Process for enhanced benzene-synthetic natural gas production from gas condensate

Claim 1

Method for converting a hydrocarbon gas condensate feedstock into a substantially benzene product and a synthetic natural gas product comprising: (a) separating said feedstock into three fractions: (i) C 5 and lighter. (ii) C 6 to 300° F. B.P. (iii) B.P. above 300° F.; (b) catalytically reforming said fraction (ii) to produce a by-product gas stream and a benzene product; and (c) hydrogasifying said fractions (i) and (iii) with the gas stream from the reforming in step (b) to produce synthetic natural gas and additional benzene product.

Claim 11

A method for converting a hydrocarbon gas condensate feedstock into a substantially pure benzene product and a synthetic natural gas product comprising the steps of: (a) initially separating the hydrocarbon gas condensate feedstock into a C 5 and lighter stream and a C 6 and heavier stream; (b) separating the C 6 and heavier stream into a C 6 to 300° F. B.P. stream and a 300° F.+B.P. stream; (c) reforming said C 6 to 300° F. stream to produce by-product gas and a benzene-rich reformate stream; (d) splitting the reformate stream into a benzene overhead stream and a toluene and xylene containing bottom stream; (e) solvent extracting the benzene overhead stream to produce an essentially pure benzene product and a raffinate stream containing paraffinic hydrocarbons; (f) processing the C 5 and lighter stream of step (a), the 300° F.+ stream of step (b), the by-product gas of step (c), and the raffinate stream of step (e) in a hydrogasification reactor to produce a light methane, ethane and benzene stream and a heavy aromatics stream; (g) scrubbing the light methane, ethane and benzene stream with oil to remove a light aromatic benzene product stream; (h) hydrodealkylating the toluene and xylene bottom stream of step (d) and the heavy aromatics stream of step (f) to produce a benzene product; (i) cryogenically separating the light methane and ethane stream of step (g) to produce a synthetic natural gas and an ethane stream.

Claim 12

A method for converting a hydrocarbon gas condensate feedstock into a substantially pure benzene product and a synthetic natural gas product comprising the steps of: (a) initially separating the hydrocarbon gas condensate feedstock into a C 5 and lighter stream and a C 6 and heavier stream; (b) separating the C 6 and heavier stream into a C 6 to 300° F. B.P. stream and a 300° F.+B.P. stream; (c) reforming said C 6 to 300° F. stream to produce by-product gas and a benzene-rich reformate stream; (d) splitting the reformate stream into a benzene overhead stream and a toluene and xylene containing bottom stream; (e) solvent extracting the benzene overhead stream to produce an essentially pure benzene product and a raffinate stream containing paraffinic hydrocarbons; (f) processing the C 5 and lighter stream of step (a), the 300° F.+ stream of step (b), the by-product gas of step (c), and the raffinate stream of step (e) in a hydrogasification reactor to produce a light methane, ethane and benzene stream and a heavy aromatics stream; (g) scrubbing the light methane, ethane and benzene stream with oil to remove a light aromatic benzene product stream; (h) hydrodealkylating the toluene and xylene bottom stream of step (d) and the heavy aromatics stream of step (f) to produce a benzene product; (i) cryogenically separating the light methane and ethane stream of step (g) to produce a synthetic natural gas and an ethane stream.