Patent ID: 6955695
Filing Date: 2005-10-18
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for the conversion of petroleum residua to methane comprising the steps of: preheating a petroleum residue feedstock to a temperature between 300° F. and 800° F.; injecting the preheated feedstock into a reaction vessel maintained at a temperature between 1100° F. and 1400° F. and at a pressure between 300 psig and 1000 psig, wherein the reaction vessel contains fluidized solid particles comprising: more than 50% by mass petroleum coke; more than 30% and less than 50% by mass alkali metal, wherein the alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of potassium, rubidium, cesium, or any mixture thereof; and less then 10% by mass of other inorganic constituents, wherein the fluidized solid particles are fluidized by an upwardly flowing gaseous mixture at the bottom of the reaction vessel comprising: more than 50% steam; more than 20% and less than 40% hydrogen; and more than 3% and less than 20% carbon monoxide, wherein the gaseous mixture is preheated to a temperature in excess of 1300° F., wherein the mass flow rate of the steam of the gaseous mixture is maintained at between 1.8 and 2.0 times the mass flow rate of the injected preheated feedstock, and wherein the hourly mass flow rate of the injected preheated feedstock is maintained at between 0.3 and 0.6 times the mass of the alkali metal; withdrawing from the reaction vessel a gaseous product mixture comprising unreacted steam, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia; recovering methane from the gaseous product mixture; and recovering hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and recycling the recovered hydrogen and carbon monoxide into the upwardly flowing gaseous mixture at the bottom of the reaction vessel.