Processes for hydromethanation of a carbonaceous feedstock

A process for generating a plurality of gaseous products from a carbonaceous feedstock, and generating a methane product stream, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) supplying a first particulate carbonaceous feedstock, a first oxygen-rich gas stream and, optionally, an aqueous stream comprising one or both of water and steam, to a syngas generator;
• (b) reacting the first particulate carbonaceous feedstock in the presence of oxygen and, optionally, the aqueous stream, in the syngas generator, at a first temperature and a first pressure, to produce a first gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and, optionally, steam;
• (c) cooling the first gas stream, optionally with a quench stream comprising one or both of water and steam, to generate a cooled first gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and steam at a second temperature and a second pressure;
• (d) introducing a second carbonaceous feedstock, a hydromethanation catalyst, a second oxygen-rich gas stream and the cooled first gas stream to a hydromethanation reactor, the second carbonaceous feedstock comprising a carbon content;
• (e) reacting a portion of the carbon content from the second carbonaceous feedstock in the hydromethanation reactor in the presence of oxygen to produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen and heat energy;
• (f) reacting the second carbonaceous feedstock in the hydromethanation reactor in the presence of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, steam and hydromethanation catalyst, at a third temperature and a third pressure, to produce a methane-enriched raw product stream comprising methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide;
• (g) withdrawing the methane-enriched product stream from the hydromethanation reactor;
• and
• (h) treating the methane-enriched product stream to generate the methane product stream.