La industria del metanol se extiende por todo el mundo.

Su producción se lleva a cabo en Asia, América del

Norte y del Sur, Europa, África y Oriente Medio. Hay más de 90 plantas de metanol en todo el mundo con una
capacidad de producción total de más de 75 millones de toneladas métricas (casi 90.000 millones de litros o
24.000 millones de galones). Cada día se utilizan más de 100.000 toneladas de metanol como materia prima
química o como combustible para el transporte (125 millones de litros o 33 millones de galones). La industria
global del metanol genera 36.000 millones de dólares de EE.UU. en actividad económica cada año, y crea
más de 100.000 puestos de trabajo en todo el mundo.
 
Este alcohol simple se puede obtener a partir de casi cualquier planta o cualquier cosa que haya sido en algún
momento una planta. Esto incluye los combustibles fósiles comunes (como el gas natural y carbón) y los
recursos renovables como la biomasa, biogases de vertedero, e incluso emisiones de centrales de energía o
el CO2 de la atmósfera. Con esta diversidad de materias primas para la producción y la variedad de
aplicaciones, no es de extrañar que el metanol haya sido uno de los productos químicos industriales más
utilizados del mundo desde el siglo XIX.

http://www.methanol.org/Methanol-Basics.aspx?lang=es-ES

How is Methanol Made?

Methanol can be made from a wide array of feedstocks, making it one of the most flexible chemical
commodities and energy sources available today. To make methanol, you need first to create synthesis gas,
which has carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas as its main components. 

While natural gas is most often used in the global economy, methanol has the distinct advantage of
'polygeneration' - whereby methanol can be made from any resource that can be converted first into synthesis
gas. Through gasification, synthesis gas can be produced from anything that is or ever was a plant.  This
includes biomass, agricultural and timber waste, solid municipal waste, and a number of other feedstocks.

In a typical plant, methanol production is carried out in two steps. The first step is to convert the feedstock
natural gas into a synthesis gas stream consisting of CO, CO2, H2O and hydrogen. This is usually
accomplished by the catalytic reforming of feed gas and steam. Partial oxidation is another possible route. The
second step is the catalytic synthesis of methanol from the synthesis gas. Each of these steps can be carried
out in a number of ways and various technologies offer a spectrum of possibilities which may be most suitable
for any desired application.

Conventional steam reforming is the simplest and most widely practiced route to synthesis gas production:

        2 CH4 + 3 H2O -> CO + CO2 + 7 H2 (Synthesis Gas)

        CO + CO2 + 7 H2 -> 2 CH3OH + 2 H2 + H2O

This process results in a considerable hydrogen surplus, as can be seen.

If an external source of CO2 is available, the excess hydrogen can be consumed and converted to additional
methanol. The most favorable gasification processes are those in which the surplus hydrogen is “burnt” to
water, during which steam reforming is accomplished through the following partial oxidation reaction:

        CH4 + ½O2 -> CO + 2 H2 -> CH3OH

        CH4 + O2 -> CO2 + 2 H2

The carbon dioxide and hydrogen produced in the last equation would then react with an additional hydrogen
from the top set of reactions to produce additional methanol. This gives the highest efficiency, but may be at
additional capital cost.

Unlike the reforming process, the synthesis of methanol is highly exothermic, taking place over a catalyst bed
at moderate temperatures. Most plant designs make use of this extra energy to generate electricity needed in
the process.

This is just the most common of a number of ways to produce methanol from readily available and abundant
feedstocks.  For more information on how methanol is made from other resources, see our Renewable
Methanolsection.

PRECIO A PARTIR DE GAS NATURAL

MBTU
∗1150 BTU
106 BTU
3
∗1 F T 3
FT
∗1 LB
6.3244 US 0.05 LB 320.69 US
∗1 =
MBTU 0.00045359 TON TON

PRECIO TOMADO DE: http://www.ecopetrol.com.co/contenido.aspx?catID=488&conID=77321

COMPOSICION DE GASNATURAL 81% METANO

http://www.gasnaturalfenosa.com.co/co/hogar/el+gas+natural/1297102453941/que+es.html