PATENTS

       42.   ------.  [ARVESON, M. H.]  (Standard Oil Co. of Indiana).  Conversion of Methane.  United Stated Patent 2,360,463, Oct. 17, 1944: appl. Filed Apr. 24, 1941. Serial No. 390,185: 7 claims (Cl. 260-673.5).  Chem. Abs., vol. 39, 1945, p. 3900.

This process aims at the conversion of CH4 into heavier hydrocarbons.  CH4 is decomposed into CO and H2, and the gases are subjected to the Fischer process.  The CH4 may be derived from any source, but primarily the process is designed for CH4 from distillate wells.  CH4-containing gases are freed of H2S and are transferred to a reformer into which steam is admitted.  The mixture is heated to about 1,500° F. and then passed through catalyst tubes where CH4 and steam react to produce approximately 1 CO and 3 H2 mols.  Since the optimum CO: H2 ratio for synthesizing gas is 0.5 or slightly higher, additional S-free Co2 is introduced into the reformer furnace.  This purified CO2 is derived from flue gas.  From the reformer furnace the synthesis gas passes into a Fischer-reactor, where it is brought into contact with a catalyst and MgO deposited on kieselguhr.  The Fischer synthesis products are then fractionated and further treated.  The CH4 treatment is an integral part of treating distillate-well hydrocarbons, of which a flowsheet is given.