Natural gas liquids upgrading process: two-step catalytic process for alkane dehydrogenation and oligomerization

A non-oxidative process for catalytically transforming a natural gas liquid (NGL) into one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, comprising:

• providing a hydrocarbon containing gas stream consisting of C2 to C4 alkanes;
• catalytically dehydrogenating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing gas stream to corresponding alkene derivatives and hydrogen using at least one bimetallic catalyst, providing an effluent consisting of unreacted C2-C4 alkanes, C2-C4 alkenes and hydrogen;
• catalytically oligomerizing at least a portion of the C2-C4 alkenes in the presence of at least one oligomerization catalyst to provide one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons;
• and
• recovering the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons,
• wherein the at least one oligomerization catalyst comprises H-ZSM-5, B—Al—H-ZSM-5, or a combination thereof, and wherein the at least one bimetallic catalyst is a zero valent metallic alloy that comprises a combination of a first metal chosen from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, and a second metal chosen from the group consisting of manganese, vanadium, chromium and combinations thereof, and a support.

A process for catalytically transforming a natural gas liquid (NGL) into one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, comprising:

• providing a hydrocarbon containing gas stream that is derived from a shale formation, the hydrocarbon containing gas stream comprising one or more light alkanes chosen from the group consisting of C2, C3, and C4 alkanes;
• catalytically dehydrogenating at least a portion of the light alkanes to corresponding alkene derivatives;
• catalytically oligomerizing at least a portion of the alkenes in the presence of at least one oligomerization catalyst to provide one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons;
• and
• recovering the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons,
• wherein the at least one oligomerization catalyst comprises:
• a crystalline microporous zeolite structure having MFI topology, wherein heteroatoms within the zeolite structure are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium, iron and combinations thereof, and wherein trivalent boron atoms within the zeolite structure are substituted for tetravalent silicon atoms.