Patent ID: 6855272

Claim:
A syngas production process, comprising: passing a first portion of a hydrocarbon feed mixed with steam and oxidant through an autothermal catalytic steam reforming zone to form a first reformed gas of reduced hydrocarbon content; passing a second portion of the hydrocarbon feed mixed with steam through an endothermic catalytic steam reforming zone to form a second reformed gas of reduced hydrocarbon content; mixing the first and second reformed gases and passing the resulting gas mixture through a heat exchange zone for cooling the gas mixture and supplying heat to the endothermic catalytic steam reforming zone; wherein the endothermic catalytic steam reforming zone and the heat exchange zone are respectively disposed tube side and shell side within a shell-and-tube reforming exchanger comprising a plurality of tubes packed with catalyst-bearing monolithic structures, the tubes having an inside diameter that is not more than 4 times a maximum edge dimension of the catalyst structures; and recovering syngas comprising the cooled gas mixture.