Abstract: A process for production of hydrocarbons including a) reforming a divided hydrocarbon feedstock stream, mixing the first stream with steam, passing the mixture over a catalyst disposed in heated heat exchange reformer tubes to form a primary reformed gas, forming a secondary reformer feed stream including the primary reformed gas and the second hydrocarbon stream, partially combusting the secondary reformer feed stream and bringing the partially combusted gas towards equilibrium over a secondary catalyst, and producing a partially cooled reformed gas, b) further cooling the partially cooled reformed gas below the dew point of steam therein to condense water and separating condensed water to give a de-watered synthesis gas, c) synthesising hydrocarbons from the de-watered synthesis gas by the Fischer-Tropsch reaction and separating some of the synthesised hydrocarbons into a tail gas, and d) incorporating part of the tail gas into the secondary reformer feed stream before partial combustion thereof.

Abstract: Propane and/or butanes are separated from a hydrocarbon feedstock contaminated with alkyl mercaptans by fractional distillation at such a pressure that the separated overheads stream containing said propane and/or butanes is at a temperature in the range 50 to 100° C. Sufficient oxygen is introduced into the hydrocarbon feedstock to oxidise the mercaptans therein and the resultant mixture is subjected to the fractional distillation in a column including at least one bed of a catalyst capable, under the prevailing conditions, of oxidising the mercaptans to higher boiling point sulphur compounds. These higher boiling point sulphur compounds are separated as part of the liquid phase from the distillation.

Abstract: A method for reducing the interaction between carbon monoxide present in a heat exchange medium and metals on the shell side of heat exchange reformer apparatus used for reforming of hydrocarbons by treatment of the shell-side of said apparatus with an effective amount of at least one passivation compound containing at least one element selected from phosphorus, tin, antimony, arsenic, lead, bismuth, copper, germanium, silver or gold is described. Where volatile compounds are formed by the passivation compound, the method further comprises compound recovery to prevent contamination and deactivation of subsequent process steps. The method reduces side reactions, provides improved reformer tube lifetime and allows tubes to be treated in-situ without the need for process shutdown.

Abstract: Synthesis gas for a Fischer-Tropsch process is obtained by primary steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock in tubes in a heat exchange reformer, subjecting the primary reformed gas to secondary reforming and using the hot secondary reformed gas to heat the tubes in the heat exchange reformer. The resultant reformed gas is cooled, de-watered and used to form hydrocarbons in the Fischer-Tropsch process. At least part of the tail gas from the Fischer-Tropsch process is combusted in a gas turbine to provide power for the reforming process.