For context, efficient conversion from Methane to Methanol is difficult. You can order single carbon organic molecules going from reduced to oxidized (high ener

For context, efficient conversion from Methane to Methanol is difficult. You can order single carbon organic molecules going from reduced to oxidized (high energy to low energy) Methane > Methanol > Formaldehyde > Formic Acid > Carbon Monoxide > Carbon Dioxide. You can step down this chain via oxidization. The most extreme case, combustion, is really easy. But once you provide an oxidizing environment, it's hard to stop a particular step. It's much easier to go the other direction and produce Methanol by reducing Carbon Monoxide with Hydrogen, but this takes extreme pressures and temperatures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol#From_synthesis_gas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol#From_synthesis_gas