Use of short contact time in oxygenate conversion

A method for converting an oxygenate feed to olefins comprising the step of contacting an oxygenate feed with a silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst under effective conditions to convert said oxygenate feed to olefins and byproducts including methane, wherein said oxygenate feed is selected from the group consisting of organic molecules containing oxygen atoms, aliphatic alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, organic molecules containing halides, mercaptans, sulfides, amines, and mixtures thereof, wherein said molecular sieve catalyst has a pore size greater than 3.5 Angstroms and less than about 5.0 Angstroms, and wherein said conditions comprise a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) from about 20 hr.sup.-1 to about 500 hr.sup.-1 ;

• a temperature from about 300.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C.;
• and a Temperature Corrected Normalized Methane Selectivity (TCNMS) of less than about 0.016.

A method for converting an oxygenate feed including methanol to olefins to minimize light saturate yields, said method comprising the step of contacting an oxygenate feed including methanol with a SAPO-34 molecular sieve catalyst under effective conditions to convert said oxygenate feed to olefins and byproducts including methane, wherein said oxygenate feed is selected from the group consisting of organic molecules with an aliphatic moiety of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and includes, at least, methanol, wherein said contacting of said oxygenate feed with said SAPO-34 molecular sieve catalyst is accomplishing by passing said oxygenate feed over said SAPO-34 molecular sieve catalyst and said SAPO-34 molecular sieve catalyst is not in a stationary position, and wherein said conditions comprise a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of from 20 hr.sup.-1 to about 500 hr.sup.-1 ;

• a temperature from about 400.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C.;
• and a Temperature Corrected Normalized Methane Selectivity (TCNMS) of less than about 0.01.