CPC C07C 5/333 (2013.01) [C07C 2/06 (2013.01); C10L 3/102 (2013.01); C10L 3/106 (2013.01); C07C 11/02 (2013.01); C10G 5/00 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. A process for upgrading natural gas liquids (NGL) into higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, comprising:
providing a hydrocarbon gas comprising 30 mol % to about 95 mol % of methane, and about 5 mol % to about 40 mol % C2+ alkanes;
dehydrogenating, in the presence of the methane, at least a portion of the C2+ alkanes in the hydrocarbon gas to provide a dehydrogenation effluent comprising the methane, hydrogen, ethylene, propylene and one or more unconverted C2+ alkanes;
oligomerizing, in the presence of the methane, at least a portion of the ethylene and propylene in the dehydrogenation effluent to provide one or more C4 to C26 hydrocarbons; and then
separating the methane from the one or more C4 to C26 hydrocarbons.
|