substance

Methane

Pure methane; natural gas is a mixture of its own (not yet in the registry).

Formula: CH4
CAS: 74-82-8
InChIKey: VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
ChEBI: CHEBI:16183

Show in the process graph →

Made by

Toluene hydrodealkylation to benzene (100 kt/a, thermal HDA)Co-productConcept · not reviewed
Natural gas processing (amine CO2 removal, TEG dehydration, turbo-expander NGL recovery)Main productConcept · not reviewed

Used by

Acetic anhydride by the ketene route (acetic acid cracking, 50 kt/a, concept)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Acetylene by partial oxidation of natural gas with NMP recovery (6.25 t/h, synthesis-gas co-product)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Alumina by the Bayer process (3000 t/d smelter-grade alumina, concept)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Ammonia from natural gas (1500 t/d, steam reforming with air-fed secondary reformer, Haber-Bosch loop)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Ethylene and propylene by ethane steam cracking (1000 kt/a ethylene, concept)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Ethylene glycol by ethylene oxide hydration (glycols-only EO/EG plant, 1200 t/d MEG)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Toluene hydrodealkylation to benzene (100 kt/a, thermal HDA)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Hydrogen by natural-gas steam methane reforming with PSA (100 000 Nm3/h, steam export)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Bleached softwood kraft pulp with chemical recovery (1000 ADt/d market pulp, concept)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Methanol synthesis loop and purification (2500 t/d Grade AA, natural-gas syngas)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Solid sodium cyanide from Andrussow HCN (6.25 t/h, 50 kt/a)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Styrene by adiabatic catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzeneFeedstockConcept · not reviewed
Steam generation, natural-gas boiler, saturated 11 bar(a)FeedstockConcept · not reviewed

Emitted by

Acetic acid by low-water iridium methanol carbonylation (60 t/h glacial acid, concept)WasteConcept · not reviewed
Natural gas processing (amine CO2 removal, TEG dehydration, turbo-expander NGL recovery)EmissionConcept · not reviewed
Flaring of methane-rich waste gasEmissionConcept · not reviewed

Takes part in

2C₂H₆givesC₃H₈+CH₄Product · one process
2CH₄+2NH₃+3O₂gives2CHN+6H₂OReactant · one process
2CH₄+O₂gives2CO+4H₂Reactant · one process
2CH₄givesC₂H₂+3H₂Reactant · one process
4CH₄givesC₄H₂+7H₂Reactant · one process
6CH₄givesC₆H₆+9H₂Reactant · one process
C₂H₄O₂givesCH₄+CO₂Product · one process
C₂H₆+H₂gives2CH₄Product · one process
C₃H₈+H₂givesC₂H₆+CH₄Product · one process
C₃H₈givesC₂H₄+CH₄Product · one process
C₇H₈+H₂givesC₆H₆+CH₄Product · one process
CH₄+2O₂givesCO₂+2H₂OReactant · Natural gas combustion (calciner) · 10 processes
CH₄+H₂Oin equilibrium withCO+3H₂Reactant · 2 processes
CH₄+H₂OgivesCO+3H₂Reactant · one process
CH₄givesC+2H₂Reactant · one process
CH₄O+H₂givesCH₄+H₂OProduct · one process
CO+3H₂givesCH₄+H₂OProduct · one process
CO₂+4H₂givesCH₄+2H₂OProduct · one process

Routes compared

All 2 ways to make Methane, with filters →

Not comparable as they standReference product (grade, state): differs. The rows say which route each warning concerns.

Per 1 kg of Methane: inventory from each route's LCI dataset, unallocated; footprints per the functional unit of their own LCA.

Route	Tier, design maturity, review status	Geography, year	Energy	Feedstocks	Key emissions	Footprint	Comparability
Toluene hydrodealkylation to benzene (100 kt/a, thermal HDA)thermal toluene hydrodealkylation, adiabatic reactor 895-936 K / 3.4 MPa, H2 recycle with purge and purge hydrogen recovery by PSA, stabiliser, benzene and vacuum toluene columns; 100 kt/a benzene, concept design	flowsheet or hand-writtenDesign maturity: Concept (research)Not independently reviewedDataset review: unreviewed	GLO, 2026	a co-product of a multi-output dataset (product:BENZENE, product:DIPHENYL besides it): its share needs the allocation of the LCI database build			no footprint	Reference product (grade, state): product is no grade (temperature 40.0); the routes state no grade (basis mass, component CH4, pressure 70.0, purity 0.9405068, temperature 40.0), no grade (temperature 40.0)
Natural gas processing (amine CO2 removal, TEG dehydration, turbo-expander NGL recovery)Sweet gas plant: inlet separation, MDEA CO2 removal (acid gas vented), TEG dehydration with molecular sieve polishing, GSP-type turbo-expander NGL recovery (90 % C2, 98 % C3), electric-motor residue compression; 100 MMscf/d (about 0.8 Mt/a) of Barnett-type rich shale gas	flowsheet or hand-writtenDesign maturity: Concept (research)Not independently reviewedDataset review: unreviewed	US, 2026	LP steam 450 kPa(a) from the site steam system (amine reboiler): 0.0157 kWh Electric power (AC, grid): 0.058 kWh	Raw natural gas from field gathering (water-saturated, with free water): 1.42 kg Demineralised make-up water (amine loop): 0.000886 kg Combustion air (ambient): 0.0264 kg (free) MDEA make-up (losses by vaporisation, entrainment, degradation): 0.0000273 kg TEG make-up (vaporisation and carry-over losses): 0.0000255 kg Molecular sieve adsorbent (zeolite 4A), replaced every 4 years: 0.0000182 kg	C2H6 to the environment: 0.0000121 kg C3H8 to the environment: 0.00000781 kg CH4 to the environment: 0.0000444 kg CO2 to the environment: 0.0132 kg NOx to the environment (estimated): 0.00000314 kg CO to the environment (estimated): 0.00000264 kg N2O to the environment (estimated): 0.000000069 kg PM to the environment (estimated): 0.000000239 kg NMVOC to the environment (estimated): 0.000000173 kg	0.0105 kg CO2-eqClimate change per 1 kg SALESGAS	Reference product (grade, state): product is no grade (basis mass, component CH4, pressure 70.0, purity 0.9405068, temperature 40.0); the routes state no grade (basis mass, component CH4, pressure 70.0, purity 0.9405068, temperature 40.0), no grade (temperature 40.0)

How comparability is checked

Allocation: same (same allocation method: energy)
Background data (impacts): not applicable (same background data and boundary behind the impact numbers (only routes with a footprint))
System boundary: same (same system boundary of the inventory (the dataset's boundary): gate-to-gate foreground of the plant)
Data quality (TfS DQR): same (data quality: every route states a TfS DQR, none more than 1 above the best)
Functional unit: same (same functional unit (amount and unit of the reference product): 1 kg)
Reference product (grade, state): differs (same reference product: registry grade and state: no grade (basis mass, component CH4, pressure 70.0, purity 0.9405068, temperature 40.0), no grade (temperature 40.0))
System model: same (same system model (docs/system-model.md): cutoff)

ISO 14044 requires a critical review (by a panel of interested parties, ISO/TS 14071) of a comparative assertion intended to be disclosed to the public. These routes are listed side by side for screening; a statement that one is better than another needs that review. None of these routes has had such a review.