Catalytic partial oxidation using staged oxygen addition

A multistage catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon feedstream comprising C1-C4 hydrocarbons, with an oxygen-containing feedstream to produce syngas, an intermediate or final product comprising CO and H2, said process conducted under CPO conditions in the presence of a CPO catalyst, wherein:

• (A) the total oxygen requirement for said process is introduced incrementally from an oxygen-containing feedstream, the first of said incremental additions taking place in a first reaction stage, and subsequent said incremental additions taking place in at least one subsequent reaction stage, each said stage including said catalyst;
• (B) in said first reaction stage said oxygen-containing feedstream and said hydrocarbon feedstream are mixed, and in said subsequent reaction stages, said oxygen-containing feedstream and said intermediate product produced in the prior stage are mixed;
• said mixing in said first stage occurring in a mix time of less than 10 milliseconds and in said subsequent reaction stages said mixing of said oxygen-containing feedstream and said intermediate product occurring in a mix time of less than 1 millisecond, wherein said mix time is defined as the time when said hydrocarbon and said oxygen-containing feedstreams or said intermediate product and said oxygen-containing feedstream are brought into contact with one another and up to the time said mixture is contacted with said catalyst, to form a mixture, wherein said mixture is contacted with said catalyst;
• (C) said oxygen-containing feedstream and said hydrocarbon feedstream are preheated prior to entry into said first stage, to a mixture temperature of from about 450° C. to less than 1,000° C.;
• and
• (D) the mixture temperature of said product in each stage following said first stage is from greater than 600° C. to:
• less than 1000° C.