NOVELTY - A process (P1) for oxidizing aqueous metal bromide salts involves: oxidizing a stream comprising a dissolved metal bromide salt in a wet oxidation reactor comprising a packed section to produce at least a partially oxidized liquid stream comprising oxidized products of the metal bromide salt and a gaseous bromine stream comprising elemental bromine.    USE - For oxidizing aqueous metal bromide salts; and for converting lower molecular weight alkanes to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method and system provides economically viable process and systems for oxidizing aqueous metal bromide salts in a bromine-based process for converting lower molecular weight alkanes to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) a process (P2) involving: reacting lower molecular weight alkanes and bromine to produce at least alkyl bromides and hydrogen bromide, where the lower molecular weight alkanes comprise methane; reacting the alkyl bromides over a catalyst to produce at least higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and additional hydrogen bromide, where the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons comprise greater than or equal to 4C hydrocarbons; neutralizing the hydrogen bromide and the additional hydrogen bromide in an aqueous stream of ferric hydroxide and ferrous bromide to produce at least a ferrous/ferric stream comprising a dissolved ferrous bromide and dissolved ferric bromide in a concentration of about 40 wt.% to about 60 wt.%; and oxidizing the ferric/ferrous stream in a wet oxidation reactor comprising a packed section to produce at least a partially oxidized liquid stream comprising ferric bromide, where the wet oxidation reactor operates at a temperature of about 140 degrees C to about 190 degrees C and a pressure of about 3 bars to about 20 bars; and    (2) a system comprising: a wet oxidation reactor having an inlet in an upper end for an aqueous metal bromide salt, an outlet in the lower end for an oxidant stream, and packed sections, where the wet oxidation reactor is configured to counter-currently contact the aqueous metal bromide salt with the oxidant stream over the at least one packed section so as to oxidize the aqueous metal bromide salt and produce at least a partially oxidized liquid stream comprising oxidized products of the aqueous metal bromide salt and a gaseous bromine stream comprising elemental bromine.