Iron ore reduction process

Claim 1

A BALANCED PROCESS FOR REDUCING IRON OXIDE ORE WITH A REDUCING GAS AND MELTING THE REDUCED OF THE PROCESS IN THE CHEMICAL AND THERMAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROCESS ARE SUPPLIED WITH LOW FUEL AND OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF BURNING A FUEL IN A HEARTH ZONE WITH AN OXYGEN-RICH GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 85% OXYGEN AND CONTROLLING THE COMBUSTION SO THAT THE CO2:CO RATIO IN THE COMBUSTION GAS IS FROM ABOUT 0.7 TO ABOUT 3, PASSING THE COMBUSTION GAS FROM SAID HEARTH ZONE TO A REFORMING ZONE AND INTRODUCING THERETO A FUEL AND AN OXYGEN-RICH GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 85% OXYGEN, BURNING IN THE REFORMING ZONE A PORTION OF THE FUEL INTRODUCED THERETO WITH THE OXYGENRICH GAS INTRODUCED THERETO AND THEREBY EFFECTING ENDOTHERMIC REACTION OF ANOTHER PORTION OF THE FUEL WITH THE CO2 AND H2O CONTENT OF SAID COMBUSTION GAS TO PRODUCE A REFORMED GAS CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 10% CO2 WITH A CO:CO2 RATION OF AT LEAST ABOUT 7 AND A H2:CO RATIO NOT GREATER THAN ABOUT 1, CONTACTING SUBDIVIDED IRON OXIDE ORE IN A REDUCING ZONE WITH SAID REFORMED GAS AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 900* F. TO ABOUT 1800* F. AND THEREBY EFFECTING REDUCTION OF A MAJOR PORTION OF THE IRON OXIDE IN THE ORE TO IRON BUT LEAVING A MINOR PORTION OF UNREDUCED IRON OXIDE, THE