Two stage process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons to a methane rich gas stream

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A METHANE RICH GAS FROM A HYDROCARBON FEED CONTAINING AT LEAST 10 WEIGHT PERCENT HYDROCARBONS HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE 900*F. AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, WHICH COMPRISES: A. CONTACTING SAID HYDROCARBON FEED WITH STEAM IN A FIRST REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A PARTICULATE CATALYST BED COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL COMPONENT, A SOLID PARTICULATE SUPPORT AND AN IN-SITU FORMED CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT ON SAID SUPPORT, WHEREIN SAID ALKALI METAL COMPONENT (CALCULATED AS THE METAL) COMPRISES AT LEAST 1.0 WEIGHT PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SOLIDS INVENTORY OF SAID BED, SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE ABOVE 200 PSIG AND L AT AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 1,000* AND 1,500*F. TO PRODUCE A VAPOROUS PRODUCT COMPRISING H2, CO, CO2 AND CH4, AND SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH DEPOSITS ON SAID SUPPORT; B. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PARTICULATE CATALYST AND AT LEAST A PROTION OF SAID VAPOROUS PRODUCT TO A SECOND REACTION ZONE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE ABOVE 200 PSIG AND AT A AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 1,000* AND 1,500*. TO PRODUCE A METHANE RICH GASEOUS PRODUCT; C. RECOVERING SAID GASEOUS PRODUCT FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, AND D. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PARTICULATE CATALYST FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the second reaction zone is maintained at a higher average temperature than the actual average temperature maintained in the first reaction zone and wherein the vaporous product of step (a) is treated to remove unreacted steam and CO2 prior to passing at least a portion of the remaining vaporous product to said second reaction zone.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, wherein the second reaction zone is maintained at an average temperature at least 50*F. higher than the actual average temperature maintained in the first reaction zone.

Claim 5

The process of claim 2 wherein said vaporous product of step (a) also comprises other light hydrocarbon products including normally liquid hydrocarbon products and wherein said normally liquid hydrocarbon products are also removed from said vaporous product of step (a) prior to passing at least a portion of the remaining vaporous product to said second reaction zone.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the removed normally liquid hydrocarbons is recycled to said first reaction zone.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1, wherein said second reaction zone is maintained at a lower temperature than the first reaction zone and wherein the total vaporous product of the first reaction zone is passed to the second reaction zone.

Claim 8

The process of claim 6, wherein the second reaction zone is maintained at an average temperature between 1,000*F. and 1, 300*F. and the first reaction zone is maintained at an average temperature between 1,300*F. and 1,500*F.

Claim 9

The process of claim 6, wherein the vaporous product of step (a) also comprises other light hydrocarbon products including normally liquid hydrocarbon products, and wherein the gaseous product recovered from the second reaction zone is further treated to separate the normally liquid products from the normally gaseous products.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of separated normally liquid product is recycled to the first reaction zone.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1, wherein an oxygen-containing gas is introduced into said first reaction zone.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1, wherein the weight of the alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) in said first reaction zone bed is between 1.0 and 35 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1, wherein the weight of the alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) in said first reaction zone bed is between 3 and 30 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1, wherein the weight of the alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) in said first reaction zone bed is between 4 and 25 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed.

Claim 15

The process of claim 1 wherein said alkali metal component is an alkali metal compound which is at least partially reducible to the free metal.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1 wherein said solid support is a non-gasifiable material.

Claim 17

The process of claim 1 wherein said solid support is a refractory inorganic oxide.

Claim 18

The process of claim 1 wherein said solid support is an inorganic oxide selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, silica-alumina, magnesia, crude or partially purified bauxite or mixtures thereof.

Claim 19

The process of claim 1, wherein said solid support is activated carboN.

Claim 20

The process of claim 1, wherein said solid support is petroleum coke.

Claim 21

The process of claim 1, wherein said catalyst comprises K2CO3 or Cs2CO3 mixed with said solid support.

Claim 22

The process of claim 1, wherein said catalyst comprises K2CO3 or Cs2CO3 deposited on said solid support.

Claim 23

The process of claim 1, wherein said steam is introduced into said first reaction zone at a ratio varying between 0.7 and 15 moles of steam to carbon atoms in said hydrocarbon feed.

Claim 24

The process of claim 1, wherein said first and said second reaction zones are each maintained at pressures between 250 and 1,500 psig.

Claim 25

The process of claim 1, wherein said first and said second reaction zones are each maintained at pressures between 400 and 1,000 psig.

Claim 26

A process for producing a methane rich gas from a hydrocarbon feed containing at least 10 weight percent hydrocarbons having a boiling point above 900*F. at atmospheric pressure, which comprises: a. contacting said hydrocarbon feed with steam and an oxygen-containing gas in a first reaction zone containing a particulate catalyst bed comprising an alkali metal component, a non-gasifiable solid particulate support and an in-situ formed carbonaceous deposit on said support, wherein the alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) comprises at least 1.0 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed, said first reaction zone being maintained at a pressure between 250 and 1,500 psig and at an average temperature varying between 1,000* and 1,500*F. to produce a vaporous product comprising H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, and solid carbonaceous material, at least a portion of which deposits on said support; b. treating said vaporous product to remove unreacted steam and CO2; c. passing at least a portion of the steam and CO2-removed vaporous product and a portion of said particulate catalyst to a second reaction zone maintained at a pressure between 250 and 1,500 psig and at a higher average temperature than the actual temperature maintained in the first reaction zone to produce a methane rich gaseous product; d. recovering said gaseous product from said second reaction zone, and e. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst from the second reaction zone to the first reaction zone.

Claim 27

A process for producing a methane rich gas from a hydrocarbon feed containing at least 10 weight percent hydrocarbons having a boiling point above 900*F. at atmospheric pressure, which comprises: a. contacting said hydrocarbon feed with steam and an oxygen-containing gas in a first reaction zone containing a particulate catalyst bed comprising an alkali metal component, a non-gasifiable solid particulate support and an in-situ formed carbonaceous deposit on said support, wherein the alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) comprises at least 1.0 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed, said first reaction zone being maintained at a pressure between 250 and 1,500 psig and at an average temperature varying between 1,000* and 1,500*F. to produce a vaporous product comprising H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, and solid carbonaceous material, at least a portion of which deposits on said support; b. treating said vaporous product to remove unreacted steam and CO2; c. passing at least a portion of the steam and CO2-removed vaporous product and a portion of said particulate catalyst to a second reaction zone maintained at a pressure between 250 and 1,500 psig and at a higher average temperature than the actual temperature maintained in the first reaction zone to produce a methane rich gaseous product; d. recovering said gaseous product from said second reaction zone, and e. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst from the second reaction zone to the first reaction zone.

Claim 28

A process for producing a methane rich gas from a hydrocarbon feed containing at least 10 weight percent hydrocarbons having a boiling point above 600*F. at atmospheric pressure, which comprises: a. contacting said hydrocarbon feed with steam in a first reaction zone containing a bed of solids comprising a particulate catalyst consisting essentially of an alkali metal component, a solid particulate support and an in-situ formed carbonaceous deposit on said support, wherein said alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) comprises at least 1.0 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed, said first reaction zone being maintained at a pressure above 200 psig and at an average temperature between about 1,000* and 1, 500*F. to produce a vaporous product comprising H2, CO, CO2 and CH4, and a solid carbonaceous material, at least a portion of which deposits on said support; b. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst and at least a portion of said vaporous product to a second reaction zone maintained at a pressure above 200 psig and at an average temperature between about 1,000* and 1,500*F. to produce a methane rich gaseous product; c. recovering said gaseous product from said second reaction zone, and d. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone.

Claim 29

A process for producing a methane rich gas from a hydrocarbon feed containing at least 10 weight percent hydrocarbons having a boiling point above 600*F. at atmospheric pressure, which comprises: a. contacting said hydrocarbon feed with steam in a first reaction zone containing a bed of solids comprising a particulate catalyst consisting essentially of an alkali metal component, a solid particulate support and an in-situ formed carbonaceous deposit on said support, wherein said alkali metal component (calculated as the metal) comprises at least 1.0 weight percent of the total solids inventory of said bed, said first reaction zone being maintained at a pressure above 200 psig and at an average temperature between about 1,000* and 1, 500*F. to produce a vaporous product comprising H2, CO, CO2 and CH4, and a solid carbonaceous material, at least a portion of which deposits on said support; b. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst and at least a portion of said vaporous product to a second reaction zone maintained at a pressure above 200 psig and at an average temperature between about 1,000* and 1,500*F. to produce a methane rich gaseous product; c. recovering said gaseous product from said second reaction zone, and d. passing at least a portion of said particulate catalyst from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone.

Claim 30

The process of claim 26, wherein said particulate catalyst is maintained in a fluidized bed.