Including high temperature for the pyrolysis of natural gas to produce carbon black and acetylene; steam reforming of natural gas or partial oxidation of natural gas, synthetic gas can be obtained; natural gas through chlorination, sulfide, nitrification, ammoniated oxide, oxidation can be obtained A N all kinds of derivatives; in the wet gas ethane, propane, butane and natural gas liquid condensate, and so on, the steam cracker or pyrolysis to produce ethylene, propylene and butadiene; dehydrogenation of butane oxidation or produce small Diene or acetic acid, methyl ethyl ketone, and maleic anhydride, and so on (see Figure).

Natural gas and chemical industry - the world's natural gas and chemical industry in the world, about 50 countries in varying degrees of development of natural gas and chemical industry.

Distribution of natural gas chemical industry in more developed countries are the United States, the Soviet Union, and Canada. U.S. development of the first natural gas chemical industry, product variety and still top the current production. Consumption of natural gas in the chemical industry, accounting for the chemical industry raw materials and fuel consumption by more than half of the total. The mid-1970s the Soviet Union to adjust the chemical industry, chemical industry to speed up the development of natural gas production. Siberian natural gas producing areas in the production of new devices, used in large-scale synthetic ammonia, ethylene and methanol, carbon disulfide. At present, its chemical products and natural gas production after the United States. Canada is rich in natural resources, for ammonia, urea, methanol and ethylene production.

The main direction of the product in 1980 of the world's major countries, chemical products and natural gas production more than 150Mt. With an annual output of more than 10Mt of the products of synthetic ammonia, urea, methanol, formaldehyde and ethylene.

In the world of synthetic ammonia production, about 80% of natural gas as raw materials. World ammonia plant construction was the focus from Europe and the United States and other countries to rich natural gas resources in the region. Naphtha as fuel or raw materials to the ammonia plant will be natural gas or coal as raw material transition (See industrial ammonia).

Methanol for the bulk of the world organic chemical products one of the world production of methanol in 70% of natural gas as raw materials. In addition to the direction of the application of methanol to maintain traditional uses, is developing alternative energy sources and uses of chemical products.

Natural gas as raw materials of ethylene production capacity of ethylene production capacity of the world accounting for about 32% of its ethylene yield than light oil distillates such as naphtha as raw materials, about twice as high. With the increase in the production of natural gas and ethane, propane recovery rate of increase in the proportion of which are increasing.

Natural gas and chemical industry - natural gas chemical industry in China started in the early 1960s, has now begun to take shape, mainly distributed in Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Shandong, Taiwan Province and other places. China mainly natural gas used in the production of nitrogen, followed by the production of methanol, formaldehyde, acetylene, methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide, nitromethane, hydrocyanic acid and extraction of helium and carbon black. Since the 70s, has built more than natural gas and oil field associated gas as raw materials for large-scale ammonia plant, as well as a number of small and medium-sized ammonia plant, so that the national structure of the synthetic ammonia production of raw materials, natural gas share of about 30%; also be built at the same time A system of acetylene gas plant to manufacture Vinylon and vinyl acetate, acetylene gas used in the production of methanol. Use of natural gas for heat chlorination methylene chloride for the production of photographic materials for industrial solvent. At present, China's first natural gas processing chemical products output is about 70 times in the early 14's.

Natural gas and chemical industry - with the prospect of the world's energy needs increase, the North Sea, the Middle East, North Africa, South America and the Soviet Union's gas and oil associated gas resources is speeding up development and utilization of the steady growth of world output of natural gas, natural gas and chemical industry to flourish and to provide sufficient raw materials Energy. Under such conditions, the development of natural gas and chemical industry has the following characteristics:

From the start of the bulk of natural gas chemical products, such as nitrogen, methanol and their processed products (formaldehyde, acetic acid, etc.) with fast development;

In the olefin production in the United States expanded the use of raw materials and natural gas, the Middle East and South American countries plan to develop natural gas to olefins industry, thereby enhancing the olefin production of natural gas in the world the proportion of raw materials;

To energy-focused research and development work in very active;

The new technology has emerged, particularly synthesis gas of carbon-based chemicals a more prominent.