Systems and methods for generating carbon dioxide for use as a reforming oxidant in making syngas or reformed gas

A process for generating syngas or reformed gas that comprises a desired H2/CO ratio, comprising:

• generating CO2 in a reforming furnace by combusting natural gas with a mixture of O2 from an external source and cooled recirculated CO2 from the reforming furnace;
• wherein the combustion of the O2 and the natural gas produces CO2 and H2O;
• splitting the produced CO2 into two streams;
• wherein a first produced CO2 stream is compressed, and then is mixed with steam and additional natural gas and is sent as a process gas to reformer tubes in the reforming furnace where the produced CO2 of the first produced CO2 stream and H2O forming the steam reform the additional natural gas to H2 and CO;
• wherein a second produced CO2 stream having a greater flow than the first produced CO2 stream is compressed, mixed with the O2 from the external source, and sent to reformer burners in the reforming furnace where the natural gas is combusted to produce the CO2 and H2O;
• and
• wherein a H2/CO ratio of the syngas or reformed gas derived from the reformer tubes in the reforming furnace is 2 or less and the syngas or reformed gas is used directly in a Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid process.