"A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS"

The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrocarbons employing catalyst particles supported on a stabilized catalyst support with an enhanced hydrothermal stability, comprising: reacting a feed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen under conversion promoting conditions in the presence of a supported catalyst comprising a stabilized support so as to produce a hydrocarbon product, wherein the catalyst is prepared by a method comprising: preparing a stabilized catalyst support by a method comprising providing a crystalline hydrous alumina precursor comprising at least one crystalline boehmite or at least one crystalline bayerite having an average crystallite size selected from a desired optimum range; contacting the crystalline hydrous alumina precursor with at least one structural stabilizer or a compound thereof to generate a contacted alumina precursor; shaping either the crystalline hydrous alumina precursor before or after the contacting step to form particles of a desired average particle size; and subjecting the contacted alumina precursor in the presence of the at least one structural stabilizer or compound thereof to at least one heat treatment employing a temperature of about 450 °C or higher, in such a manner that said prepared stabilized catalyst support has an enhanced hydrothermal stability; applying a catalytic metal or a compound thereof to said stabilized catalyst support to form a catalyst precursor, wherein the catalytic metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, ruthenium, nickel, iron, and combinations thereof; and calcining at a temperature of at least about 200 °C.