Process and plant for the production of synthesis gas by means of catalytic steam reformation of a hydrocarbonaceous feed gas

A process for producing a synthesis gas consisting essentially of hydrogen and carbon monoxide by catalytic steam reformation of a hydrocarbonaceous feed gas, the process comprising the steps of:

• introducing the hydrocarbonaceous feed gas in the presence of process steam to a steam methane reformer under conditions effective for producing the synthesis gas, wherein the steam methane reformer further comprises burners configured to burn a fuel gas in the presence of an oxidant to produce a flue gas;
• producing a pure steam by heat exchanging the flue gas and the synthesis gas with boiler feed water from a first steam boiler;
• withdrawing the pure steam from the steam boiler and splitting the pure steam into an export steam stream and a first portion;
• using the first portion of the pure steam to heat process condensate within a second steam boiler to produce the process steam;
• and
• adjusting a first pressure value for the first portion of the pure steam and a second pressure value for the export steam stream, wherein the first pressure value and the second pressure value are adjusted independent of each other,
• wherein the first pressure is selected based on improving a condensation enthalpy of the first pure steam.