Patent ID: 8158029

Claim:
A method for the production of synthesis gas, the method including producing an oxygen-containing stream in an air separation unit; humidifying the oxygen-containing stream by contacting the oxygen-containing stream with a hot aqueous liquid to produce a humidified oxygen-containing stream; said humidifying of the oxygen-containing stream including heating the oxygen-containing stream by directly contacting the oxygen-containing stream with the hot aqueous liquid; and feeding the humidified heated oxygen-containing stream into a low temperature non-slagging gasifier in which a carbonaceous material is being gasified, thereby to produce synthesis gas, the gasifier forming part of a complex for Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis and which produces reaction water, with the oxygen-containing stream being contacted with said reaction water, and in which the reaction water includes oxygenated hydrocarbons, with at least some of these oxygenated hydrocarbons being taken up by the oxygen-containing stream during humidification.