Claims
- 1. A method of producing liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas, said method comprising steps ofproducing a synthesis gas by oxidizing a natural gas feedstock with oxygen in a synthesis gas production reactor, converting the synthesis gas to a liquid hydrocarbon and tail gas containing hydrogen by passing the synthesis gas through a Fischer-Tropsch reactor containing a catalyst exhibiting high water gas shift activity, separating at least a portion of the hydrogen from the tail gas so as to produce a hydrogen-depleted tail gas fraction, and recycling at least a portion of said separated hydrogen to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor and at least a portion of said hydrogen-depleted tail gas fraction to the synthesis gas production reactor.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst is an iron catalyst.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesis gas production reactor is a partial oxidation reactor.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst is a cobalt catalyst.
- 5. A method according to claim 3, wherein approximately 85% to 100% of the hydrogen is recycled to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor and approximately 70% to 80% of the hydrogen-depleted tail gas is recycled to the synthesis gas production reactor.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesis reactor is an autothermal reactor.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein approximately 85% to 100% of the hydrogen is recycled to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor and approximately 60% to 80% of the hydrogen-depleted tail gas is recycled to the synthesis gas production reactor.
Parent Case Info
This application is an division of application Ser. No. 09/281,794, filed Mar. 31, 1999 now abandoned, which claims priority from provisional application No. 60/080,177 filed Mar. 31, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/080177 |
Mar 1998 |
US |