TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The step of treating a fraction of (C) comprises: adding water to at least a fraction of stream (C) and subjecting the resulting mixture to a water gas-shift reaction step in order to convert a majority of the carbon monoxide present into carbon dioxide and hydrogen; separating the 1-3C alkanes from the carbon dioxide and hydrogen stream; and the hydrogen and carbon dioxide stream from the step of reintroducing (C) into the steam reformer of step of converting hydrocarbon feedstock. The syngas reactor is a steam reformer and steam is fed into the reactor together with the hydrocarbon feedstock. The conversion of the carbon oxides per pass through the oxygenate synthesis reactor is 5-70%, preferably 15-40%. The step of treating a fraction of stream (C) is performed on the gaseous part of stream (C). Preferred Components: The synthesis gas molar ratio, defined as being hydrogen/carbon monoxide, of the total feed introduced into the oxygenate synthesis reactor, is comprised 0.5-2, preferably comprised 0.5-1.5. The alcohols produced in the oxygenate synthesis reactor, are primarily methanol, ethanol, propanols (n-propanol with low amounts of iso-propanol), and butanols (n-butanol and iso-butanol) and preferably represent together at least 50% by carbon content of the products, where the products are defined as being all products excluding carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, obtained from the oxygenate synthesis reactor (stream B), more preferably at least 75% by carbon content of the products obtained and most preferably at least 80% by carbon content of the products obtained. The recycle stream (C) comprises a liquid part containing methanol, esters and/or ethers, and a gaseous part containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and 1-3C alkanes. The quantity of esters, calculated as a molar ratio of the total esters to methanol introduced into the oxygenate synthesis reactor, introduced into the oxygenate synthesis reactor, are more than 0.1% but less than 10%, preferably more than 0.5% but less than 1%. The esters that are recycled into the oxygenate synthesis reactor are those with 3 or less carbon atoms in either the alkyl component and/or 3 or less carbon atoms in the carboxylate component of the ester, preferably the esters that are introduced into the oxygenate synthesis reactor are methyl acetate and/or ethyl acetate. The separated hydrogen in the step of treating a fraction of stream is recycled back to syngas reactor together with the carbon dioxide recycle stream (D). The separated inert components (1-3C alkanes and nitrogen) in the step of treating a fraction of stream (C) are used as a fuel, preferably as a fuel for the furnace used to preheat the hydrocarbon feedstock entering into the syngas reactor. EXAMPLE - None given.