In-situ removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas

• US 6,419,888 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softrock Geological Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Softrock Geological Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Wyckoff, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Steven P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanoy, Timothy C
• Application Number:
  US09/587,034
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 481/273, 481/275, 481/277, 481/983, 481/987, 585/800, 423/220
• US Class Current: 423/220
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/10 Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas

Abstract

A process is provided for the in-situ removal of carbon dioxide out of natural gas by diverting a stream of the natural gas to a hydrocarbon reformation unit, which converts this diverted stream of the natural gas into a hydrogen-containing gas, and feeding this hydrogen-containing gas and the (undiverted) natural gas into a methanation unit, where the hydrogen reacts with carbon dioxide to form methane, thereby decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the natural gas. A second steam of the natural gas may be diverted from the natural gas and combusted, thereby generating heat which may be used for catalyst regeneration and/or for providing any heat necessary for the reactions occurring in the methanation unit or the hydrocarbon reformation unit.

Claims

1. A process for the removal of carbon dioxide from a natural gas stream, comprising the steps of:

diverting a first side stream of natural gas from the natural gas stream into a catalytic hydrogen separator reaction chamber where the diverted first side stream of natural gas is converted into a gas comprising hydrogen; and

,

feeding the gas comprising hydrogen and the remainder of the natural gas stream into a catalytic methanation reaction chamber where the hydrogen and carbon dioxide react to produce methane, thereby producing a natural gas having a diminished content of carbon dioxide.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

diverting a second side stream of natural gas from the natural gas stream;

combusting the diverted second side stream of natural gas to generate heat; and

,

supplying the heat to the hydrogen separator reaction chamber and/or the methanation reaction chamber.

3. The process of claim further comprising the steps of:

diverting a second side stream of natural gas from the natural gas stream;

combusting the diverted second side stream of natural gas to generate heat; and

,

applying the heat to regenerate catalyst.