Richard Patrick O'Connor

US Patent:

20030178342, Sep 25, 2003

Filed:

Mar 14, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/389086

Inventors:

Dennis Alexion - Succasunna NJ, US
Robert Fedich - Long Valley NJ, US
John Wilbur - Bella Vista AZ, US
James Taylor - Baton Rouge LA, US
James Glass - Baton Rouge LA, US
Geoffrey Say - Baton Rouge LA, US
Richard O'Connor - Baton Rouge LA, US

International Classification:

C01B003/26
C07C381/00
C01B017/00

US Classification:

208/20800R, 423/651000, 208/244000, 208/247000, 568/018000

Abstract:

Sour natural gas is processed to remove the sulfur compounds and recover C/C hydrocarbons by scrubbing the gas with an amine solution to remove most of the sulfur, followed cooling the gas to remove C/C hydrocarbons and more sulfur compounds as liquid condensate to produce a gas having less than 20 vppm of total sulfur. The condensate is sent to a fractionator to recover the C/C hydrocarbons. The sulfur and hydrocarbon reduced gas is contacted first with zinc oxide and then nickel, to produce a gas having less than 10 vppb of total sulfur which is passed into a synthesis gas generating unit to form a very low sulfur synthesis gas comprising a mixture of Hand CO. This synthesis gas is useful for hydrocarbon synthesis with increased life of the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst and greater hydrocarbon production from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. Contacting the synthesis gas with zinc oxide further reduces the sulfur content to below 3 vppb.

US Patent:

44328621, Feb 21, 1984

Filed:

Jan 18, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/340071

Inventors:

Gerrit S. Swart - Westfield NJ
Louis S. Dauber - Cranford NJ
Richard P. O'Connor - Basking Ridge NJ

Assignee:

Exxon Research and Engineering Co. - Florham Park NJ

International Classification:

C10G 3504

US Classification:

208 64

Abstract:

A reformate lean oil absorber is used in the downstream processing facilities of a reformer unit to remove isobutane and heavier components from a separator overhead vapor, part of which is reformer recycle gas. Stabilized reformate may be employed as lean oil to the absorber, and the fat oil is recycled to the stabilizer for isobutane recovery of isobutane and normal butane as overhead product and C. sub. 5. sup. + liquid as bottoms product. The mixed butanes are separated, and the isobutane employed as alkylation feedstock. The n-butane is recycled with the naphtha to the reformer unit, the absence of butanes in the recycle gas considerably enhancing the amount of isobutane produced in the reforming unit.

US Patent:

61687685, Jan 2, 2001

Filed:

Jan 23, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/012537

Inventors:

Dennis G. Alexion - Succasunna NJ
Robert B. Fedich - Long Valley NJ
John C. Wilbur - Bella Vista AZ
James H. Taylor - Baton Rouge LA
James P. Glass - Baton Rouge LA
Geoffrey R. Say - Baton Rouge LA
Richard P. O'Connor - Baton Rouge LA

Assignee:

Exxon Research and Engineering Company - Florham Park NJ

International Classification:

B01D 4700
C01B 1700
C01B 1704
C01B 1716

US Classification:

423210

Abstract:

Sour natural gas is processed to remove the sulfur compounds and recover C. sub. 4+ /C. sub. 5+ hydrocarbons by scrubbing the gas with an amine solution to remove most of the sulfur, followed cooling the gas to remove C. sub. 4+ /C. sub. 5+ hydrocarbons and more sulfur compounds as liquid condensate to produce a gas having less than 20 vppm of total sulfur. The condensate is sent to a fractionator to recover the C. sub. 4+ C. sub. 5+ hydrocarbons. The sulfur and hydrocarbon reduced gas is contacted first with zinc oxide and then nickel, to produce a gas having less than 10 vppb of total sulfur which is passed into a synthesis gas generating unit to form a very low sulfur synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H. sub. 2 and CO. This synthesis gas is useful for hydrocarbon synthesis with increased life of the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst and greater hydrocarbon production from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. Contacting the synthesis gas with zinc oxide further reduces the sulfur content to below 3 vppb.