Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Serge Bonnaudet

Charles Cameron

Hubert Mimoun

Alain Robine

Patrick Chaumette

Quang Dang Vu

Process for producing olefins from natural gas, the natural gas (2) is mainly fractionated (1) into methane (3) and higher hydrocarbons (4), the latter being then mainly fractionated (17, 20) into propane (9) and ethane (7). The methane (3), admixed with oxygen (6), passes through an oxidation reactor (5), receives the ethane (7) and the obtained mixture passes through a pyrolysis reactor (8). The effluent coming out of reactor (8) receives the propane (9) and the obtained mixture passes through a pyrolysis reactor (10). A hydrocarbon flow comprising olefins (12), more particularly ethylene and propene, is recovered.

Process for producing olefins from natural gas

Process for producing olefins from natural gas. The natural gas is fractionated (1). The methane (3) mixed with oxygen (6) crosses the oxidizing reactor (5), receives the C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons (7) and the mixture crosses the pyrolysis reactor (8). A hydrocarbons flow containing olefins (10) is collected.

The invention concerns a process for the oxidative conversion of methane or natural gas to higher hydrocarbons, particularly ethylene and ethane, characterized in that a methane-oxygen mixture is passed over a contact mass consisting of at least one compound pertaining to the family of rare-earth metal carbonates. It concerns particularly the use of rare-earth oxycarbonates, more particularly lanthanum oxycarbonate La.sub.2 O.sub.2 (CO.sub.3), as contact mass.

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Serge Bonnaudet