Processing natural gas to form longer-chain hydrocarbons
AssigneeGTL Microsystems AG
InventorMichael Joseph Bowe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Natural gas is processed to generate longer-chain hydrocarbons, the process comprising subjecting the gas to steam reforming to generate a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and then subjecting this mixture to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The reforming reaction (20) is performed at 0.4–0.5 MPa and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (50) at 1.8–2.1 MPa, and two compressors (36, 44) are used to raise the pressure, the gas mixture being cooled (26, 32, 40) before and after the first compressor (36). This reduces both the operating cost and capital cost of the plant.
Claims8
A process for processing natural gas to generate longer-chain hydrocarbons, the process comprising subjecting the natural gas to steam reforming at a pressure in the range 0.4 to 0.6 MPa to generate a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, cooling the mixture, compressing this mixture using two successive compression stages with cooling between the two stages to a pressure in the range 1.8 to 2.2 MPa, and then subjecting this mixture to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to generate longer chain hydrocarbons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.