Natural gas conversion IV: proceedings of the 4th International Natural Gas Conversion Symposium, Kruger Park, South Africa, November 19-23, 1995

- Dr T. Fleisch (Amoco) described the use of DME as a transport fuel and the work which has been carried out in this area in collaboration with Haldor Topsoe

- Professor L.D. Schmidt (Univ. of Minnesota) explained his work on the direct conversion of methane at high velocities

- Dr B. Jager (SASTECH R & D) reported on the recent developments in slurry and fluidized bed F-T reactors as SASOL

- Dr J. Rostrup-Nielsen (Haldor Topsoe) discussed the role of catalysis in the conversion of natural gas for power generation.

Areas signalled for further research were: direct conversion of methane to intermediate monomers; methanol conversion to higher alcohols; CO/H2 conversion in a commercially viable route to higher alcohols; and CO/H2 conversion to high quality gasoline. It is obvious that such developments would fit into the energy cycle which has moved from wood, to coal, to oil, to gas, and will most probably move to hydrogen.