Patent ID: 7314891

Claim:
A process for the production of hydrocarbons comprising: a) subjecting a hydrocarbon feedstock to steam reforming by i) dividing the feedstock into first and second streams, ii) mixing the first stream with steam, passing the mixture of the first stream and steam over a catalyst disposed in heated tubes in a heat exchange reformer to form a primary reformed gas, iii) forming a secondary reformer feed stream comprising the primary reformed gas and the second hydrocarbon stream, iv) partially combusting the secondary reformer feed stream with an oxygen-containing gas and bringing a resultant partially combusted gas towards equilibrium over a secondary reforming catalyst to form a resultant secondary reformed gas, and v) using the resultant secondary reformed gas to heat the tubes of the heat exchange reformer, thereby producing a partially cooled reformed gas, b) further cooling the partially cooled reformed gas to below the dew point of the steam therein to condense water and separating condensed water to give a de-watered synthesis gas, c) synthesising hydrocarbons from said de-watered synthesis gas by the Fischer-Tropsch reaction and separating at least some of the synthesised hydrocarbons, to give a tail gas, and d) incorporating at least part of said tail gas into the secondary reformer feed stream before the partial combustion of thereof.