Analysis of Conventional and Nonconventional GTL Technologies: Benefits and Drawbacks

Gas to liquid (GTL) technology has become recently a commercially full fledged industry in variety countries, offering diversification of the natural gas market. Currently, several technologies are available for obtaining liquid hydrocarbon products, in particular transport fuel. The exhaustion of world oil reserves and the discovery of new gas fields, which include unconventional gas, increases interest in GTL technologies. The review describes various GTL technologies and the range of GTL products and market opportunities for GTL products. Fischer–Tropsch technology is typical in both large-scale and small-scale projects. Technological paths from natural gas to gasoline through methanol and olefins are alternative GTL technologies that allow to avoid the most expensive stage—obtaining synthesis gas. The GTL industry faces a number of challenges and risks, including: high capital costs, efficiency and reliability of complex technological processes, volatility of natural gas, crude oil and petroleum products markets, access to technology, etc. This paper considers GTL technologies in the context of opportunities and challenges, advantages and disadvantages, as well as raw material potential for Ukraine.