Methane Number

Gary Palmer
Independent Consultant, Calgary, Canada

Received October 24, 2017; Accepted October 25, 2017

The Methane Number is a measure of the resistance of natural gas

Abstract: 
to detonation when it is burned as a motor fuel in an engine. Pure
Methane is assigned a Methane Number of 100 and pure Hydrogen
is assigned a Methane Number of zero. A natural gas having a
Methane Number of 80 for example, would have the detonation
properties of a mixture consisting of 80 vol% Methane and 20 vol%
Hydrogen. The Methane Number concept is similar to the Octane
Number for gasoline. Unlike gasoline however, there is not yet
a universal standard for testing natural gas Methane Number as
there is in the motor test for gasoline. Also, there is no universally
accepted method for calculating the Methane Number based on the
composition of natural gas.

Keywords: Methane number, gas combustion

1  Methane Number
The definition of Methane Number is simple if the gas consists only of the two
components Methane and Hydrogen. But for hydrocarbon gas mixtures consisting
not only of methane but also of Ethane and heavier, the definition is much more
difficult and is the subject of much debate and controversy.
There are various proposed methods of calculating Methane Number based on
gas composition. Some are methods proposed by standards associations in Europe
and some are proprietary methods proposed by engine manufacturers.

1.1  Standards Associations

The following standards have been proposed to establish a universal method to
relate gas composition to Methane Number but so far there has been no agreement
on which method to use.

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

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1. The Gas Research Institute in the United States proposes using the European
standard ISO-15403-2006 Part 1 as a method to define Methane Number
based on gas composition for motor fuels. There is no official status for the
method in the United States.
2. Some European countries propose standard ISO-TR22304 as a method for
calculating Methane Number and suggests having two grades of natural
gas to be used as motor fuel:
• Grade X (Regular Grade): regular grade has a minimum Methane
Number of 65. It is intended mainly to be used as burner fuel or as
fuel for internal combustion engines, having a very low compression
ratio.
• Grade Y (Premium Grade): premium grade natural gas would have a
minimum Methane Number of 80. It would be for general use as motor
fuel for all engines. The standard listed above has no official status.
3. Standards associations in Germany propose the following two standards to
be used to define Methane Number:
• DIN standard uses the AVL method to calculate the Methane Number.
The AVL method is believed to be part of DIN standard 51624.
• DIN research report on internal combustion engines bulletin 3, 1971.
The method has no official status.

1.2  Engine Manufacturers

Almost every engine manufacturer has developed its own proprietary method for
calculating Methane Number for natural gas. But there is no widely accepted sin-
gle method that they all agree on. The situation is complicated by the competing
claims of various engine manufacturers that it is the design of their engines that
defines what fuel is acceptable, not an arbitrary Methane Number. Such things as
compression ratio, ignition timing, or simple derating of the horse power output
provide the necessary flexibility in making the engine more tolerant of fuels with
low Methane Number. Manufacturers resist establishing an arbitrary Methane
Number to define what is acceptable as motor fuel. They also resist being forced to
accept an arbitrary formula for calculating Methane Number.
The following manufacturers of heavy industrial engines and others all have
their own proprietary formulas for calculating the Methane Number of natural gas
to be used as motor fuel:

• Waukesha
• Caterpillar
• Wartsila
• MWM
• Cummins

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Gary Palmer: Methane Number

None of these individual calculation methods have been mutually agreed upon
and none have official status.

1.3  Suppliers and Users of Natural Gas as Motor Fuel

A controversy is raging, especially in Europe, about the lack of official standards
for natural gas which is used as motor fuel. Users of this type of natural gas claim
that poor quality fuel is wrecking their engines. They are agitating for the adop-
tion of something similar to ISO standard TR22304 which specifies that motor fuel
grade Y should have a Methane Number of at least 80.
European suppliers of natural gas that is to be used in internal combustion
engines are fighting this proposal stating that ordinary pipeline quality gas is
completely acceptable as engine fuel. They resist any attempt to determine a qual-
ity standard such as establishing a defined Methane Number based on gas compo-
sition. They insist that the free market reacts to pressure and will establish its own
standards. The suppliers propose that the present system of loose none mandatory
standards is best, where fuel quality is a matter to be decided between the buyer
and the seller and state that the normal processing of raw natural gas to produce
acceptable pipeline quality gas should also be sufficient for quality motor fuel.

1.4  CNG and LNG

CNG and LNG typically begin with either a pipeline quality gas or a field gas that
approaches pipeline quality standards. Then the gas is either compressed or liqui-
fied to make it transportable to market. However, the final product of compression
or liquification is still basically pipeline quality gas.
Methane Number, depending on composition, is typically in the range of 65
to 75 and most of the commercial products fall short of the goal of a Methane
Number greater than 80.
The process of manufacturing CNG is relatively simple and uncomplicated,
requiring only compression and sometime dehydration to produce a commercial
product. In most cases, when the CNG must meet an arbitrarily imposed Methane
Number standard, complex refrigeration and fraction equipment must be added
to the simple compressor station process. CNG producers therefore do not wel-
come the imposition of Methane Number standards for their CNG product.
Major suppliers of LNG propose a similar argument. They have invested bil-
lions of dollars to convert ordinary pipeline quality gas to LNG. But meeting
Methane Number standards would require the investment of billions of dollars
more to make major modification to their processing schemes.
They quote the following export statistics from all parts of the world as shown
in Table 1 below. These figures apply to huge processing and liquification facilities
located on tidewater in seaports around the world. Table 1 uses the MWM propri-
etary method to calculate Methane Number.

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Table 1  Percent of LNG Meeting Methane Number [2].

Methane number Pass Fail
No 65 100%  0%
No 70  97%  3%
No 75  34% 66%
No 80  12% 88%

1.5  Natural Gas Characterization

1.5.1  Wobbe Number
The Wobbe Number is commonly used in Europe to compare the performance
of different fuel gases in appliances with burners. If the Wobbe Numbers are
identical for two different gases, then the gases can be used interchangeably in
combustion equipment. The Wobbe Number is sometimes used to specify gas
heating value in gas purchasing contracts and is usually expressed in metric
units MJ/Sm3.

Higher HeatingValue of Gas HHV

Wobbe Number = =
SpecificGravity SG

Higher Heating Value of Gas = ∑(HHV)i · (mol fraction)i MJ/Sm3

Where (HHV)i is the higher heating value of component i in MJ/Sm3
Calculating Wobbe Number (Imperial Units):
Higher Heating Value of Gas Mixture = ∑(HHV)i · (mol fraction)i Btu/scf
Where (HHV)i is the higher heating value of component i in Btu/scf
MoleWt
Specific Gravity Gas Mixture =
28.85

HHV of Mixture
Imperial Unit Wobbe Number = Btu / scf
SpecificGravity

 Btu   MJ   35.315 
Metric Unit Wobbe Number =    
 SCF   948 Btu   Sm3 
Higher heating values of pure hydrocarbons is provided in Table 2.
Some of the Methane Number formulas incorporate the Wobbe Number in
the calculations. European tabulated values of HHV are very different from GPA
values.

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1.5.2 Conflicts Between Pipeline Gas Specifications and Methane

Number
Wobbe Number is directly related to the heating value of the fuel. The richer the
gas the higher the Wobbe Number and the lower the Methane Number. Contrarily,
increasing the Methane Number will decrease the heating value of the fuel. Since
pipeline quality gas and natural gas motor fuel are destined for different uses there
is a strong possibility that different standards to be met by the two gases will be
in conflict. Many pipeline gases when compressed to CNG or liquidized to LNG,
because of their low Methane Number, do not make ideal fuels for engines.
Quality standards for pipeline gas are negotiated as individual contracts between
the pipeline companies and the producers or between the pipeline companies and
the consumers. There are no officially recognized universal standards for pipeline
quality gas. Specifications for the gas will be part of the contract between the par-
ties involved and may include standards of purity, composition, hydrocarbon dew
point, water content, and heating value. Pipeline contracts usually specify the low-
est heating value (LHV) whereas the Wobbe Number deals with the higher heating
value (HHV), the difference being the latent heat of condensation of the stoichio-
metric water vapour formed as a product of combustion. This lower heating value
(LHV) specified in pipeline contracts typically varies between 950 Btu/SCF and
1150 Btu/SCF. This would mean in most cases that the Methane Number is less

Table 2  Higher Heating Value (HHV) of Pure Hydrocarbons [3].

Component HHV (Btu/scf) Metric MJ/Sm3
H2  324.2  12.08
H2S  637.1  23.74
C1 1010.0  37.63
C2 1769.6  65.93
C3 2516.1  93.75
iC4 3251.9 121.16
nC4 3262.3 121.55
iC5 4000.9 149.07
nC5 4008.9 149.37
C6 4755.9 177.20
C7 5502.5 205.02
C8 6248.9 232.83
C9 6996.5 260.68
C10 7742.9 288.49

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than 80 and before a typical pipeline gas could be used as a motor fuel it should be
first processed to increase the Methane Number to 80 or higher.
Pipeline gases with excessive inerts such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide will
probably also contain extra Ethane and will be heavier to boost the Btu content
and to offset the loss of heating value due to dilution by inerts. This practice will
tend to drag down the Methane Number.
For most pipeline gases, if they are to approach 99% Methane, it will be nec-
essary to remove essentially all of the light gases such as Hydrogen, helium,
Nitrogen, and also to remove essentially all of the Ethane and heavier compo-
nents. It is a two-step process, first to remove the light gases, then to remove the
heavy ends. Simple compression to CNG or liquification to LNG will not, in most
cases, produce an ideal motor fuel, and further processing is necessary to raise the
Methane Number.

1.6  Calculation of Methane Number from Composition

There are numerous formulas for calculating the Methane Number. But so far none
of them have been recognized officially. Many of the calculation methods are pro-
prietary and are not in the public domain. But several technical papers have been
presented by standards associations and technical societies. The suggested meth-
ods are as follows.

1. Linear Correlation of Methane and Wobbe Numbers

The Methane Number and Wobbe Numbers of various LNG compositions
from suppliers around the world were calculated using the MWM method for
Methane Number and the results were plotted showing the relationship between
Wobbe Number and Methane Number. Plotting of the data from 22 different
sources was very consistent and showed very little scatter of the data points
when Methane Number was plotted against Wobbe Number on an arithmetic
scale (see Figure 1). The plot suggests intersecting straight lines with a break in
the slope occurring at a Wobbe Number of about 54.9 MJ/Sm3 and a Methane
Number of about 77.
Above a Wobbe Number of about 54.9 MJ/Sm3 the Methane Number is rela-
tively insensitive to changes in Wobbe Number. In this range for an increase of
1.0 in Wobbe Number the Methane Number decreases by only 5.2 points. Below a
Wobbe Number of 54.9 MJ/Sm3 the Methane Number is more sensitive to changes
in Wobbe. For an increase of 1.0 in Wobbe, the Methane Number decreases by 14.6
points above a Wobbe of 54.9. This suggests that it is relatively easy to approach
a Methane Number of 80 by removing the Ethane and heavier components in the
mixture but it will become increasingly difficult to raise the Methane Number
above 80. Pure Methane would have a Methane Number of 100.
Use of the linear correlation provides a quick and simple way to estimate the
Methane Number. The Methane Number calculated is the result of the MWM

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method upon which the line was based. The data is plotted between Wobbe
Numbers from 53.5 to 57. The accuracy of the chart depends on the validity of
the MWM method for calculating the Methane Number. Also, European values of
higher heating values do not agree with North American values which will invali-
date this method.

2. The “Anstalt fur Verbrennungskraftmachinen List (AVL)” Method

The AVL method to calculate Methane Number is base on empirical measure-
ments taken on different gases in Germany in 1970. The method is described in the
German report “Research Combustion Engine Bulletin 120 Part 3, 1970“ which is
not readily available. Possibly the details of the AVL method are proprietary and
confidential and not revealed in the report.
Many software programs such as MWM, Gascale, DGC, and Gasyle have incor-
porated the AVL procedure in their calculation of Methane Number, none of which
are readily available.

57

56.5

56
Wobbe index (mj/m3)

55.5

55

54.5

54

53.5

53
60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Methane number

Figure 1  Methane Number vs. Wobbe Index of LNG from Different Suppliers [1].

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3. The Hydrogen/Carbon Ratio Method

A method of calculating Methane Number has been suggested in Europe which
describes a method of quantitively relating Methane Number to Hydrogen/
Carbon ratio in the natural gas motor fuel.
The development of the method involved using Iso-Octane dosed with Tetra
Ethyl Lead as the reference fuel and then measuring the knock resistance of vari-
ous natural gas fuels in a motor Octane test similar to that used for gasoline. It was
then possible to relate motor Octane Numbers for natural gas to the composition
of the gas based on the Hydrogen/Carbon ratio for the sum of components. If the
fuel composition is known, the Hydrogen and carbon atoms in the mixture are
counted, and the ratio of Hydrogen atoms to carbon atoms is calculated to calcu-
late the motor Octane Number [1].
Octane Number = -406.14 + 508.04 x H/C – 173.55 × (H/C)2 + 20.17 × (H/C)3
Having the motor Octane Number, the Methane Number is calculated as
follows,
Methane Number = 1.624 × Octane Number –119.1
To produce a calculated value of Methane Number of 80 requires a motor
Octane Number of 122.6 and a Hydrogen/carbon ratio of 3.758.
The accuracy of the method is not known.

4. The ISO/TR 22302-2014 Method

This European standard proposes a method to calculate Methane Number based
on gas composition. It proposes that natural gas should be marked in two grades.

• Grades X: Methane Number no less than 65 to be used as burner fuel.

• Grades Y: Methane Number no less than 80 to be used as motor fuel.

2 Conclusions
Suppliers of natural gas, whether in the form of standard pipeline gas, compressed
natural gas (CNG), or liquified natural gas (LNG) all strongly oppose the setting
of international standards for Methane Number. Contrarily, the operators of natu-
ral gas powered vehicles and stationary engines strongly recommend a Methane
Number of 80 to protect their engines. Manufacturers of engines are hesitant to
admit their engines require better fuel and insist that modifications can be made
so that engines can tolerate poor quality fuel.
ISO specification TR 22302-2014 suggests a compromise that would satisfy both
sides of the debate. Instead of having a single Methane Number for all users of
natural gas, including pipeline gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), and Liquified
natural gas (LNG), the standard recommends having two grades of natural gas.
One is for use in burners and a second class with a higher Methane Number is to
be used as motor fuel.

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Gary Palmer: Methane Number

• Grade X: Methane Number not less than 65

• Grade Y: Methane Number not less than 80

Where Grade X and Y correspond to Regular and Premium grades of gasoline.

According to international LNG producers’ surveys, 100% of their product meet
the Methane Number of 65 without further processing. Because ordinary LNG has
a Methane Number of 65 and normally has the same composition as pipeline gas,
pipeline gas can also normally meet a Methane Number standard of 65. It is only
the small segment of the natural gas market that is used for motor fuel that would
be required to meet a Methane Number standard of 80.
The most logical marketing plan for CNG and LNG that is used as motor fuel
would be to provide relatively small processing centers to process pipeline gas to
make motor fuel having a Methane Number of no less than 80. The product could
be sold directly to local users and could also be transported by truck to more dis-
tant users.

References
1. Proposed Amendments to the California Alternative Fuels for Motor Vehicle Regulations,
California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, December 21, 2001,
https://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/cng-lpg/isor.PDF
2. International Group of Natural Gas Exporters. Position paper on the impact of includ-
ing methane number in natural gas regulation. http://www.giignl.org/publications/
position-paper-impact-including-methane-number-natural-gas-regulation
3. GPSA Engineering Data Book, 12th edition, Figure 23-2.

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