SYN GAS

METHANOL

Gas &

MTG Gasoline

19

• F-T yields depend on catalyst, temperature and specific technology
• F-T processes produce a range of hydrocarbons that require refining

processes to convert F-T liquids to conventional fuels

• MTG produces a conventional gasoline and an LPG stream

F-T & MTG COMPONENT YIELDS

Components

Fischer‐Tropsch 

Co Catalyst @ 220 C

Fischer‐Tropsch 

Fe Catalyst @ 340 C

MTG

Fuel Gas

6

15

1.1

LPG

6

23

10.0

Naphtha

19

36

GASOLINE

88.8

Distillate/Diesel

22

16

Fuel Oil/Wax

46

5

Oxygenates

1

5

Data Sources: Sasol 2004 publication.

20

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2010

2015

2030

MB

/D

Pet. Gasoline

Pet. Diesel

Despite demand shifts to diesel and
ethanol substitution, U.S. projected
to remain heavily dependent on
petroleum gasoline.

(Source: U.S. EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2010))

Based on energy content, U.S. &
Europe prices have consistently
provided gasoline a premium over
diesel

(Source: U.S. EIA,

http://www.eia.doe.gov/state/state-energy-profiles-

more-prices.cfm

;

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/prices.html#

Gasoline @ 5.25 MBTU/BBL, Diesel @ 5.83 MBTU/BBL: Transportation
Energy Data Book)

U.S. PETROLEUM FUEL DEMAND

Gasoline - Diesel Price ($/MBTU)

Gasoline vs. Diesel as Synthesis Product

(3.5)

(3.0)

(2.5)

(2.0)

(1.5)

(1.0)

(0.5)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

$/

M

B

T

U

FRANCE

Germany

U.S.

• Joint Study by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and

National Academy of Engineering as part of the America
Energy Future Project

• Study included a comparative analysis of MTG and Fischer-

Tropsch as alternatives for coal/biomass to liquid fuels

– 50,000 bpd of transportation fuel; i.e. gasoline (no naphtha) and/or diesel

– Light fractions recycled for conversion or electric power

– Study considered impact of Carbon Capture and Sequestration

2009 STUDY:LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM
COAL / BIOMASS*

*Liquid Transportation Fuels from Coal / Biomass: Technological Status, Costs and Environmental Impact,
ISBN: 0-309-13713-6, http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12620.html

22

• The study indicated the MTG based plant had slightly higher overall efficiency

and lower construction costs

• CO

2

Sequestration lowered efficiency by about 1.5% and raised costs 1.5-2%

Fischer-Tropsch

No CO

2

Capture

Fischer-Tropsch

With CO

2

Capture

MTG

No CO

2

Capture

MTG

With

CO

2

Capture

INPUT

Coal, tpd (as received)

26,700

26,700

22,900

23,200

OUTPUTS

Diesel, bpd

28,700

28,700

Gasoline, bpd

21,290

21,290

50,000

50,000

Total Liquid Fuel, bpd

50,000

50,000

50,000

50,000

Electricity, MW 

e

427

317

145

111

THERMAL EFF. (LHV)

49.1%

47.6%

54.2%

52.9%

TOTAL PLANT COST ($M)

4,880

4,950

3,940

4,020

TOTAL PLANT COST ($K/bpd)

97.6

98.9

78.8

80.4

EST. BREAKEVEN CRUDE PRICE ($/BBL)

56

68

47

51

2009 NRC STUDY:
LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM COAL / BIOMASS

F-T & MTG ECONOMIC
COMPARISON

Data Sources: Liquid Transportation Fuels from Coal and Biomass, © National Academy of Sciences, 2009; http//www.nap.edu/catalog/12620.html

23

MTG 

Licensing

EMRE/Uhde Partnership Provides Full Range of Project

Services

Gasification

Gasoline

MTG

Methanol

Coal/Biomass

•

EMRE Licenses Methanol to Gasoline
Technology

•

EMRE provides basic engineering
design package for licensees to
perform detailed engineering design
and construction.

•

EMRE provides catalysts for the
MTG process.

•

EMRE provides assistance for MTG
start-up and troubleshooting.

•

Uhde provides feasibility studies for the
entire process of clean gasoline
production from coal.

•

Uhde Licenses PRENFLO Gasification
technology

•

Uhde can support other CTL/BTL
technologies to meet customer’s
specific needs

•

Uhde can provide a range of
engineering, procurement and
construction services