Two step process for production of liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas

A two-step process for conversion of natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons of gasoline range comprising the following consecutive steps:

• 1) continuously passing natural gas, steam, and at least one of either oxygen or air through a tubular reactor in the absence of a catalyst at a pressure of about 0.5-3.0 atm, a temperature of about 600.degree.-1100.degree. C., an O.sub.2 /natural gas ratio of about 0.001-0.5, a steam/natural gas ratio of about 0.001-10 and a gas hourly space velocity of about 200-50,000 h.sup.-1 to provide an intermediate product stream, separating water from the intermediate product stream to provide a gaseous product stream comprising C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 olefins, methane, ethane, CO, CO.sub.2, propane, butane, oxygen, hydrogen, and traces of higher hydrocarbons and
• 2) passing the gaseous product stream from step 1) over an acid catalyst comprising platinum-containing high silica pentasil zeolite having channel diameters of 5-6 A.degree. in a fixed bed reactor at a pressure of about 1-50 atm, a temperature of about 250.degree.-700.degree. C. and at a gas hourly space velocity of about 100-50,000 h.sup.-1 to provide liquid hydrocarbons and oxides of carbon, separating the liquid hydrocarbons and oxides of carbon to provide liquid hydrocarbons in the gasoline range.