Patent ID: 8614158

Claim:
A process for catalyst treatment comprising: (a) loading a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst into a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor wherein the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor is located at a catalyst treatment facility; (b) activating the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor, while the reactor is located at the catalyst treatment facility; (c) transporting the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor containing active Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst from the catalyst treatment facility to a production location wherein a feedstock for a synthesis gas production reactor is available; (d) operating the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor at the production location to convert the feedstock to synthesis gas; (e) transporting the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor containing used Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst from the production location to the catalyst treatment facility; (f) treating the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst wherein the step of treating the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst is selected from the group consisting of (i) replacing the used Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst by removing the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst from the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor and adding new Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst to the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor; and (ii) regenerating the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor; and (g) repeating (b), (c) (d) (e) and (f) so as to continue the conversion of feedstock to synthesis gas at said production location and the replacement or regeneration of used catalyst.