Process for production of hydrocarbons with catalyst conditioning

Method for continuous production of hydrocarbon from synthesis gas in the presence of a cobalt-based catalyst, comprising a step of synthesis in which a synthesis gas is brought to reaction in the presence of a catalyst in a Fischer-Tropsch (4) synthesis reactor, characterised in that the following steps are also performed:

• a) conditioning of the catalyst in reduced state in a conditioning reactor (2) by contact with a flow of reducing gas from a synthesis gas source supplying the synthesis reactor, the reducing conditioning gas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) or a mixture comprising hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), the H2/CO molar ratio of which is between 0.01 and 0.9, at a temperature between 200 and 500° C., and a total pressure between 0.1 and 5 MPa under a gas flow between 1 and 20 NI/h/g of catalyst to be treated, for a duration between 1 and 48 h,
• b) supply of reduced catalyst conditioned in step a) to the synthesis reactor (4).