Patent ID: 8513312

Claim:
A three phase Low Temperature Fischer Tropsch process comprising converting a feed of CO and H 2 to hydrocarbons and possibly oxygenates thereof by contacting syngas including CO and H 2 in the presence of an iron based Fischer Tropsch catalyst at a GHSV of the feed of CO and H 2 of at least 6000 ml(N)/g cat/h, wherein the ratio of H 2 :CO in the feed is between 2.5 and 1, and wherein the iron based Fischer Tropsch catalyst is activated according to the steps of: (a) providing an iron catalyst including iron in a positive oxidation state; and (b) contacting the iron catalyst in a reactor with a reducing gas selected from CO and a combination of H 2 and CO at a H 2 :CO molar ratio of from 100:1 to 1:100; at a temperature of at least 245° C. and below 280° C.; at a reducing gas pressure of above 0.5 MPa and not more than 2.2 MPa; and at a GHSV of total gas fed to the reactor of at least 6000 ml(N)/g cat/h, thereby reducing the iron that is in a positive oxidation state in the catalyst.