Abstract: A method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas from a feed stream, the method at least comprising the steps of: (a) providing a feed stream (10); (b) dividing the feed stream (10) of step (a) to provide at least a first feed stream (20) comprising at least 90 mass % of the initial feed stream (10), and a second feed stream (30); (c) liquefying the first feed stream (20) of step (b) at a pressure between 20-100 bar to provide a first liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream (40); (d) cooling the second feed stream (30) of step (b) to provide a cooled feed stream (50); (e) combining the first LNG stream (40) of step (c) with the cooled feed stream (50) of step (d) to provide a combined LNG stream (60); (f) reducing the pressure of the combined LNG stream (60) of step (e); and (g) passing the combined LNG stream (60) of step (f) through a flash vessel (12) to provide a product LNG stream (70) and a gaseous stream (80).

Abstract: A spray ring, for wetting char and/or slag in a water bath with a wetting fluid. The spray ring comprises a loop conduit arranged in a loop-line. The loop conduit is at an inlet point provided with an inlet for feeding the wetting fluid into the loop conduit in an inlet flow direction. The loop-line has a plurality of outlet openings for spraying the wetting fluid out of the loop conduit. The inlet flow direction has a component that is tangential to a loop-line flow direction of the wetting fluid through the loop conduit at the inlet point.

Abstract: A process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of a subsurface formation. Heat may transfer from one or more heaters to a part of a formation. Heat from the one or more heat sources may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons in a part of a subsurface formation. Hydrocarbons and/or other products may be produced from a subsurface formation. Apparatus, methods, and/or processes used in treating a subsurface or hydrocarbon containing formation are described.

Abstract: A process for preparing a hydroxyacid or hydroxyester from a reactant selected from (a) a carboxylic acid having an aldehyde or keto group; and (b) an ester of a carboxylic acid having an aldehyde or keto group; by contacting the reactant with a metal catalyst in the presence of hydrogen, wherein the metal catalyst is supported on a titanium dioxide or zirconium dioxide support.

Abstract: A method for determining the physical location of a fiber optic channel in a fiber optic cable comprises the steps of a) providing at least one location key having a known physical location, b) establishing the location of the location key with respect to the fiber optic channel, and c) using the location information established in step b) to determine the physical location of the channel. The location key may comprises an acoustic source, a section of fiber optic cable that is acoustically masked, or at least one magnetic field source and step b) comprises using a Lorentz force to establish the location of the magnetic field source with respect to the fiber optic channel.

Abstract: Fermentable sugar useful for the production of biofuels is produced from biomass in a continuous or semi-continuous manner by providing pumpable biomass.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the production of an alkylene glycol comprising converting an alkene to the corresponding alkylene oxide; absorbing the alkylene oxide in an aqueous absorbent and then stripping; supplying the aqueous alkyene oxide stream to a carboxylation reactor; converting the alkylene oxide to a corresponding alkylene carbonate; converting the alkylene carbonate to the alkylene glycol; removing water to form a dehydrated alkylene glycol stream; and purifying the dehydrated alkylene glycol stream, wherein the start-up procedure comprises supplying water, carboxylation-hydrolysis catalyst and carbon dioxide streams to the carboxylation reactor and providing a start-up stream comprising the alkylene glycol at an injection point at or downstream of the inlet used in supplying the stream to the carboxylation reactor and recovering an alkylene glycol stream from the glycol distillation column.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulphide in a hydrogen sulphide-containing hydrocarbon and/or hydrogen feed gas to elemental sulphur in a reaction zone containing a Claus catalyst, comprising the steps of: i) reacting in the reaction zone the hydrogen sulphide in the hydrogen sulphide-containing hydrocarbon and/or hydrogen feed gas with sulphur dioxide at a pressure in the range of from 4 to 200 bar (absolute) and a temperature in the range of from 120 and 160° C., such that the elemental sulphur formed is essentially in liquid form; ii) contacting the catalyst with a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: A new configuration of ZSM-5 is provided whereby the crystals have a higher average silica to alumina ratio at the edges of each crystallite than in the center as determined from a narrow slit line scan profile obtained from SEM/EDX or TEM/EDX elemental analysis. Such ZSM-5 crystals are obtained by a preparation process using L-tartaric acid. The new configuration ZSM-5 provides significantly reduced xylene losses in ethylbenzene dealkylation, especially when combined with silica as binder, and one or more hydrogenation metals selected from platinum, tin, lead, silver, copper, and nickel. Further advantages are found if used in combination with a small crystal size ZSM-5.

Abstract: A catalyst for treating heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks. The catalyst comprises a calcined particle comprising a co-mulled mixture made by co-mulling inorganic oxide powder, molybdenum trioxide powder, and a nickel compound or cobalt compound, or both compounds, and then forming the co-mulled mixture into a particle that is calcined to provide the calcined particle. The calcination is conducted at a temperature such that at least 20% of the pore volume of the calcined particle is in pores of greater than 5,000 ? and less than 70% of the pore volume of the calcined particle is in the pores having a pore size in the range of from 70 to 250 ?.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol, said process comprising contacting an alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide and water in the presence of a catalytic composition comprising an active anion, selected from the group consisting of metalates, carbonate, bicarbonate and hydroxide, immobilized on a first solid support having one or more electropositive sites and a halide immobilized on the first or a second solid support having one or more electropositive sites.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the removal of sulfur from a fuel gas stream that additionally contains carbon dioxide and a light olefin as well as an organic sulfur compound. The process includes hydrotreating the fuel gas stream followed by a catalytic reduction of the resulting hydrotreated fuel gas to remove the carbonyl sulfide contained therein that is yielded in the hydrotreating step as a result of the equilibrium reaction of hydrogen disulfide with carbon dioxide to yield carbonyl sulfide and water.

Abstract: A method of making a crystalline silicoaluminophosphate-34 (SAPO-34) membrane. The method comprises the steps of providing a porous support having a pore size distribution such that a small proportion of its pores are larger than 10 microns, seeding the porous support with SAPO-34 seed crystals by capillary suspension infiltration to give a seeded support, and growing a SAPO-34 membrane layer on the surface of the seeded support.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for recovering monoalkylbenzene from a gas stream comprising oxygen and monoalkylbenzene, wherein the gas stream comprising oxygen and monoalkylbenzene is contacted with a liquid stream comprising a naphthalene compound. Further, the present invention relates to a process for preparing alkyl phenyl hydroperoxide incorporating said monoalkylbenzene recovery.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing olefins from synthesis gas, wherein the synthesis gas is contacted with a catalyst which contains cobalt, manganese and a third element selected from the group consisting of aluminium, gallium, indium, thallium, tin, lead and bismuth. Further, the invention relates to a process for preparing such catalyst, and to the catalyst so obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: —a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; —a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; —a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: —providing one or more cyclone units downstream of the reactor unit to separate at least part of the reactor effluent in a catalyst phase and a alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor system comprising: —one or more purification zones comprising an absorbent which comprises silver, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a support material having a surface area of more than 20 m2/g, and —a reaction zone comprising a catalyst, which reaction zone is positioned downstream from the one or more purification zones; an absorbent; a process for reacting a feed comprising one or more feed components; and a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing ethylene oxide, comprising (a) cracking an ethane-comprising feed in a cracking zone under cracking conditions to obtain olefins including at least ethylene and hydrogen; (b) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefin zone to obtain olefins, including at least ethylene; providing at least part of the ethylene obtained in step (a) and /or (b) to an ethylene oxidation zone together with a feed containing oxygen and oxidizing ethylene to obtain at least ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide. At least part of the oxygenate feedstock is obtained by providing carbon dioxide obtained in step (c) and a feed containing hydrogen to an oxygenate synthesis zone and synthesizing oxygenates, which feed containing hydrogen comprises hydrogen obtained in step (a).

Abstract: Processes for producing diaryl carbonates are disclosed, where such processes may provide for the production of diaryl carbonates from green house gases, such as carbon dioxide. The processes disclosed advantageously integrate diethyl carbonate and diaryl carbonate production, eliminating the need for solvent-based extractive distillation, as is commonly required when producing diaryl carbonates from dimethyl carbonate, providing for the integration of separation equipment and raw material usage, and reducing the operating and capital requirements for such processes. In some embodiments, processes disclosed herein may be operated essentially closed-loop with respect to ethanol usage, for example.

Abstract: A process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising contacting the solid biomass material and a hydrocarbon co-feed with a catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of more than 400° C. in a riser reactor to produce one or more cracked products, wherein the solid biomass material is introduced to the riser reactor at a location downstream of the location where the hydrocarbon co-feed is introduced to the riser reactor.