Patent ID: 8664462

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a feed gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and hydrocarbons, wherein the feed gas stream comprises at least 5% by volume hydrogen sulfide; separating at least a portion of the feed gas stream into a hydrogen sulfide stream and a hydrocarbon gas stream, the hydrogen sulfide stream containing more hydrogen sulfide, by volume percent, than the feed gas stream, and the hydrocarbon gas stream containing less hydrogen sulfide, by volume percent, than the feed gas stream; processing the hydrocarbon gas stream to produce natural gas; and combusting at least 34 mol % of the hydrogen sulfide in the hydrogen sulfide stream with an oxidant containing molecular oxygen to generate thermal power, where the molar ratio of molecular oxygen to hydrogen sulfide in the hydrogen sulfide stream and oxidant that are combusted is at least 1.4 to 1; utilizing the thermal power in one or more of the steps of separating the feed gas stream into the hydrogen sulfide stream and the hydrocarbon gas stream.