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In a hydrocarbon synthesis process, nitrogen is cryogenically removed from natural gas to produce a synthesis gas feed comprising methane which is substantially free of nitrogen. This feed is converted to a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO which is substantially free of the HCN a

In a hydrocarbon synthesis process, nitrogen is cryogenically removed from natural gas to produce a synthesis gas feed comprising methane which is substantially free of nitrogen. This feed is converted to a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO which is substantially free of the HCN and NH.sub.3 hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst deactivating nitrogen species. This reduces the need for rejuvenating the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst. During the cryogenic separation, C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons are separated from the natural gas and all or a portion of the separated C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 hydrocarbons are added to the methane feed before it is converted into syngas, to increase syngas production. All or a portion of the separated C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 hydrocarbons may be removed as LPG.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A hydrocarbon synthesis process which comprises the steps of:(a) removing CO.sub.2 from a natural gas which comprises methane, N.sub.2, CO.sub.2 and C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, to produce a natural gas containing less than 0.1 mole % CO.sub.2 ;(b) cryogenically separating said

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A hydrocarbon synthesis process which comprises the steps of:(a) removing CO.sub.2 from a natural gas which comprises methane, N.sub.2, CO.sub.2 and C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, to produce a natural gas containing less than 0.1 mole % CO.sub.2 ;(b) cryogenically separating said C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons and N.sub.2 from said CO.sub.2 reduced gas to produce C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons and a substantially nitrogen free gas feed gas comprising methane and containing less than 100 vppm of N.sub.2 ;(c) converting said substantially nitrogen free gas feed to a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO, and(d) reacting said H.sub.2 and CO in said synthesis gas in the presence of a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst under reaction conditions effective to form C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons.