Hydrocarbon treatment method and apparatus

An apparatus for producing a treated hydrocarbon containing stream for use as a feed to a hydrogen plant having a steam methane reformer reactant stream to be reformed in a hydrogen plant containing a steam methane reformer, said apparatus comprising:

• a reactor configured to receive an untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream of variable composition comprising hydrocarbons that contain two or more carbon atoms including olefins, organic sulfur species and hydrogen and containing a sulfur tolerant catalyst capable of promoting both hydrogenation and oxidation reactions contained within the reactor;
• the reactor also configured to convert part of the olefins into saturated hydrocarbons and at least part of the sulfur species to hydrogen sulfide, thereby to produce a first intermediate stream, through selective modes of operation such that in a hydrogenation mode, hydrogenation reactions are promoted by the catalyst or in a pre-reforming mode, steam and oxygen are received within the reactor, oxidation reactions are promoted by the catalyst resulting in production of saturated hydrocarbons, methane, additional hydrogen and carbon monoxide from hydrocarbons contained in the untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream;
• a mixer assembly is in flow communication to the reactor and conduits supplying the steam, the oxygen and the hydrocarbon containing feed stream such that a mixture containing the hydrocarbon containing feed stream, the steam and oxygen is received in the reactor and contacts the catalyst;
• and
• control valves are in flow communications with the conduits supplying the steam and oxygen to the mixer, the control valves configured to be set in open positions to allow the oxygen and steam to be received within the reactor during the pre-reforming mode of operation;
• a hydrotreater in flow communication with the reactor so as to receive at least the first intermediate treated hydrocarbon containing stream and to produce a second intermediate stream having a greater amount of the hydrogen sulfide than that of the first intermediate stream and lower amounts of the olefins and the organic sulfur species than that of the first intermediate stream through hydrogenation of olefin slip and conversion of the organic sulfur species slip in the first intermediate stream with the use of another catalyst capable of solely promoting hydrogenation reactions;
• a compressor compresses the untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream to a pressure greater than a preheated natural gas stream produced in the hydrogen plant;and
• a natural gas line is in flow communication with the hydrotreater so that the first intermediate stream is combined with the preheated natural gas stream to form a combined stream and the combined stream is introduced into the hydrotreater, thereby to produce the second intermediate stream;
• a boiler is positioned between the reactor and the hydrotreater such that the first intermediate stream is passed through a boiler to generate saturated steam for the hydrogen plant and is thereby cooled prior to being combined with the preheated natural gas stream;
• and
• a preheater is connected to the compressor to preheat the untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream through indirect heat exchange with steam generated in the hydrogen plant;
• a feed preheater is connected to the preheater to further preheat the untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream through indirect heat exchange with a synthesis gas stream produced in the hydrogen plant;
• and
• a pretreatment stage is positioned between the feed preheater and the reactor and is configured to remove incoming hydrogen sulfide from the untreated hydrocarbon containing feed stream;
• and
• a zinc oxide bed associated with the hydrogen plant and connected to the hydrotreater to adsorb the increased hydrogen sulfide content in the second intermediate stream, thereby to produce the treated hydrocarbon containing stream.