Main content | back to top
GTL products
Shell’s natural gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology makes it possible to use natural gas, rather than crude oil, as the raw material for a range of valuable liquid products. These include cleaner fuels for cars and planes, and materials that go into making chemicals and lubricants.
GTL facilities are complex plants, like a giant chemistry set, that will first combine, then break up and rearrange chains of atoms. Chains of different lengths have different properties, making a range of GTL products:
GTL Gasoil
GTL Gasoil is an alternative to diesel that is virtually free of sulphur and aromatics, producing fewer local emissions. It can be blended easily with conventional, oil-based diesel and used in the existing diesel distribution system.
Trials in heavily congested cities such as London, Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai and Rotterdam have shown that buses, taxis and trucks running on high concentrations of GTL gasoil can contribute to improved local air quality. This is because GTL Gasoil burns with lower sulphur dioxide and fewer nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based diesel.
GTL Gasoil can also be used by refineries to upgrade heavier fuel products.
GTL Normal Paraffin
GTL Normal Paraffin (detergents) is an alternative premium feedstock for detergent production. Detergent manufacturing companies usually extract conventional normal paraffin from oil-based kerosene.
GTL Kerosene
First commercial passenger flight using a 50-50 blend of GTL and conventional jet fuel
GTL kerosene is an alternative to conventional oil-based kerosene. It can be used for heating and lighting, but its primary use is expected to be for aviation, contributing to the diversification of the aviation fuel supply.
GTL Kerosene burns with lower sulphur dioxide, lower nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based kerosene. At higher concentrations it could help improve air quality at busy airports.
GTL Base Oils
GTL Base oils can be used for the manufacture of lubricants that keep vehicle engines, gearboxes and transmissions operating smoothly.
GTL Naphtha (plastics)
GTL Naphtha is an alternative to high quality feedstock for chemical manufacturing that make the building blocks for plastics. It offers superior yields of ethylene/propylene and lower feedstock costs than conventional naphtha.
GTL Waxes
GTL waxes are virtually odourless, making them ideal for use in applications requiring the addition of colour or fragrances, such as printing inks, packaging, fiberboard, plastic processing, candles and coatings.
GTL Gasoil is an alternative to diesel that is virtually free of sulphur and aromatics, producing fewer local emissions. It can be blended easily with conventional, oil-based diesel and used in the existing diesel distribution system.
Trials in heavily congested cities such as London, Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai and Rotterdam have shown that buses, taxis and trucks running on high concentrations of GTL gasoil can contribute to improved local air quality. This is because GTL Gasoil burns with lower sulphur dioxide and fewer nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based diesel.
GTL Gasoil can also be used by refineries to upgrade heavier fuel products.
