IP Library › Granted Patent US 12680042
Granted Patent B2
US 12680042 · App. 18/495,381 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Process of converting hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide to methane and solid sulfur on carbon-based catalysts under milder conditions with reduced carbon footprint

Inventors: Xiao Jiang (Stoneham, MA); Ke Zhang (Stoneham, MA); Michael J. Forte (Cambridge, MA); Elizabeth Q. Contreras (Houston, TX); Sampath Bommareddy (Sugarland, TX)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
C10L3/103B01J21/18C01B17/0404
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680042
App. No.
18/495,381
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for producing methane and sulfur. A first system includes a condensate separation system to separate a feed stream of mixed hydrocarbons, an acid gas removal system to produce a methane product stream and a reactant gas stream of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide and a catalytic reactor configured to react the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen sulfide from the reactant gas stream using a carbon-based catalyst and produce an effluent methane stream, an effluent sulfur stream, and a waste stream. Another system for producing methane and sulfur includes a first separation system to separate water vapor and oxygen to produce a hydrogen sulfide stream, a catalytic reactor configured to react a separated carbon dioxide stream and the hydrogen sulfide stream using a carbon-based catalyst and produce a methane stream and a sulfur stream.

Claims (37)

1 . A system for producing methane and sulfur, comprising:

a condensate separation system configured to separate a feed stream comprising mixed hydrocarbons to produce a liquid stream comprising liquid mixed hydrocarbons and a gas mixture stream comprising carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide;

an acid gas removal system configured to separate the gas mixture stream and produce a methane product stream and a reactant gas stream comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide;

a catalytic reactor configured to react the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen sulfide from the reactant gas stream using a carbon-based catalyst and produce an effluent methane stream, an effluent sulfur stream, and a waste stream comprising sulfur dioxide, unreacted carbon dioxide, and unreacted hydrogen sulfide;

a sulfur recovery system downstream of the catalytic reactor configured to receive the waste stream and produce an effluent stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide and a recovered sulfur stream;

a tail gas treatment system downstream of the sulfur recovery system configured to receive the effluent stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide and produce a recycle stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and a residual sulfur dioxide stream;

an incinerator unit downstream of the tail gas treatment system configured to incinerate the residual sulfur dioxide stream before venting to atmosphere; and

a hydrogen sulfide-methane reforming system downstream of the catalytic reactor configured to receive the methane product stream and a portion of the waste stream comprising sulfur dioxide, unreacted carbon dioxide, and unreacted hydrogen sulfide.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur recovery system comprises a Claus unit.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a dehydration unit downstream of the acid gas removal system configured to dehydrate the methane product stream and the effluent methane stream to produce a dehydrated methane stream.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acid gas removal system comprises an amine scrubbing unit.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid treatment system configured to receive and treat the liquid stream.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acid gas removal system and the catalytic reactor are part of a natural gas refining system.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon-based catalyst comprises activated carbon.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a temperature in a range from 50° C. to 150° C.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a pressure in a range from 100 kPa to 5,000 kPa.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a ratio of 1:2 CO 2 to H 2 S from the reactant gas stream.

11 . A method for producing methane gas and solid sulfur, comprising:

separating a feed stream comprising mixed hydrocarbons to produce a liquid stream comprising liquid mixed hydrocarbons and a gas mixture stream comprising carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide;

separating the gas mixture stream using an acid gas removal system to produce a methane product stream and a reactant gas stream, wherein the reactant gas stream comprises carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide;

reacting the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen sulfide from the reactant gas stream in a catalytic reactor using a carbon-based catalyst, producing an effluent methane stream, an effluent sulfur stream, and a waste stream, wherein the waste stream comprises produced sulfur dioxide, and unreacted carbon dioxide and unreacted hydrogen sulfide;

producing an effluent stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide and a recovered sulfur stream using a sulfur recovery system downstream of the catalytic reactor configured to receive the waste stream;

receiving the effluent stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide and producing a recycle stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and a residual sulfur dioxide stream using a tail gas treatment system downstream of the sulfur recovery system;

incinerating the residual sulfur dioxide stream before venting to atmosphere using an incinerator unit downstream of the tail gas treatment system; and

receiving, with a hydrogen sulfide-methane reforming system downstream of the catalytic reactor, the methane product stream and a portion of the waste stream comprising sulfur dioxide, unreacted carbon dioxide, and unreacted hydrogen sulfide.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

dehydrating the methane product stream and the effluent methane stream using a dehydration unit downstream of the acid gas removal system to produce a dehydrated methane stream.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving and treating the liquid stream using a liquid treatment system.

14 . A system for producing methane and sulfur, comprising:

a first separation system configured to receive an inlet gas stream comprising methane, hydrogen sulfide, water vapor, and oxygen and separate the water vapor and the oxygen to produce a separated hydrogen sulfide stream comprising a first portion of separated hydrogen sulfide and a second portion of separated hydrogen sulfide, a separated methane stream, and a separated carbon dioxide stream;

a catalytic reactor configured to react the separated carbon dioxide stream and the first portion of separated hydrogen sulfide using a carbon-based catalyst, producing a produced methane stream and a produced sulfur stream; and

a hydrogen sulfide-methane reforming system downstream of the catalytic reactor configured to receive the produced methane stream, and the second portion of separated hydrogen sulfide.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the carbon-based catalyst comprises activated carbon.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a temperature in a range from 50° C. to 150° C.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a pressure in a range from 20 kPa to 100 kPa.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the catalytic reactor is operated at a ratio of 1:2 CO 2 to H 2 S from the inlet gas stream.