Patent ID: 6942839

Claim:
A plant comprising: (a) a reactor for partially oxidating a normally gaseous hydrocarbon feed at elevated pressure using air or oxygen enriched air as oxidant, to obtain a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and nitrogen; (b) a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor for converting hydrogen and carbon monoxide obtained in step (a) into a normally liquid hydrocarbon product and a normally gaseous hydrocarbon product; (c) a separator for separating from the reaction mixture obtained in step (b) an off-gas mixture comprising nitrogen, normally gaseous hydrocarbon product, and unconverted hydrogen, carbon monoxide and normally gaseous hydrocarbon feed, insofar as such unconverted components are present; (d) a combustor for combusting at least a part of the off-gas mixture in a steam raising apparatus, producing steam of an elevated pressure; and (e) an expander for expanding the steam produced in step (d) for compressing the air or oxygen enriched air and/or the normally gaseous hydrocarbon feed used in step (a) wherein there is no gas turbine installed in the plant.