Hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONCOMITANT PRODUCTION OF HIGH B.T.U. FUEL GAS AND SULFUR FROM A SULFUR-CONTAINING CARBONACEOUS FUEL WHICH COMPRISES REACTING SAID SULFURCONTAINING CARBONACEOUS FUEL WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS A STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTION SUCH THAT SAID FUEL IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONVERTED INTO HYDROGEN,CARBON MONOXIDE, AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE, SEPARATING A GAS STREAM COMPRISING ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF SAID HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN, CONTACTING A GAS STREAM COMPRISING SAID HYDROGEN, SAID CARBON MONOXIDE, AND THE REMAINING ONE-THIRD OF UNSEPARATED HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH A METHANIZATION CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF IRON OXIDE IN A METHANIZATION ZONE TO EFFECT REACTION OF SAID HYDROGEN AND SAID CARBON MONOXIDE TO FORM A RAW PRODUCT GAS COMPRISING METHANE AND CARBON DIOXIDE AND TO EFFECT REACTION OF SAID UNSEPARATED HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH A PORTION OF SAID IRON OXIDE TO FORM IRON SULFIDE, WITHDRAWING SAID RAW PRODUCT GAS, WITHDRAWING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE IRON SULFIDECONTAINING CATALYST AND CONTACTING SAID IRON SULFIDECONTAINING CATALYST WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING-GAS TO REGENERATE IRON OXIDE CATALYST AND TO FORM A GAS COMPRISING SULFUR DIOXIDE, WITHDRAWING SAID REGENERATED IRON OXIDE CATALYST AND RETURNING SAID REGENERATED CATALYST TO SAID METHANIZATION ZONE, REACTING SAID SEPARATED HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SAID GAS COMPRISING SULFUR DIOXIDE TO FORM ELEMENTAL SULFUR, AND SEPARATING SAID ELEMENTAL SULFUR.