Gas-to-liquids fuels can be produced domestically while creating U.S. jobs. Using natural gas to produce transportation fuels would reduce U.S. reliance on imported petroleum and increase energy security. The following are additional potential benefits of gas-to-liquids fuels:
They can be used directly in today's diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles.
They are compatible with the current petroleum distribution infrastructure and would not require new or modified pipelines, storage tanks, or retail station pumps.
Tests indicate Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) diesel provides similar or better vehicle performance than conventional diesel.
Gas-to-liquids fuels can be produced using natural gas reserves that are uneconomical to recover using other methods (i.e., "stranded reserves").
Using stranded reserves to produce liquid fuels reduces the need to flare natural gas, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Fischer-Tropsch diesel has been shown to reduce regulated exhaust emissions from a variety of diesel engines and vehicles, and the near-zero sulfur content of these fuels can enable use of advanced emission control devices. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculated the potential benefits of F-T diesel versus conventional diesel based on the inherently cleaner-burning characteristics of F-T diesel, summarized in Clean Alternative Fuels: Fischer-Tropsch (PDF 68 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
Nitrogen oxide reductions and even further reductions with the addition of emission-control catalysts
Little to no particulate emissions owing to low sulfur and aromatic content
Expected reductions in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions