What happens to the tankers when the oil runs out?
Aug. 5, 1998 The present oil price situation should be kept in perspective. Predictions about the price of oil and future supplies vary from the dire to more optimistic. In any case, the deposits of oil are finite and will eventually run out. Quo Vadis tankers? Recent technological advances may yet underline a major role for tankers in the future. If the supplies of oil threaten to run out, the supplies of natural gas are much more vast. Yet gas cannot be transported as easily as crude oil. Pipelines for the high pressure gas transport are expensive, especially over long distances. Liquefaction (including ships designed for the transport) is being done, but not in a big way. Most natural gas recovered in more remote areas during oil exploration and extraction is either flared off or simply pumped back into the ground. The main problem consists of finding a way to convert the methane into a useful form such as the liquid methanol. The US alone uses 12 bn litres of methanol per year (40
