The phrasing and nomenclature used by this Big Oil inventor is obtuse; so obviously clouded that the choice of arcane terminology had to have been deliberate.
We'll attempt to clear it up a bit following the excerpts. But, keep in mind that Methane is one of the two "hydrocarbyl compounds" the inventor eventually gets around to specifying by name; and, that Carbon Dioxide is a perfectly acceptable "source of oxygen" in the reaction with those hyrocarbyls that leads to "a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide" which "can be used to prepare methanol (and) higher molecular weight alcohols ... as well as higher molecular weight hydrocarbons", as you will see.
Thus, with comment appended, we have, from the above link:
"United States Patent 5,614,163 - Catalyzed Vapor Phase Process for Making Synthesis Gas
Date: March, 1997
Inventor: Alakananda Bhattacharyya, et. al., Illinois
Assignee: Amoco Corporation, Chicago
Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide by partial oxidation of hydrocarbyl compounds using a source of oxygen comprising molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide, or mixtures thereof in the presence of a catalyst comprising thermally stable mixtures formed by heat treating a hydrotalcite-like compound.
Claims: A process for partial oxidation of at least one hydrocarbyl compound with a source of oxygen which comprises the steps of ... feeding one or more gaseous or vaporizable hydrocarbyl compounds and an oxygen-containing gas comprising molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide, or mixtures thereof, into a suitable reaction zone containing a catalyst ... and expelling a product-containing gas mixture from the reaction zone, and recovering from the product-containing mixture a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide... .
The process ... wherein partial oxidation of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of methane and ethane is carried out ... (and) ... wherein the oxygen-containing gas (is) carbon dioxide.
(And) recovering from the product-containing mixture a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide... (which) is a valuable industrial feed stock for the manufacture of a variety of useful chemicals. For example, synthesis gas can be used to prepare methanol (and) higher molecular weight alcohols ...as well as higher molecular weight hydrocarbons.
Perhaps the most common commercial source of synthesis gas is the steam reforming of coal."
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Not, apparently and sadly, "common" or "commercial" at all in United States Coal Country.