The kinetics models of oxygenate formation in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) over an industrial Fe-Mn catalyst are studied in a continuous spinning basket reactor. Detailed kinetics models on the basis of possible oxygenate formation mechanisms, namely adsorbed CO or CH2 insertion mechanisms, are derived. The calculated alcohol and acid distributions in FTS reaction fit the experimental data well with considering the esterification reactions between alcohols and acids. The alcohol formation via successive hydrogenation of intermediate [RCO-s] is more energetically favorable than the acid formation via the reaction between the [RCO-s] and [OH-s]. The alcohol formation is not via the successive hydrogenation of acid intermediates over the Fe-Mn catalyst under FTS reaction conditions. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.