Prospects for utilizing natural gas from the Anabai gas field for synthesis gas production via dry reforming of methane

Abstract

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a promising approach for producing synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which serves as a valuable intermediate for energy and chemical applications. In the context of the global energy transition, hydrogen is considered a potential low-carbon energy carrier, while DRM enables the simultaneous utilization of methane and carbon dioxide. This study aimed to assess the prospects of the Anabai gas field for converting produced natural gas into synthesis gas via the DRM reaction and to demonstrate the practical feasibility of methane conversion based on laboratory-scale experiments. To evaluate the potential of methane utilization, data on the methane content of natural gas from the Anabai field under surface and subsurface conditions were analyzed. Surface gas characteristics were determined using 56 wellhead samples from Famennian, Lower, Middle, and Upper Visean, as well as Serpukhovian deposits. Subsurface gas composition was assessed based on 102 samples from the Famennian, Tournaisian, and Visean–Serpukhovian stages. The results indicate a consistently high methane content across the studied stratigraphic horizons. Experimental DRM studies were carried out using a 20Co-10Mg-20Al catalyst synthesized by the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method. The catalytic performance was evaluated in terms of methane and carbon dioxide conversion, synthesis gas composition, and temperature dependence. Based on the experimental results, practical recommendations for implementing DRM at the Anabai gas field are proposed, and the prospects for integrating this technology into environmentally oriented energy production schemes are discussed.