Patent ID: 8617270

Claim:
A method for producing syngas, comprising: reforming a hydrocarbon in the presence of steam and one or more first catalysts in a first reaction zone to provide an effluent comprising a portion of the hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, about 8% mol to about 12% mol methane, and hydrogen at a first temperature, wherein the first reaction zone comprises one or more catalyst-containing tubes, and wherein a ratio of steam to the hydrocarbon in the first reaction zone is 2.5 to 3.5; indirectly heating the effluent from the first temperature to a second temperature; reforming the effluent at the second temperature and at a pressure of about 4,000 kPa to about 5,500 kPa in the presence of one or more oxidants and one or more second catalysts at conditions sufficient to provide a syngas having a temperature of about 1,030Â° C. or more and comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and less than 0.3% mol, dry basis, methane, wherein the syngas is used to indirectly heat the effluent from the first temperature to the second temperature; converting at least a portion of the carbon monoxide in the syngas used to indirectly heat the effluent to provide a converted syngas comprising carbon dioxide and 1% mol dry basis or less carbon monoxide; removing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide of the converted syngas to provide a lean syngas comprising 1% mol dry basis or less carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; converting at least a portion of any carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or both contained in the lean syngas to methane; separating at least a portion of the water from the lean syngas; separating at least a portion of nitrogen in the lean syngas to provide an ammonia syngas having a hydrogen to nitrogen ratio of about 2.9:1 to about 3.2:1; and reacting at least a portion of the hydrogen and nitrogen in the ammonia syngas to provide an ammonia product.