Processes for lifting spent catalyst into a regenerator in an oxygenate to olefins reaction system

A process for forming light olefins, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting an oxygenate with a molecular sieve catalyst in a reactor under conditions effective to form an effluent stream comprising light olefins and to deposit coke on the molecular sieve catalyst to form a coked catalyst comprising more than 1 weight percent carbonaceous deposits;
• (b) transporting the coked catalyst from the reactor to a catalyst regenerator through a conduit in a fluidized manner with a fluidizing medium comprising air and steam;
• (c) regenerating the coked catalyst in the catalyst regenerator to form regenerated catalyst;
• and
• (d) directing the regenerated catalyst back to the reactor wherein the coked catalyst is at least partially deactivated with coke, and wherein step (b) results in removing at least about 1 weight percent of the coke from the coked catalyst, based on the total weight of the coke on the coked catalyst.