Patent ID: 6989403

Claim:
A process for converting light hydrocarbons into heavier hydrocarbons (C 5+ ) that includes regenerating a slurry Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in need of regeneration, the process comprising the steps of: preparing a synthesis gas using light hydrocarbons; converting the synthesis gas to Fischer-Tropsch products in a slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor containing a slurry Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; removing Fischer-Tropsch products from the slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor; regenerating the slurry Fischer-Tropsch catalyst that needs regeneration; and wherein the step of regenerating the slurry Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises the steps of: removing the catalyst from the slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor; de-waxing and drying the catalyst sufficiently to produce a free-flowing catalyst powder that is fluidizable; fluidizing the catalyst powder; treating the catalyst powder with an oxygen treatment to remove hydrocarbons from the catalyst powder, reducing the catalyst powder with a reducing gas, re-slurring the catalyst powder to form a regenerated slurry catalyst; and returning the regenerated slurry catalyst to the slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor.