Abstract: The present methods feature an overall decrease in transportation costs and catalyst preparation/protection measures. A catalyst comprising a catalytic metal in an oxide form is safely transported in an oxidizing environment to a synthesis site, without any special precautions being taken before and during transport. The catalyst is then reduced with a reducing gas at the synthesis plant. The reduced catalyst is mixed with a stripped hydrocarbon liquid to form a catalyst slurry, wherein the stripped hydrocarbon liquid is substantially free of dissolved oxygen after being contacted with a stripping gas. The mixing can take place in a pre-operational hydrocarbon synthesis reactor, or at least a portion of the slurry can be transferred to at least one synthesis reactor either during operation or at the reactor start-up. A lessening of costs is realized as a coating step to minimize oxidative degradation of the catalyst is not required.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for regenerating a catalyst used in a process for synthesizing hydrocarbons. The synthesis process involves contacting a feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide with a catalyst in a reaction zone maintained at conversion-promoting conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrocarbons. The regeneration process involves contacting a deactivated Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a regeneration gas under regeneration-promoting conditions that include a pressure lower than the mean Fischer-Tropsch reaction pressure, for a period of time sufficient to reactivate the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention is generally related towards methods for preparing and using a more stable synthesis catalysts. In particular, the present invention is directed towards treating synthesis catalysts with low levels of oxygen to deactivate the smaller more unstable metal crystallites present in the catalyst matrix. The process can be carried out either prior to and/or simultaneously with the synthesis reaction.