The disclosure relates to methods, systems, and apparatus arranged and designed for converting non-methane hydrocarbon gases into multiple product gas streams including a predominately hydrogen gas stream and a predominately methane gas steam. Hydrocarbon gas streams are reformed, cracked, or converted into a synthesis gas stream and methane gas stream by receiving a volume of flare gas or other hydrocarbon liquid or gas feed, where the volume of hydrocarbon feed includes a volume of methane and a volume of nonmethane hydrocarbons. The hydrogen contained in the syngas may be separated into a pure hydrogen gas stream. A corresponding gas conversion system can include a super heater to provide a hydrocarbon feed/steam mixture, a heavy hydrocarbon reactor for synthesis gas formation, and a hydrogen separator to recover the hydrogen portion of the synthesis gas.

Method for the preparation of synthesis gas combining electrolysis of carbon dioxide, autothermal reforming and 5 optionally tubular steam reforming of a hydrocarbon feed stock.

Chemical production systems which allow for an optimized carbon footprint are presented. Plasma-based reforming systems may provide a viable alternative to standard chemical production techniques, such systems can reduce the carbon footprint of the chemicals produced. Example systems include the production of synthesis gas (syngas), hydrogen, synthetic hydrocarbon fuels, ammonia, and urea. Reducing the carbon footprint of chemicals such as these is of vital importance to reducing the environmental impact of industries such as transportation and agriculture. In many of the embodiments a secondary product is produced, the sale of this secondary product may make the primary low-carbon footprint chemical more economical. In many cases the secondary product is carbon, methods of sequestering this carbon via reverse mining and enhanced oil and gas recovery are presented.

A chemical plant including: a reforming section arranged to receive a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons and provide a combined synthesis gas stream, wherein the reforming section includes: an electrically heated reforming reactor housing a first catalyst, an autothermal reforming reactor in parallel with the electrically heated reforming reactor, wherein the reforming section is arranged to output a combined synthesis gas stream including at least part of the first and/or second synthesis gas streams, an optional post processing unit downstream the reforming section, a gas separation unit arranged to separate a synthesis gas stream into a water condensate and an intermediate synthesis gas, and a downstream section arranged to receive the intermediate synthesis gas and to process the intermediate synthesis gas to a chemical product and an off-gas. Also, a process for producing a chemical product from a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons.

A process for producing syngas and olefins including the steps of feeding a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reactant mixture (oxygen, first hydrocarbons, steam) to a CPO reactor (CPO catalyst); wherein the CPO reactant mixture reacts, via CPO reaction, in CPO reactor to produce a CPO reactor effluent (H.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2, water, unreacted first hydrocarbons). The process further includes feeding a cracking unit feed (second hydrocarbons) to a cracking unit to produce a cracking unit product (olefins), a hydrogen-rich stream (hydrogen, CH.sub.4), and a hydrocarbon recovery stream (C.sub.4+ hydrocarbons); wherein the first and the second hydrocarbons are the same or different; recovering a hydrogen-enriched stream (hydrogen) and a hydrocarbon-enriched stream (CH.sub.4) from the hydrogen-rich stream; and contacting the CPO reactor effluent with the hydrogen-enriched stream to yield hydrogen-enriched syngas, and wherein the M ratio ((H.sub.2—CO.sub.2)/(CO+CO.sub.2)) of the hydrogen-enriched syngas is greater than the M ratio of the CPO reactor effluent.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a useful product from synthesis gas having a desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio comprising: gasifying a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to produce a first synthesis gas; optionally partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate oxidised synthesis gas; reforming a second carbonaceous feedstock to produce a second synthesis gas, the second synthesis gas having a different hydrogen to carbon ratio from that of the first raw synthesis gas; combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second synthesis gas in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon molar ratio and to generate a combined synthesis gas and subjecting at least part of the combined synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the useful product. The reforming step enables the conventional water gas shift reaction to be dispensed with.

The invention is directed to a method for heating a process gas in a top or bottom fired reformer, a method for improving the temperature spread over a top or bottom fired reformer, and to a top or bottom fired reformer wherein these methods can applied. This can be achieved by the lane flow rate of at least one outer tube lane being different from the lane flow rate of at least one inner tube lane.

A process for the synthesis of ammonia from a hydrocarbon feedstock, wherein the process includes reforming the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce a make-up gas and converting said make-up gas into ammonia, the process is performed in an ammonia synthesis plant requiring an electric power for operation and also requiring a start-up power (Ps) for start-up, wherein a first electric power (P1) is internally produced in the ammonia plant, and a second electric power (P2) is imported, wherein said second electric power is equal to or greater than said start-up power (Ps).

Process for the co-production of methanol and ammonia from a hydrocarbon feed without venting to the atmosphere carbon dioxide captured from the methanol or ammonia synthesis gas and without using expensive air separation units and water gas shift.

Process for the co-production of methanol and ammonia together with urea production from a hydrocarbon feed without venting to the atmosphere carbon dioxide captured from the methanol or ammonia synthesis gas and without using expensive air separation units and water gas shift. Carbon dioxide removal from flue gas from reforming section to convert partially or fully all ammonia into urea. Synergi of having methanol, ammonia and urea production to produce coating material for the urea production.