Process for the production of a chemical synthesis gas from coal

A high purity chemical synthesis gas is produced by reacting steam with a carbonaceous feed material in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and substantially equilibrium quantities of added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000 DEG F. and about 1500 DEG F. and a pressure in excess of about 100 psia to produce a raw product gas consisting essentially of equilibrium quantities, at reaction temperature and pressure, of methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; withdrawing the raw product gas from the gasifier and treating it for the removal of steam and acid gases to produce a treated gas containing primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane; recovering carbon monoxide and hydrogen from the treated gas as a chemical synthesis product gas; mixing the remainder of the treated gas consisting essentially of methane with steam; passing the resultant mixture into a steam reforming furnace where the methane reacts with the steam to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen; and passing the effluent from the reforming furnace into the gasifier.