Process for the preparation of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from heavy oils

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN FROM A HEAVY OIL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID OIL TO THE ACTION OF AN OXIDIZING GAS COMPRISING FREE OXYGEN AND STEAM IN A DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED BED OF SOLID PARTICLES IN A GASIFICATION ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 1600 TO 2000*F., INJECTING OXIDIZING GAS COMPRISING FREE OXYGEN INTO THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF SAID GASIFICATION ZONE COMPRISING COMPOUNDS CONTAINING BOTH CARBON AND HYDROGEN ATOMS IN THE SAME MOLECULE UPON DISCHARGE OF SAID GASEOUS PRODUCTS FROM SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND FLOWING THE RESULTING GASEOUS MIXTURE DOWNWARDLY AS A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL STREAMS IN A REFORMING ZONE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED BED IN SAID GASIFICATION ZONE AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED BED WHILE MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 2000*F. THEREIN THEREBY EFFECTING CONVERSION OF SAID COMPOUNDS INTO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN.