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
O2 H2O CO2
Methanol
CH3OH
Synthesis
Coal Gasification
Syngas: CO + 2H2
Fischer-
Tropsch
 F-T Crude
Indirect
Coal /
Synthesis
Biomass
Direct
 Synthetic
Direct
Crude
Liquefaction
Coal Gasification H2
Syngas: H2
O2 H2O CO2
4
OPTIONS FOR COAL TO LIQUID FUELS
MeOH
Gasification
MTG
Synthesis
Fischer-
Refining
Gasification
Tropsch
Synthesis
Coal /
Liquid
Biomass
Fuels
H2
Gasification
Direct
Refining
Liquefaction
5
EMRE METHANOL
TO GASOLINE
TECHNOLOGY
EXXONMOBIL MTG TECHNOLOGY
" MTG reactions de-hydrate methanol and
convert the available carbon and hydrogen
Methanol
into various hydrocarbons
" The  Shape Selective MTG catalyst limits
the synthesis reactions to 10 carbons
Water
" 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
Gasoline
7
MTG REACTION PATH
2 CH3OH CH3OCH3 + H20
Methanol Di-Methyl Ether
Light Olefins + H20
CH3OH, CH3OCH3
Methanol, Di-Methyl Ether
C5+ Olefins
Light Olefins
Paraffins
C5+ Olefins Gasoline
Naphthenes
Aromatics
8
MTG YIELDS AND PROPERTIES/COMPOSITION
MTG GASOLINE
MTG GASOLINE YIELDS
PROPERTIES/COMPOSITION
Percent of
Octane, RON
92
Percent of
Hydrocarbon
Feed
Product
Octane, MON
82
(R+M)/2
87
Gas
1% 2%
Paraffins, vol%
53
Olefins, vol%
12
LPG
5% 11%
Naphthenes, vol%
9
Gasoline
38% 87%
Aromatics, vol%
26
Benzene, vol%
0.3
H2O
56% -
Sulfur
nil
9
EMRE MTG PROCESS
" 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
10
EMRE MTG PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM
Purge Gas C2- LPG
MTG
Light
Gasoline
Reactor
Finished
Blending
System Gasoline
(Multiple)
LPG
Methanol
Treated
Gasoline
Heavy
Gasoline
Stabilized
Gasoline
H2O
Raw
HGT
Gasoline Stabilizer
Reactor
DeEthanizer Splitter Stabilizer
11
NEW ZEALAND MTG FACILITY: NEW PLYMOUTH NZ
SynGas and
SynGas and
MTG
MTG
MeOH Generation
MeOH Generation
14,500 BPD plant in New Plymouth New Zealand.
Plant ownership 75% NZ Government and 25% ExxonMobil.
12
NEW ZEALAND PLANT OPERATING EXPERIENCE
GASOLINE YIELD
95
Initial Startup: October, 1985
WT% OF HC
> 96% Stream Factor over 7 year period
90
100%
95%
85
1st Calendar Year
90%
85%
GASOLINE OCTANE, RON
96
80%
75%
94
70%
0 360 720 1080 1440 1800 2160 2520 2880
92
Elapsed Time, Days
1st Calendar Year
90
" 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%
13
Rx Stream Factor
KEY MTG FEATURES
" 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
14
2ND GENERATION MTG TECHNOLOGY
" Second Generation Design based on 10 years
learning's from New Zealand operation
" Improved heat integration
" Improved process efficiency
Ongoing 2nd Generation
MTG Catalyst Research
ExxonMobil is the world leader In
catalyst development and manufacture
15
World s First Coal to Liquids Plant using MTG
MTG Unit
" First 2nd generation MTG: JAMG plant in Shanxi
Province China
" Start Up; June 2009, 2,500 B/D gasoline
16
OTHER MTG LICENSES
" 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
17
MTG AND FISCHER TROPSCH
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
F-T & MTG COMPARATIVE STOICHIOMETRY
FISCHER-TROPSCH
SYN GAS
(CO + 2H2) (-C1H2-) + H2O
Gas & F-T Liquids
MTG
SYN GAS METHANOL
(CO + 2H2) CH3OH (-C1H2-) + H2O
Gas & MTG Gasoline
19
F-T & MTG COMPONENT YIELDS
Fischer Tropsch Fischer Tropsch
MTG
Components Co Catalyst @ 220 C Fe Catalyst @ 340 C
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
" 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
Data Sources: Sasol 2004 publication.
20
Gasoline vs. Diesel as Synthesis Product
U.S. PETROLEUM FUEL DEMAND
10
Despite demand shifts to diesel and
9
ethanol substitution, U.S. projected
8
7 to remain heavily dependent on
6
petroleum gasoline.
5
(Source: U.S. EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2010))
4
3
2
1
Gasoline - Diesel Price ($/MBTU)
0
2010 2015 2030
2.0
1.5
Pet. Gasoline Pet. Diesel
1.0
0.5
0.0
Based on energy content, U.S. &
(0.5)
Europe prices have consistently
(1.0)
provided gasoline a premium over
(1.5)
diesel
(2.0)
(2.5)
(Source: U.S. EIA, http://www.eia.doe.gov/state/state-energy-profiles-
(3.0)
more-prices.cfm; http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/prices.html#
Gasoline @ 5.25 MBTU/BBL, Diesel @ 5.83 MBTU/BBL: Transportation
(3.5)
Energy Data Book)
FRANCE Germany U.S.
MB/D
$/MBTU
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
0
7
9
9
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
1
9
0
0
0
9
9
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2009 STUDY:LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM
COAL / BIOMASS*
" Joint Study by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and
National Academy of Engineering as part of the America
Energy Future Project
" Study included a comparative analysis of MTG and Fischer-
Tropsch as alternatives for coal/biomass to liquid fuels
 50,000 bpd of transportation fuel; i.e. gasoline (no naphtha) and/or diesel
 Light fractions recycled for conversion or electric power
 Study considered impact of Carbon Capture and Sequestration
*Liquid Transportation Fuels from Coal / Biomass: Technological Status, Costs and Environmental Impact,
ISBN: 0-309-13713-6, http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12620.html
22
2009 NRC STUDY:
LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM COAL / BIOMASS
F-T & MTG ECONOMIC
Fischer-Tropsch Fischer-Tropsch MTG MTG
No CO2 Capture With CO2 Capture No CO2 Capture With CO2 Capture
COMPARISON
INPUT Coal, tpd (as received)
26,700 26,700 22,900 23,200
OUTPUTS Diesel, bpd
28,700 28,700
Gasoline, bpd
21,290 21,290 50,000 50,000
Total Liquid Fuel, bpd
50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000
Electricity, MW e
427 317 145 111
THERMAL EFF. (LHV) 49.1% 47.6% 54.2% 52.9%
TOTAL PLANT COST ($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
" The study indicated the MTG based plant had slightly higher overall efficiency
and lower construction costs
" CO2 Sequestration lowered efficiency by about 1.5% and raised costs 1.5-2%
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
Coal/Biomass
Gasification Methanol
" EMRE Licenses Methanol to Gasoline
Technology
" Uhde provides feasibility studies for the
" EMRE provides basic engineering
entire process of clean gasoline
design package for licensees to
production from coal.
perform detailed engineering design
and construction.
" Uhde Licenses PRENFLO Gasification
technology
" EMRE provides catalysts for the
MTG process.
" Uhde can support other CTL/BTL
technologies to meet customer s
" EMRE provides assistance for MTG
specific needs
start-up and troubleshooting.
" Uhde can provide a range of
engineering, procurement and
construction services
Gasoline
MTG