ExxonMobil Methanol to Gasoline

Commercially Proven Route for Production of Synthetic Gasoline

Routes for Synthetic Transportation Fuel

Natural Gas Coal BioMass

Fischer Tropsch (LT)

Refining

Primarily Diesel

SynGas Generation Methanol Generation Methanol to Gasoline Primarily Gasoline

Steam

Both are 3 Step Process Thermal Efficiencies are Essentially Governed by Coal or Natural Gas C/H Ratios Coal is CH to Fuels plus CO2 Natural gas is CH4 to Fuels plus H2O

Routes for Synthetic Transportation Fuel

Natural Gas Coal BioMass

Commercial technology with multiple technology suppliers

SynGas Generation Methanol Generation Methanol to Gasoline Primarily Gasoline

Steam

Comparison of Fischer Tropsch with MTG*

Compound Methane Ethylene Ethane Propylene Propane Butylenes Butane Naphtha Gasoil/Distillate Heavy Oil/Wax Oxygenates ARGE FT (Low Temp) 2.0 3.1 1.8 2.7 1.7 3.1 1.9 18 14.0 52.0 100
* Shields, Fox & Chaung GPA 64th. Conv.

Synthol FT (High Temp) 10.1 4.0 4.0 12.0 2.0 9.0 2.0 40.0 7.0 4.0 3.2 100

MTG 0.7 0.4 0.2 4.3 1.1 10.9 82.3 0.1 100

MTG Scale-up and Development

Unique Shape Selective chemistry discovered in the early 1970s Major Challenge Make marketable gasoline Development done through the 70s on a verity of process options
Pilot operations up to 4 bpd in the US Pilot operations up to 100 bpd in Germany

Decision by New Zealand Government in 1979 to build commercial 14.5 kbd plant in New Plymouth NZ. Plant ownership 75% NZ Government/25% ExxonMobil Plant started up 1985 and operated successfully for ~10 years till conversion to chemical grade Methanol production

MTG Product Yields

Products Fuel Gas, bbl FOE/Day LPG, bbl/Day Gasoline, bbl/Day

Production Per 1000 tonnes MeOH 96.6 420 3200

MTG Commercialization
Fixed bed is generally conventional type hardware. However
Multireactor System Cyclic Operation

Feed can be a wide range of crude Methanol compositions (water/methanol) Significant challenges in catalyst scale-up and development
Yield Cycle length

Advantages over Fischer Tropsch

Methanol is proven and widely used technology Methanol is storable which enhances operability between stages Methanol to Gasoline uses gas phase conventional type fixed bed reactors

Schematic of New Zealand Gas to Gasoline Complex

Finished Gasoline

Natural Gas

Fuel Gas / LPG

Methanol Synthesis

Crude Methanol

MTG

Distillation
Gasoline Heavy

Light Gasoline

Blending

Steam

Water Product to Treatment

HGT

New Zealand Synfuel Plant Built with Modular Construction

A Methanol Plant Compressor in Route Modular Construction History

Maximum Module 33 by 15 Meters 600 tonnes

Total Lift
66 Modules 15,000 tonnes

New Zealand Synfuel Plant

Methanol 01 Production
100 MONTHLY Production (000s te) Stream Factor (x)

80

60

40

20

Oct 1985

Feb 1986

Jun 1986
Production

Oct 1985
Stream Factor

Feb 1987

Methanol 02 Production
100 MONTHLY Production (000s te) Stream Factor (x)

80

60

40

20

Oct 1985

Feb 1986

Jun 1986
Production

Oct 1985
Stream Factor

Feb 1987

Total Gasoline Yield

12
(te Gasoline / TJ Nat Gas)

11

10

8
Yield

7 Nov 1985 Mar 1986 Jul 1986 Nov 1986

New Zealand MTG Unit Gasoline Yield*

95

12 RVP GASO YIELD, WT PCT OF HC

90

85
Expected Plant

80

75 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

*12 RVP

New Zealand MTG Unit Gasoline Octane (R+O)*

98
12 RVP GASO YIELDRON+O

96 94 92 90 88 86 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Expected Plant

*12 RVP

New Zealand Finished Gasoline Quality

Average
Octane Number, RON Octane Number, MON Reid Vapor Pressure, kPa Density, kg/m3 Induction Period, min. Durene Content, wt% Distillation % Evaporation at 70 C % Evaporation at 100 C % Evaporation at 180 C End Point, C 31.5 53.2 94.9 204.5 29.5 34.5 51.5 55.5 94 96.5 196 - 209 92.2 82.6 85 730 325 2.0

Range
92.0 92.5 82.2 83.0 82 90 728 733 260 370 1.74 2.29

Methanol to Gasoline Commercially Proven Route for Gasoline