Reducing temperature differences within the regenerator of an oxygenate to olefin process

A process for making an olefin product from an oxygenate feedstock comprising:

• a) contacting the feedstock in a reaction zone with a catalyst comprising i) a molecular sieve having defined pore openings and ii) a CO oxidation metal, under conditions effective to convert the feedstock into an olefin product stream comprising C2–C3 olefins and to form carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst so as to provide a carbon-containing catalyst;
• b) contacting at least a portion of the carbon-containing catalyst with a regeneration medium comprising oxygen in a regeneration zone comprising a fluid bed regenerator having a dense fluid phase and a dilute fluid phase under conditions effective to obtain a regenerated catalyst portion, wherein the difference between the temperature of said dilute phase and the temperature of said dense phase is no greater than 100° C.;
• c) introducing said regenerated catalyst portion into said reaction zone;
• and
• d) repeating steps a)–c);
• wherein said olefin product stream from the reaction zone comprises at least 50% by weight of olefins based on the total amount of hydrocarbons produced;
• and wherein the selectivity of the process for ethylene and propylene differs by no more than ±5% to that of said process carried out in the absence of said CO oxidation metal.