We wont attempt recounting the sequence of events that resulted in the rights to the invention we report herein, if the patent hasn't by now expired, likely being owned by Venezuela.
But, if you do a little digging we're confident you will find that to be the case. And, you will discover that
T. Boone Pickens, apparently, kicked the things that led to the transfer into motion back in 1982, shortly before the enclosed United States Patent, for a sophisticated two-stage process, wherein Coal, or their preferred "carbonaceous material", is hydrogenated and gasified by Steam to form some very interesting products, was awarded.
More comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 4,415,431 - Integrated ... Process for Producing Liquid and Gaseous Hydrocarbons
Date: November, 1983
Inventor: Richard Matyas, et. al., OK
Assignee: Cities Service Company, OK
Abstract: Oxygen and steam are mixed with partially reacted carbonaceous material within a first stage gasification zone to produce synthesis gas. The hot synthesis gas along with additional carbonaceous material is then reacted in a second stage hydropyrolysis zone. The reaction mixture is rapidly quenched and removed from the second stage thereby limiting the total second stage high temperature exposure time from about two milliseconds to about two seconds. The resultant products comprise char, gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons including high yields of benzene, toluene and xylene, and C1-C4 gases. The first and second stages may consist of two separate reactors or two reactors integrated into a single vessel, each utilizing either an upflow or downflow configuration.
Claims: A two-stage process for producing liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons from carbonaceous materials, comprising: reacting oxygen and steam with partially gasified carbonaceous char in a first-stage gasification zone to obtain products which primarily include oxides of carbon, hydrogen, and water; reacting the hot first-stage gaseous products ... to produce gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons (which) include: benzene, toluene and xylene; C1 - C4 gases; (and) liquids having a boiling point less than 700F.
This invention relates to the reaction of carbonaceous material to produce liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. More particularly, the invention relates to a two stage process for the hydropyrolysis of carbonaceous material to produce gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene and xylene.
Sufficient steam is added ... to insure an adequate supply of hydrogen for the ... process (and the) need to ... generate and purify hydrogen is (thus) eliminated ... ."
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Note that, as in some other petroleum industry documents pertaining to Coal conversion we have brought to your attention, the use of four-letter vulgarities, such as "Coal", is assiduously avoided.
The somewhat more discrete terms "carbonaceous materials" and "char" were, it seems, among the oil industry's barely-concealing fig leaves in fashion back in 1983.
Coal does qualify as a "carbonaceous material", does it not?
Our final excerpted statement tells us all we need to know, really: "Sufficient steam is added ... to insure an adequate supply of hydrogen".
Thus, if we want to make hydrocarbons from Coal, we can, in confirmation of other sources we've previously cited, efficiently get all the Hydrogen we need, to accomplish the hydrogenation, from the controlled reaction between our "carbonaceous material" of choice and Steam.
But: We are not just talking about "gasoline" - although we could certainly blend some up by processing the "enes" specified above by Cities Service.
Those "enes", we assure you, could also just as well serve as the raw materials for manufacturing a variety of useful plastics.
And, again, to emphasize the point: Just as we don't, as we have earlier documented from other sources, need to import any energy into the process to accomplish the transmutations, since Coal can supply all that's needed, we don't, as in the "need to ... generate and purify hydrogen is eliminated", have to worry about where we'll get the Hydrogen, either.
In sum, if we want, or need, liquid hydrocarbons - and, we suppose that we do, since we've fought so many wars and poisoned so many oceans in recent decades to get them - then we can make just about any sort of them our hearts desire, right here, in the US Heartland, through appropriately-designed hydrogasification reactions between Steam and Coal.