The steam reforming of eight different residual oils for the production of fuel gas was studied in a fluidized catalyst bed of calcined dolomite at a temperature of 900°C. In spite of a wide variety of the property of feed oils, the gas yield and the C.C.R. value of feed oils were correlated by a straight line; the gas yield linearly decreased with the C.C.R. value. With additional experiments at 700°C, it was believed that deposited carbon played an important role as the intermediate in the steam reforming of residual oils on the dolomite catalyst. The concentration of H2S in the product gas was always about 0.1% by volume regardless of the sulfur content of feed oils. The ratios in the partial pressure of steam to H2S were very close to the equilibrium constant of the reaction: H2S+CaO=H2O+CaS. It was concluded that the dolomite reduces the H2S concentration in the product gas to its equilibrium value.
