PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SUBSTITUTE NATURAL GAS

A process is described for producing a substitute natural gas (SNG) comprising the steps of: feeding a feed gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide in parallel to a first bulk methanator, a second bulk methanator and one or more subsequent bulk methanators, each bulk methanator containing a methanation catalyst such that the feed gas is at least partially methanated to form a methanated gas stream, wherein the first, second and at least one subsequent methanators are connected in series so that the feed gas to the second and each of the one or more subsequent bulk methanators is diluted with a methanated gas stream recovered from the previous bulk methanator, wherein all of the methanated gas stream recovered from the first bulk methanator is used to dilute the feed gas to the second bulk methanator, a portion of the methanated gas stream recovered from the second or one or more subsequent bulk methanators is recirculated in a recirculation loop to the first bulk methanator and used to dilute the feed gas fed to said first bulk methanator, and wherein at least one bulk methanator is located outside the recirculation loop.