Conversion of Associated Petroleum Gas Into Liquid Hydrocarbons

Intensification of oil production contributes to the accumulation of large quantities of gaseous hydrocarbons. The imbalance between oil production and processing of associated petroleum gases leads to the fact that the volume of associated gas flared annually is exceeded. All this leads to huge economic losses and a variety of environmental effects. Therefore the rational use of associated petroleum gas or associated gas is one of the important issues at the current stage of development of the oil refining and petrochemical industries.The reasonable way for the use of associated petroleum gas is to convert them in the presence of catalysts into liquid hydrocarbons (aromatic hydrocarbons), that are valuable products for oil refining and the petrochemical industry. The choosing of appropriate catalysts in the conversion reactions of C4- alkane hydrocarbons is one of the main factors that contribute the formation of liquid hydrocarbons. Catalysts with hydro-dehydrogenating properties and acid function are usually used in hydrocarbon processing processes. The latter functions are provided by anion-modified metal oxides that are part of the active catalyst system - zirconium dioxide, modified with sulfate or tungstate anions. The article is aimed to study the influence of the components of ZSM-5/WO42-·ZrO2 catalyst on the conversion of associated petroleum gas into liquid hydrocarbons. The study of the conversion of associated petroleum gas componets over the ZSM-5/WO42-ZrO2, ZSM-5/W and ZSM-5 catalysts revealed that, under the influence of WO42- anion, the activity of ZSM-5 catalyst in the aromatization of propane increases increases by 26% (from 50% up to 86%), and yield of aromatic hydrocarbons rise more than 2 times. Thus, the use of ZSM-5/WO42-ZrO2 catalysts and their components enable to create innovative technological schemes and processes that allow, by varying process conditions effectively convert associated petroleum gas and its components into valuable liquid hydrocarbons for oil refining and the petrochemical industry processes.