Methanol production process using a high nitrogen content synthesis gas with a hydrogen recycle

Claim 1

A process for converting natural gas to methanol or products derivative of methanol, comprising the steps of: partially oxidizing natural gas with an oxidant stream to form a synthesis gas containing H 2 , CO and CO 2 in a ratio of (H 2 )/(2CO+3CO 2 ) less than 1.0; combining the synthesis gas with a hydrogen rich recycle gas stream secured as a permeate gas stream from diffusion of a tail gas stream remaining after completion of methanol recovery through a semipermeable membrane preferential for permeation of H 2 in preference to N 2 , said hydrogen rich recycle gas stream being used in an amount that provides a combined synthesis-recycle gas stream containing H 2 , CO and CO 2 in a ratio of (H 2 )/(2CO+3CO 2 ) which is greater than that of the synthesis gas; passing said combined synthesis-recycle gas stream into a plurality of contacts with a methanol conversion catalyst with recovery of methanol from said gas stream between contacts with a methanol conversion catalyst to form after the last methanol recovery step a tail gas stream from which the hydrogen rich recycle gas stream is secured by diffusion.