Patent ID: 6225359
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: C07C,C10G

Abstract:
In a process for the preparation of salable hydrocarbon products comprising:(a) reacting a light hydrocarbon gaseous stream with a gaseous oxidant in at least one reforming zone containing a reforming catalyst under conditions selected to produce a first product stream comprising carbon oxides and hydrogen;(b) contacting said first product stream in a hydrocarbon synthesis zone with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst under conditions selected to produce a second product stream comprising salable hydrocarbon products; and(c) separating said second product stream into at least a gaseous fraction and at least one fraction of salable hydrocarbon products;the improvement comprising forming said light hydrocarbon gaseous stream by the process comprising:(d) separating a light hydrocarbon gaseous feed comprising alkanes into a lighter fraction and a heavier fraction;(e) contacting at least a portion of said heavier fraction of step (d) in a disproportionation zone with a disproportionation catalyst under conditions selected to convert a significant portion of the alkanes in said heavier fraction by disproportionation into both higher alkanes and lower alkanes; and(f) forming said light hydrocarbon gaseous stream of step (a) from at least some of said lighter fraction of step (d) and at least some of said lower alkanes of step (e), wherein said light hydrocarbon gaseous stream is comprised of predominately C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 alkanes.