A method for regenerating a coke-contaminated catalyst with simultaneous carefully controlled combustion of carbon monoxide

A catalyst contaminated with coke is regenerated while at the same time the amount of undesirable carbon monoxide in the resulting exhaust gas is carefully monitored, by the catalyst contaminated with coke in a regeneration zone first being brought into contact with oxygen under carefully chosen conditions to burn coke to give carbon monoxide, and by the resulting carbon monoxide-containing exhaust gas stream in the regeneration zone then being reacted with additional oxygen in the presence of a carbon monoxide promoter, under conditions chosen so as to burn carbon monoxide to give carbon dioxide, an additional amount of heat being liberated in the regeneration zone, and the amount of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas in said zone being diminished.