Hydrocarbon, gases, production from

The above reactions proceed also in the so-called rich-gas processes of British Gas and Lurgi/BASF, which convert naphtha with steam in autothermal reactions in a vessel filled with a special nickel-containing catalyst. It was formerly successfully used for town gas production from naphtha. This reaction may also used as pre-reformer ahead of a conventional tubular steam reforming furnace to convert higher hydrocarbons at low temperature and low S/C ratio into a methane reach gas which can than be reformed in the primary reformer with a standard methane reforming catalyst instead of an alkalized catalyst (Section 4.1.1.3.1). 

In steam reforming for synthesis gas production from natural gas on a Ni/alumina catalyst, coke is mainly formed by tiie cracking of hydrocarbons. For a methane feed the main reactions and the coking reactions can be represented by ... 

The conversion of coal to both liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons has been commercially deployed worldwide. Gas production from coal is realized by means of a gasification medium which reacts with the coal at temperatures > 800 °C. All organic constituents of the coal will be converted with sufficiently long reaction times. If air or oxygen is injected into the gasifier, part of the coal is burnt directly leading to an autothermal reaction. 

Methanol. The overall yields from the methanol experiment (EHI == 2.0) are in good agreement with the data obtained in the fluid bed MT6 process (12). The hydrocarbon gas products, however, are higher in propene and lower in isobutane, probably due to the lower reaction pressure used in this study. 

The gas product from pyrolysis is typically composed of a mixture of CO2 (9-55 vol. %), CO (16-51 vol. %), H2 (2-43 vol. %), CH (4-11 vol. %) and small amounts of higher hydrocarbons. The gases are usually present with N2 introduced to the reactor for creating an inert atmosphere during the pyrolysis equipment. The CO2 and N2 provide no energy value to the gas product in combustion, although the other gases are flammable and provide... 

This Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production is going to take you through all of the major stages In the life of an oil or gas field from exploration, through appraisal, development planning, production, and finally to decommissioning. 

Commercial production of acetic acid has been revolutionized in the decade 1978—1988. Butane—naphtha Hquid-phase catalytic oxidation has declined precipitously as methanol [67-56-1] or methyl acetate [79-20-9] carbonylation has become the technology of choice in the world market. By-product acetic acid recovery in other hydrocarbon oxidations, eg, in xylene oxidation to terephthaUc acid and propylene conversion to acryflc acid, has also grown. Production from synthesis gas is increasing and the development of alternative raw materials is under serious consideration following widespread dislocations in the cost of raw material (see Chemurgy). 

Cmde gas leaves from the top of the gasifier at 288—593°C depending on the type of coal used. The composition of gas also depends on the type of coal and is notable for the relatively high methane content when contrasted to gases produced at lower pressures or higher temperatures. These gas products can be used as produced for electric power production or can be treated to remove carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons to provide synthesis gas for ammonia, methanol, and synthetic oil production. The gas is made suitable for methanation, to produce synthetic natural gas, by a partial shift and carbon dioxide and sulfur removal. 

Prior to the discovery of plentihil suppHes of natural gas, and depending on the definition of the resources (1), there were plans to accommodate any shortfalls in gas supply from soHd fossil fuels and from gaseous resources by the conversion of hydrocarbon (petroleum) Hquids to lower molecular weight gaseous products. 

The bottoms, consisting of absorption oil, absorbed propane, and higher boiling hydrocarbons, are fed to the lean-oil fractionator. The LPG and the natural gas Hquids are removed as the overhead product from the absorption oil which is removed as a ketde-bottom product. 

Hydrochloric acid [7647-01-0], which is formed as by-product from unreacted chloroacetic acid, is fed into an absorption column. After the addition of acid and alcohol is complete, the mixture is heated at reflux for 6—8 h, whereby the intermediate malonic acid ester monoamide is hydroly2ed to a dialkyl malonate. The pure ester is obtained from the mixture of cmde esters by extraction with ben2ene [71-43-2], toluene [108-88-3], or xylene [1330-20-7]. The organic phase is washed with dilute sodium hydroxide [1310-73-2] to remove small amounts of the monoester. The diester is then separated from solvent by distillation at atmospheric pressure, and the malonic ester obtained by redistillation under vacuum as a colorless Hquid with a minimum assay of 99%. The aqueous phase contains considerable amounts of mineral acid and salts and must be treated before being fed to the waste treatment plant. The process is suitable for both the dimethyl and diethyl esters. The yield based on sodium chloroacetate is 75—85%. Various low molecular mass hydrocarbons, some of them partially chlorinated, are formed as by-products. Although a relatively simple plant is sufficient for the reaction itself, a si2eable investment is required for treatment of the wastewater and exhaust gas. 

Aliphatics. Methane, obtained from cmde oil or natural gas, or as a product from various conversion (cracking) processes, is an important source of raw materials for aliphatic petrochemicals (Fig. 10) (see Hydrocarbons). Ethane, also available from natural gas and cracking processes, is an important source of ethylene, which, in turn, provides more valuable routes to petrochemical products (Fig. 11). 

Sasol Fischer-Tropsch Process. 1-Propanol is one of the products from Sasol s Fischer-Tropsch process (7). Coal (qv) is gasified ia Lurgi reactors to produce synthesis gas (H2/CO). After separation from gas Hquids and purification, the synthesis gas is fed iato the Sasol Synthol plant where it is entrained with a powdered iron-based catalyst within the fluid-bed reactors. The exothermic Fischer-Tropsch reaction produces a mixture of hydrocarbons (qv) and oxygenates. The condensation products from the process consist of hydrocarbon Hquids and an aqueous stream that contains a mixture of ketones (qv) and alcohols. The ketones and alcohols are recovered and most of the alcohols are used for the blending of high octane gasoline. Some of the alcohol streams are further purified by distillation to yield pure 1-propanol and ethanol ia a multiunit plant, which has a total capacity of 25,000-30,000 t/yr (see Coal conversion processes, gasification). 

Synthetic Fuels. Hydrocarbon Hquids made from nonpetroleum sources can be used in steam crackers to produce olefins. Fischer-Tropsch Hquids, oil-shale Hquids, and coal-Hquefaction products are examples (61) (see Fuels, synthetic). Work using Fischer-Tropsch catalysts indicates that olefins can be made directly from synthesis gas—carbon monoxide and hydrogen (62,63). Shape-selective molecular sieves (qv) also are being evaluated (64). 

Hydrocarbons from Synthesis Gas and Methanol. Two very important catalytic processes in which hydrocarbons are formed from synthesis gas are the Sasol Eischer-Tropsch process, in which carbon monoxide and hydrogen obtained from coal gasification are converted to gasoline and other products over an iron catalyst, and the Mobil MTG process, which converts methanol to gasoline range hydrocarbons using ZSM-5-type 2eohte catalysts. 

The reaction takes place at low temperature (40-60 °C), without any solvent, in two (or more, up to four) well-mixed reactors in series. The pressure is sufficient to maintain the reactants in the liquid phase (no gas phase). Mixing and heat removal are ensured by an external circulation loop. The two components of the catalytic system are injected separately into this reaction loop with precise flow control. The residence time could be between 5 and 10 hours. At the output of the reaction section, the effluent containing the catalyst is chemically neutralized and the catalyst residue is separated from the products by aqueous washing. The catalyst components are not recycled. Unconverted olefin and inert hydrocarbons are separated from the octenes by distillation columns. The catalytic system is sensitive to impurities that can coordinate strongly to the nickel metal center or can react with the alkylaluminium derivative (polyunsaturated hydrocarbons and polar compounds such as water). 

The terms oil production and gas production refer to rates of extraction of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon materials from natural underground deposits. Reserves and resources, on the other hand, refer to amounts of oil and gas that are present in the deposits, the difference between reserves and resources being whether or not the amounts can be economically recovered under current conditions. Supply refers to the amount of a product that becomes available for... 

Production of natural gas also has been increasing. World production of dry gas rose from sixty-six trillion cubic feet in 1987 to eighty-two trillion cubic feet in 1996. U.S. domestic di y gas production rose from seventeen trillion cubic feet in 1987 to nineteen trillion cubic feet in 1996, and the nation imported an additional three trillion cubic feet in 1996 to meet demand. Dry natural gas is produced from wellhead gas by removing most of the hydrocarbons hcarncr than methane. These heavy components, which tend to liquefy from the wellhead gas, are added as natural gas liquids to the oil supply and appear in the crude oil statistics. 

Products from coking processes vary considerably with feed type and process conditions. These products are hydrocarbon gases, cracked naphtha, middle distillates, and coke. The gas and liquid products are characterized by a high percentage of unsaturation. Hydrotreatment is usually required to saturate olefinic compounds and to desulfurize products from coking units. 

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