Patent ID: 7795318

Claim:
A multi-stage process for the production of hydrocarbon products from syngas, said process comprising feeding syngas to a multi-stage system comprising 1) a first stage comprising one or more syngas conversion reactors in which syngas is partially converted into hydrocarbon products at conversion conditions each conversion reactor having a syngas entry stream system which system combines two or more entry streams of syngas and which system delivers the combined syngas to the syngas conversion reactor, the syngas entry system combining at least one entry stream of syngas being a syngas stream obtained in a partial oxidation process and having a hydrogen/carbon monoxide (H 2 /CO) ratio between 1.6 and 2.0 and with another syngas stream being a recycle stream from the conversion reactor having an H 2 /CO ratio between 0.2 and 0.9, the combined syngas having an H 2 /CO ratio between 1.0 and 1.6; and 2) at least one additional stage, each additional stage comprising one or more syngas conversion reactors in which syngas is partially converted into hydrocarbon products at conversion conditions each conversion reactor having a syngas entry stream system which system combines three or more entry streams of syngas and which system delivers the combined syngas to the syngas conversion reactor(s), the syngas entry system combining an exit stream of syngas from the previous stage, the H 2 /CO ratio of the exit stream of syngas being between 0.2 and 0.9, a recycle stream from the additional stage having an H 2 /CO ratio between 0.2 and 0.9, together with a reformed syngas having an H 2 /CO ratio of at least 3.0, the combined syngas having an H 2 /CO ratio between 1.0 and 1.6.