Methanol for
Gasoline Blending
from
Petroleum Coke
David Netzer
&
Chris Wallsgrove
(Speaker)
MeOH
The Premise
•
•
•
•
•
•
Upgrading Heavy Oil Normally Produces
Petroleum Coke (Petcoke)
Petcoke is Often Sold as Low-Cost Fuel
Petcoke Can be Gasified to Syngas (Proven
Technology)
Methanol (MeOH) is Produced from Syngas
MeOH Can be Blended with Gasoline
7% to 10% Blend of MeOH in Gasoline Can
Fuel Existing Cars (Proven Technology)
•
•
•
•
•
Other Methanol Uses
Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) – but WHY? If
We Can Use Methanol AS Gasoline
Methanol to DME – Diesel and/or LPG
Subtitute
Methanol to Propylene (MTP) or Ethylene
(MTO) – Compete with Steam Crackers?
Methanol to Acetic Acid & Derivatives –
Limited Market
Methanol to Formaldehyde & Derivatives –
Same
Process Units
•
•
Gasification – To Produce Raw Syngas
•
•
•
•
•
Shift – With Control of CO/H2 Ratio
Air Separation (ASU) – To Produce Oxygen
for the Gasification
Rectisol – Remove H2S/COS and Recover CO2
Methanol Synthesis – Makes 50,000 BPSD
Methanol Purification (Distillation)
Units to Recover H2 and Sulfur
Process Units Selection
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quench Gasifiers – Operate at High Pressure
to Avoid Syngas Compression
Unconverted Carbon to Boilers
Gas Cooling Produces Steam
Rectisol (Two Trains) Uses Methanol Solvent
Two Methanol Synthesis Reactors (Large,
Heavy Vessels) in Parallel
Conventional PSA for H2 Recovery, and ClausType Sulfur Units
Petcoke
7,400 tpd
Air
Air
Separation
Nitrogen
CO2
130 bar
11,700 tpd
CO2
Compression
Oxygen 6,600 tpd
Coke Preparation
And Slurrying
Water,
Fluxing Agent
Steam &
Power
Systems
CO2
Gasification
87 bar
Unconverted
Carbon
Shift & Gas
Cooling
Tail Gas
SynGas
Acid Gases
Steam EHP, HP,
MP, LP
Steam HP, LP
Rectisol
Units
Sulfur
Plants
Methanol
Synthsis
78 bar
Purge Gas
Hydrogen
Product
16 MMscfd
Methanol
6,400 tpd
Sulfur
Product
PSA Hydrogen
Recovery
Reactor Purge Gas
Methanol
Purification
50,000
bpsd
Block Flow Diagram – Petcoke to Methanol
Energy Systems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Totally Self-Sufficient in Steam and Power
Fluidized Bed Boilers, for Petcoke and Coal
Plus Unconverted Carbon from Gasification
MP Steam Superheating in a Fired Heater,
Using PSA Purge Gas as Fuel
Steam Driven ASU Compressors – 63 MW
Balance of Steam to a Generator – Excess
Power Exported (About 80 MW Export)
All Other Drivers Electric
130 Bar Steam
From Shift
DeNOx
Econo
Air PreHeat
Lime
Scrub
SRU Tail Gas
PSA Purge Gas
125 bar Steam
125 bar Steam
To ASU Drivers
MeOH Bottoms
Unconverted
Carbon
Petcoke
Limestone
Coal
(& Biomass)
Spent Gypsum
3 x 55%
Fluidized
Bed
Boilers
Turbine
25 bar
Generator
3.5 bar Steam
From Process
D/A
PSA Purge Gas
~80%
27 bar Steam
From Process
Steam & Energy Block Diagram – Petcoke to Methanol
~
Capital Cost Savings
•
•
•
•
•
Quench Gasification vrs High Efficiency with
130 Bar Steam – Saves ~$200 Million
320 MW Fluidized Bed Boilers vrs IGCC –
Saves ~$450 Million
67% CO2 Capture vrs 95% (Shift + H2 Power
Cycle + Parasitic Mw) - Saves ~$250 Million
Avoid 25 MW Methanol Synthesis
Compressor – Saves ~$50 Million
Other Miscellaneous Rational Savings ~$135
Million
Carbon Dioxide Disposal
•
•
•
•
•
If Underground Sequestration, Costs $$$
If Sold for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), is
Revenue $
In Either Case, CO2 Must Be Compressed
to At Least ~125 Bar
Modest (67%) CO2 Recovery
Mine-To-Wheel CO2 Release is ~Equal to
Ethanol Blend
Methanol in Gasoline
•
•
•
•
•
7% to 10% Blends – Equivalent to Current
Ethanol Blends – RVP Increase Manageable
Methanol is Biodegradable - Half-Life in the
Environment is ~24 Hours
M-10 (10% Methanol) and Higher in Current
Use in China
Toxicity – Gasoline is Toxic. Adding 10%
Methanol Does Not Change That!
Current E-10 Blend Infrastructure is Already
In-Place
Methanol in Spark-Ignition Engines
•
•
•
Modern Engines Designed for E-10 Fuel
ECU/Fuel Injection Makes CLEAN Engines
Higher Octane but Lower Energy Content
Then
Now
•
NO CHANGES REQUIRED
Costs?
•
•
•
Estimated Total Capital Cost US $2.8 Billion
Makes 50,000 BPSD (Replacing Imported Oil)
From Carbon Resource ALREADY Existing
Methanol Production Cost is ~$0.50 per US Gal
IF CO2 is Sold for EOR
• Methanol Production Cost is ~$0.88 per US Gal
•
•
if CO2 is NOT Sold for EOR
Lower Cost Than Ethanol OR Gasoline
No Additional Vehicle OR Infrastructure Costs
Conclusions
•
•
•
•
•
No Obvious Renewability or “Greenhouse”
Advantage of EtOH over MeOH
No Obvious Safety or Toxicity or Hazard
Advantage of EtOH over MeOH
Obvious Economic Advantage of Methanol Over
Ethanol
No Additional Vehicle OR Infrastructure Costs
No Vehicle Performance Issues
We Had Valuable Help From:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Air Liquide/Lurgi – Frankfurt, Germany
Linde – Munich, Germany
Haldor Topsoe – Houston, TX
HDR Inc., Ann Arbor, MI
Methanol Institute – Washington DC and
Singapore
Don Koza, Marshal (Bud) Bell, John Lehman,
Dennis Dembicki, Michael Murphy & Others
Who Wish to Remain Anonymous…
Contact Information
Chris Wallsgrove
David Netzer
Brinderson Engineers & Constructors
Consultant
Costa Mesa, CA
Houston, TX
chris@wallsgrove.com
netzerd@sbcglobal.net
(713) 240 8633
(832) 251 1271
Thanks to Pennwell Publishing, for publishing
a synopsis of this paper in two parts,
June and July 2011 Oil & Gas Journal
THE END
Mercifully…