The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (pty) Ltd.

Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa, Ltd.

Vernon Jeremay Adams

Cyril David Knottenbelt

Patrick Otto Taylor

Volan Richard Nicholson

This invention relates to a process for the removal of catalyst particles from a hydrocarbon stream () derived from the reaction of synthesis gas () with a particulate Fischer Tropsch catalyst in a Fischer Tropsch reactor (). The process includes a primary separation step () which makes use of a filter, wherein the filter has a pore size which is 70% to 95 of the average size of the particles of the Fischer Tropsch catalyst, thereby forming a primary filtered hydrocarbon stream () containing fine catalyst particles. The benefit of this selection of filter pore size is that it mitigates fines build-up on the filter of the primary separator. The primary filtered hydrocarbon stream () is then passed to a secondary separation step in a cross-flow filtration unit () which removes fine catalyst particles from the primary filtered hydrocarbon stream to provide a retenate () containing the catalyst fines, and permeate () containing a hydrocarbon product.

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Mossel Bay, South Africa

Vernon Jeremay Adams