Via separate dispatch today, we are sending along report of: "United States Patent 3,874,739 - Method and Apparatus for the Transfer of Entrained Solids; April, 1975; Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering, NJ", which describes itself as a "process for the production of a product gas stream of relatively high methane content by the treatment of bituminous coal ... with steam".
Herein, we document that, once ExxonMobil has that Methane, made from Coal, they know how to make liquid hydrocarbon fuels out of it - by reacting it with Carbon Dioxide.
Comment follows somewhat extended excerpts from:
"United States Patent 6,486,219 - Methanol, Olefin and Hydrocarbon Synthesis
Date: November, 2002
Inventor: Gary Janda, et. al., Texas
Assignee: ExxonMobil, Inc., Houston
Abstract: An improved method for the production of methanol and hydrocarbons from a methane-containing gas, such as natural gas. The improved method integrates a hydrocarbon synthesis unit with a methanol synthesis unit. The invention combines a syngas stream from a steam reformer, a syngas stream from an oxidation reformer and additional carbon dioxide to form an optimal syngas composition that is directed to a methanol synthesis reactor. The invention also integrates other process parameters and process components of a methanol and hydrocarbon synthesis process plant to effectively convert most of the carbon in the natural gas to commercial-value products. The invention is also directed to a method of making olefin from the methanol produced by the process of the invention.
Claims: A method for making methanol comprising: directing a methane containing gas and steam to a steam reformer to form a first syngas stream and directing at least a portion of the first syngas stream to a methanol synthesis reactor; directing a methane containing gas and oxygen to a partial oxidation reformer to form a second syngas stream and directing at least a portion of the second syngas stream to the methanol synthesis reactor; and directing at least a portion of the second syngas stream to a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor; wherein the portions of the first and the second syngas streams directed to the methanol synthesis reactor yield a combined syngas stream having a syngas number of from 1.4 to 2.6 (and) separating a portion of carbon dioxide from a product gas and directing the carbon dioxide gas to a unit selected from the steam reformer, the methanol synthesis reactor, the partial oxidation reformer, or any combination thereof.
The method ... further comprising separating a portion of carbon dioxide from a product gas from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor to form a carbon dioxide gas and directing the carbon dioxide gas to a unit selected from the steam reformer, the methanol synthesis reactor, the partial oxidation reformer, or any combination thereof.
The method ... further comprising separating at least a portion of hydrogen from the first syngas stream and directing the separated hydrogen to a hydrocarbon synthesis refining unit.
The method ... further comprising directing methanol from the methanol synthesis reactor and the secondary methanol synthesis reactor to a methanol refining unit (and) directing at least a portion of methanol from the methanol refining unit to an oxygenate conversion reactor, wherein at least a portion of the methanol in contact with a catalyst is converted to a product including olefin.
This invention provides a method of making methanol and synthetic hydrocarbon by using an integrated plant design that results in lower capital and operating costs than two completely separated plants per unit of total products produced. Some of the cost savings are attributable to using the CO2 produced by the syngas reformers and the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor to make additional methanol and/or carbon monoxide, which is used to make synthetic hydrocarbon or methanol.
Methanol production can be increased by the addition of CO2 to the methanol synthesis reactor or the syngas reformer."
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First, keep in mind that ExxonMobil can, via their "MTG"(r) technology, convert Methanol into Gasoline.
And, we believe, in any case, that "olefin", as above, is a "synthetic hydrocarbon" that is a component of, or can be used as a blending agent in, Gasoline.
Truth to tell, though, at least some of the Carbon Dioxide utilized herein is co-produced by components of the complete processing system, as in "using the CO2 produced by the syngas reformers", etc., above.
However, there is clear indication that the mix of reactants can be adjusted so as to allow for the addition of extraneous CO2; and, again as above, "production can be increased by the addition of CO2 to the methanol synthesis reactor" and to "the syngas reformer", and/or, as further above, "to the steam reformer, the methanol synthesis reactor, the partial oxidation reformer, or any combination thereof" - wherein such "additional carbon dioxide" is reacted with "a methane containing gas and steam" to form additional hydrocarbons.
And, as in the aforementioned Exxon US Patent 3,874,739, also above, we can manufacture such an initial "product gas stream of relatively high methane content by the treatment of bituminous coal".