Process comprising reforming, synthesis, and hydrocracking

Claim 1

A process for the preparation of C 9 + hydrocarbons from C 4 - hydrocarbons present in a feed stream and C 8 - hydrocarbons present in a recycle stream which comprises: (1) passing C 4 - hydrocarbons as a feed stream and C 8 - hydrocarbons as a recycle steam to a steam reforming zone to steam reform said hydrocarbons into a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen at a temperature of from about 700° C. to 1000° C. and a pressure of from about 2 to about 25 bars in the presence of a steam reforming catalyst comprising an iron-group metal catalyst and, (2) passing at least a portion of said mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from said steam reforming zone to a synthesis zone at an elevated temperature of about 125° to 350° C. and a pressure of from about 5-100 bar in contact with a catalyst comprising 3-60 pbw cobalt and 0.1 to 100 pbw of at least a second metal selected from the group consisting of zirconium, titanium and chromium all per 100 pbw of a support selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina and combinations of silica and alumina, which catalyst has been prepared by kneading or kneading and impregnating in accordance with: (3+4R)>L/S>(0.3+0.4R), wherein L=the total quantity of cobalt present on the catalyst, expressed as mg Co/ml catalyst; S=the surface area of the catalyst, expressed as m 2 /ml catalyst; and R=the weight ratio of the quantity of cobalt deposited on said support by kneading to the total quantity of cobalt present on the catalyst; to form a product of a mixture of C 9 + hydrocarbons, unconverted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, steam and a mixture of C 8 - hydrocarbons, all of which is withdrawn and separated into (1) a liquid product stream comprising said C 9 + hydrocarbons and (2) a gaseous stream comprising said unconverted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, steam and C 8 - hydrocarbons and recycling at least a portion of said gaseous stream as said recycle stream said carbon monoxide, stream, C 8 - hydrocarbons and at least a portion of said unconverted hydrogen in the gaseous phase as said recycle stream.