Apparatus and process for treating natural gas

A process for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons comprising the steps of:

• (i) forming a mixture of natural gas, steam and hydrogen by mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam at a steam:carbon ratio in the range 0.2:1 to 3:1 based on the one or more higher hydrocarbons carbon, and hydrogen at a concentration up to 5% vol,
• (ii) passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst at an inlet temperature in the range 130-300° C. to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen,
• (iii) cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and
• (iv) passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream.