Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Other

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

James H Taylor, Jr

Geoffrey R Say

James P Glass, Jr

Richard P O'Connor

Francis X Mayer

Mark Leland Tiller

Roby Bearden, Jr

Clyde L Aldridge

William Ernest Lewis

LeRoy R Clavenna

Robert Basil Fedich

Dennis G Alexion

John C Wilbur

Robert H Shabaker

Gerald A Wilcox

Frank Hershkowitz

Harry William Deckman

Rocco A Fiato

Willard H Sawyer

Russell J Koveal

Robert P Reynolds

Leonard Schoenman

Lavanga R Veluswamy

Constantine P Gonatas

Charles A Euker, Jr

John W Fulton

Jack I Ito

David E Mueller

David C Long

Nikos J Maris

Herbert Weinstein

Norman J Eger

Lawrence J Delaune

Darrell R Pitzer

Alfredo M Lopez

Sour natural gas is processed to remove the sulfur compounds and recover C /C hydrocarbons by scrubbing the gas with an amine solution to remove most of the sulfur, followed cooling the gas to remove C /C hydrocarbons and more sulfur compounds as liquid condensate to produce a gas having less than 20 vppm of total sulfur. The condensate is sent to a fractionator to recover the C /C hydrocarbons. The sulfur and hydrocarbon reduced gas is contacted first with zinc oxide and then nickel, to produce a gas having less than 10 vppb of total sulfur which is passed into a synthesis gas generating unit to form a very low sulfur synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H and CO. This synthesis gas is useful for hydrocarbon synthesis with increased life of the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst and greater hydrocarbon production from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. Contacting the synthesis gas with zinc oxide further reduces the sulfur content to below 3 vppb.

Production of low sulfur syngas from natural gas with C4&plus;/C5&plus; hydrocarbon recovery

A process for detecting, and monitoring, changes in the properties of a fluidized bed of particulate solids, especially a fluidized bed of particulate catalytic solids at elevated temperature wherein a low molecular weight hydrocarbon is converted, in the presence of steam and oxygen, to synthesis gas. Measurement is made of the magnitude of differential pressure fluctuations taken at different levels of bed elevation and these are recorded as a standard deviation, or normalized standard deviation, and directly related to particle size changes caused by agglomeration (growth) and/or attrition (size reduction). Operation of the process requires the use of fast response pressure transducers that are located in the bed and connected to an A/D board of a PC which records and accumulates the data for processing, and analysis.

Process for detecting and monitoring changes in properties of fluidized bed solids by pressure difference fluctuation measurement

Sour natural gas is processed to remove the sulfur compounds and recover C,/C,hydrocarbons by scrubbing the gas with an amine solution to remove most of the sulfur, followed cooling the gas to remove C,/C,hydrocarbons and more sulfur compounds as liquid condensate to produce a gas having less than 20 vppm of total sulfur. The condensate is sent to a fractionator to recover the C,C,hydrocarbons. The sulfur and hydrocarbon reduced gas is contacted first with zinc oxide and then nickel, to produce a gas having less than 10 vppb of total sulfur which is passed into a synthesis gas generating unit to form a very low sulfur synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H,and CO. This synthesis gas is useful for hydrocarbon synthesis with increased life of the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst and greater hydrocarbon production from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. Contacting the synthesis gas with zinc oxide further reduces the sulfur content to below 3 vppb.

Production of low sulfer syngas from natural gas with C4&plus;/C5&plus; hydrocarbon recovery

Very low sulfur content hydrocarbon gas is achieved by sequentially contacting the gas first with zinc oxide and then with nickel metal. This has reduced the total sulfur content of natural gas feed for a fluid bed syngas generator to less than 0.1 ppm and has resulted in greater syngas productivity. A zinc oxide guard bed downstream of the syngas generator reduces the total sulfur content of the syngas to less than 10 vppb and preferably less than 5 vppb. This very low sulfur content syngas is used for sulfur sensitive processes, such as hydrocarbon synthesis. The process is especially useful for natural gas which contains H.sub.2 S, COS, mercaptans and other sulfur bearing compounds.

Very low sulfur gas feeds for sulfur sensitive syngas and hydrocarbon

A novel fluidized bed syngas (FBSG) injector/reactor apparatus and an efficient process for the partial oxidation and steam reforming of light hydrocarbon gases such as methane, to convert such gases to useful synthesis gas containing CO and H.sub.2 for recovery and/or subsequent hydrocarbon synthesis. Sources of a light hydrocarbon gas, such as methane, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are preheated and pressurized and injected through gas orifices of an injector at high velocity and comparable momentums into admixture with each other in the desired proportions, at a plurality of mixing chambers or recessed cups which are open to the fluidized bed reaction zone of a reaction chamber and are spaced over the face of the injector, to form a reactant gas premix having a pressure drop of at least 1% through the injector. The gaseous premix is injected in a time period which is less than its autoignition time, preferably less than 9 milliseconds, at a velocity between about 25 to 1000 feet/second, into a partial oxidation reaction zone comprising a fluid bed catalyst so that the gas mixture reacts in the catalyst bed, to reduce the amounts of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 O and heat produced by the partial oxidation reaction to favor the desired stoichiometry. The formed syngas is cooled and recovered, such as use in further synthesis processing.

Face-mixing fluid bed process and apparatus for producing synthesis gas

Process, and apparatus, for the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a reactor, preferably one containing a bed of a particulate solids catalyst, or catalyst and solids diluent, by contacting and reacting within the reaction zone a low molecular weight hydrocarbon feed, steam and oxygen, or a low molecular weight hydrocarbon feed and oxygen, at high temperature. An oxygen stream preheated to high temperature is fed via a nozzle inlet, or inlets, into the reactor, while the hydrocarbon and steam, or hydrocarbon, is fed via a different nozzle inlet, or inlets, into the reactor. Preferred oxygen nozzle designs are constituted of nickel-chromium-iron alloys, especially Inconel 600, and Inconel alloys of the 600 series generally. The oxygen nozzle is comprised of a tubular body with inlet, and outlets of special design, which renders the nozzle especially useful in the intensely hot oxygen environment.

Process, and apparatus, for the injection of preheated oxygen into a

A process for the in situ attrition and break up of an agglomerating, or agglomerated catalyst to maintain and control the fluidization characteristics of a bed wherein low molecular weight hydrocarbons, oxygen and steam are contacted with the bed to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide via both partial oxidation and steam reforming reactions. The feeds are injected into the reaction zone with mechanical energy input sufficient to balance the intrinsic rate of agglomeration by fracturing and breaking apart in situ the agglomerated catalyst to maintain the fluidization characteristics of the bed throughout the cycle of operation.

High energy level in situ attrition and break up of catalyst to maintain

A process for the production of syn gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) by reaction at high temperature between low molecular weight hydrocarbons, steam and oxygen in an impurities-containing refractory lined reaction zone. The lined reaction zone is pretreated with steam, or with steam and a reducing gas, e.g. a mixture of steam and hydrogen to leach out, react with, and transport the impurities, i.e., the reaction products of silica, or silica plus phosphorus or sulfur, or silica plus phosphorus and sulfur, from the reaction zone. Steam alone may be used to leach out, convert the silica to gaseous silicic acid, and remove same from the reaction zone; and then the hydrocarbons, steam and oxygen feeds are introduced into the reaction zone to produce syn gas.

Process for the elimination of silica and other impurities in fluidized

A mixture of hydrocarbons, oxygen and steam is reacted over a fluidized bed, in a first reaction stage, at high temperature to produce, at hydrocarbon conversion levels ranging from about 85 percent to about 92 percent, a reaction product of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in admixture with unreacted hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and steam. The level of hydrocarbon conversion is further increased by about 0.5 to 5 percent by contacting and endothermically reacting the reaction product mixture over a fixed bed of a high void fraction catalyst in a second reaction stage.

Production of synthesis gas via fluidized bed/fixed bed process

Start-up procedure for FBSG process involving starting up under oxidizing conditions with Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 (no Ni) particles in the bed and the switching to reducing conditions prior to adding Ni/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalyst. This procedure will prevent catalyst particle agglomeration.

Synthesis gas generation startup process (C-2556)

Hydroconversion processes utilizing a catalyst prepared from a catalyst precursor concentrate such as phosphomolybdic acid, is provided. The catalyst precursor concentrate is treated at relatively low pressures in a specified manner.

Hydroconversion process using a sulfided molybdenum catalyst concentrate

An improved method of preparing a catalyst from a catalyst precursor concentrate is provided. The catalyst precursor concentrate, which is preferably phosphomolybdic acid, is treated at relatively low pressures in a specified manner.

Method of preparing a hydroconversion sulfided molybdenum catalyst

A hydrotreating process, particularly a hydroconversion process, wherein a hydrogenation catalyst is contacted with a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbonaceous feed containing 1050.degree. F.+ materials at a preselected high initial temperature and maintained essentially at this temperature throughout an operating run. In accordance with such mode of operation certain advantages are obtained, these including: (1) greater overall conversion of 1050.degree. F.+ to 1050.degree. F.- hydrocarbon products at a given level of hydrodesulfurization, catalyst consumption rate, with the same reactor volume and pressure requirements; (2) greater overall reduction of Con carbon; and (3) improved overall feed metals reduction.

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

James H Taylor, Jr