Hydrocarbon conversion

A hydrocarbon upgrading process, comprising:

• (a) providing a feed comprising A1F wt. % ethane, A1F being at least 10;
• 1 wt. % to 40 wt. % methane;
• 20 wt. % to 50 wt. % propane;
• and 20 to 50 wt. % butanes;
• (b) providing first and second catalysts, wherein (i) the first catalyst comprises ≧25 wt. % of a first molecular sieve component and ≧0.5 wt. % of a first dehydrogenation component and (ii) the second catalyst comprises ≧25 wt. % of a second molecular sieve component and ≧0.5 wt. % of a second dehydrogenation component;
• (c) contacting the feed with the first catalyst under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions including a temperature T1 in the range of from 400° C. to 630° C., an ethane conversion X1E, and a pressure P1 to produce a first product comprising ≧10 wt. % aromatic hydrocarbon;
• A1P wt. % ethane, A1P being greater than or equal to A1E;
• 1 wt. % to 40 wt. % methane, ≦1 wt. % propane, and ≦1 wt. % butanes;
• and
• (d) contacting with the second catalyst ≧50 wt. % of the first product, including ≧50 wt. % of the first product's aromatic hydrocarbon and ≧50 wt. % of the first product's ethane, under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions including a temperature T2 in the range of from 450° C. to 700° C., an ethane conversion X2E, and a pressure P2 that does not exceed 35 psia (241.3 kPa) to produce a second product comprising at least 0.5 wt. % of additional aromatic hydrocarbon and an amount A2P wt. % of ethane;
• wherein T1 does not exceed 0.9·T2, P2 is less than P1, X1E is less than X2E, and A2P does not exceed 0.95·A1P.

A process for upgrading paraffinic hydrocarbon, comprising:

• (a) providing a feed comprising A1F wt. % ethane, A1F being less than 1;
• no more than 1 wt. % of aromatic hydrocarbon;
• and at least 1 wt. % of C3+ paraffinic hydrocarbon;
• (b) providing first and second catalysts, wherein (i) the first catalyst comprises at least 25 wt. % of a first molecular sieve component and at least 0.5 wt. % of a first dehydrogenation component and (ii) the second catalyst comprises at least 25 wt. % of a second molecular sieve component and at least 0.5 wt. % of a second dehydrogenation component;
• (c) contacting the feed with the first catalyst under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions including a temperature T1 in the range of from 400° C. to 630° C. and a pressure P1, to produce a first product comprising at least 10 wt. % aromatic hydrocarbon;
• an amount A1P wt. % of ethane, A1P being at least 1;
• 1 wt. % to 40 wt. % methane;
• no more than 2 wt. % propane;
• and no more than 1 wt. % butanes;
• and
• (d) contacting ≧50 wt. % of the first product, including ≧50 wt. % of the first product's aromatic hydrocarbon and ≧50 wt. % of the first product's ethane, with the second catalyst under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions, including a temperature T2 in the range of from 450° C. to 700° C., and a pressure P2 that does not exceed 35 psia (241.3 kPa), to produce a second product comprising at least 1 wt. % of additional aromatic hydrocarbon and an amount A2P wt. % of ethane;
• wherein T1 does not exceed 0.9·T2, P2 is less than P1, and A2P does not exceed 0.95·A1P.

A natural gas upgrading process, comprising:

• (a) providing a natural gas feed comprising methane and A1F wt. % ethane wherein A1F is ≧13;
• (b) providing first and second catalysts, wherein (i) the first catalyst comprises ≧25 wt. % of a first molecular sieve component and ≧0.5 wt. % of a first dehydrogenation component and (ii) the second catalyst comprises ≧25 wt. % of a second molecular sieve component and ≧0.5 wt. % of a second dehydrogenation component;
• (c) contacting the feed with the first catalyst under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions, including a temperature T1 in the range of from 400° C. to 630° C., a pressure P1, and an ethane conversion X1E, to produce a first product comprising ≧10 wt. % aromatic hydrocarbon;
• A1P wt. % ethane, wherein A1P≧A1F;
• methane;
• no more than 2 wt. % propane;
• and no more than 1 wt. % butanes;
• (d) contacting with the second catalyst ≧50 wt. % of the first product, including ≧50 wt. % of the first product's aromatic hydrocarbon, ≧50 wt. % of the first product's ethane, and ≧50 wt. % of the first product's methane, the contacting being carried out under catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions which include a temperature T2 in the range of from 450° C. to 700° C., a pressure P2 that does not exceed 35 psia (241.3 kPa), and an ethane conversion X2E to produce a second product comprising ≧2 wt. % of additional aromatic hydrocarbon and A2P wt. % of ethane;
• wherein:
• (i) T1 does not exceed 0.9·T2,
• (ii) P2 does not exceed 0.9·P1,
• (iii) A2P does not exceed 0.95·A1P,
• (iv) [1−(X1E/X2E)]≦2, and
• (e) producing a raffinate by removing from the second product an extract comprising ≧90 wt. % of the first product's aromatic hydrocarbon that is present in the second product and ≧90 wt. % of the additional aromatic hydrocarbon, wherein
• (i) the raffinate comprises no more than 12 wt. % ethane, no more than 5 wt. % propane, and no more than 2 wt. % butanes, with at least 95 wt. % the balance of the raffinate comprises methane,
• (ii) the raffinate has a Wobbe Index in the range of from 49.01 MJ/sm3 to 52.22 MJ/sm3 and has heating value in the range of from 36.07 MJ/sm3 to 41.40 MJ/sm3, and
• (iii) the process does not include cryogenic methane separation.