Abstract
GTL as a new tool to develop the gas reserves is a very important means for upstream companies because it has a possibility to lessen the hurdles to explore the gas fields. This is derived from that the GTL technologies can change a gas into petroleum products near well head and it can make alter gas business into oil business despite gas field development. In this sense, GTL has the different value for upstream companies from such other advanced gas field development technologies as CNG, NGH, DME, GTW and so forth, in which technologies the chain from upstream and downstream has to be constructed before the field development in order to apply them to gas reservoirs, like in such conventional gas field development technologies as pipeline, LNG.
GTL project will be carried out for the coming 10 years in the following ;
> GTL project will be led by upstream companies not by downstream companies because the needs on the GTL products in the market are low.
> Application of GTL process will be limited in large gas reservoirs, fields with associated gas and high wet gas because the CAPEX is relatively high and it requires a gas with low cost to acquire reasonable economics.
> GTL project players will be confined to such four groups as Shell, Sasol/Chevron Texaco, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips because GTL is an emerging technology and has a high risk.
> Countries for GTL projects to be developed will be mainly in the Middle East area centering on Qatar.
On these basis, the amounts of GTL products from new plants are anticipated to be 140,000 bbl/day by 2010 and 580-860 000bbl/day by 2020.
