Process for partial upgrading of heavy oil

An apparatus for continuously upgrading heavy oil to produce upgraded oil, the apparatus comprising:

• a heavy oil feed connected to a heat exchanger for conveying heavy oil through the heat exchanger, wherein the heavy oil feed is continuous with a first line connecting the heat exchanger with a first trim exchanger;
• a separator connected to the first trim exchanger by a second line, wherein the second line is continuous with the first line;
• a third line connected to the separator, wherein the third line branches into a heavy oil line and a fourth line, wherein the heavy oil line runs through the heat exchanger and is continuous with a fifth line connected to a second trim exchanger, and wherein the fourth line connects to a reactor, wherein a sixth line connects the reactor with the separator;
• a blender connected to the second trim exchanger by a seventh line, wherein an upgraded oil line for removing upgraded oil from the apparatus is connected to the blender;
• an eighth line connected to the separator wherein the eighth line branches into a light hydrocarbon liquid line and a produced light liquid line, wherein the light hydrocarbon liquid line connects to the blender;
• a ninth line connected to the separator, wherein the ninth line branches into a tenth line and a recycle gas line, wherein the tenth line is connected to a power generator, and wherein the recycle gas line is connected to a compressor, wherein the compressor is connected to an eleventh line, wherein the eleventh line merges with a light hydrocarbon gas feed, wherein the light hydrocarbon gas feed is configured to convey fresh light hydrocarbon gas to the reactor;
• and
• a power line connecting the power generator to the reactor.

A process for continuously upgrading heavy oil to produce upgraded oil, using a pulsed plasma reactor, the process comprising:

• forcing heavy oil through a heavy oil feed with a first pressure, between 0.1 and 10 bar, through a heat exchanger and a first trim exchanger and into a separator and separating light hydrocarbon liquid and light hydrocarbon gas from the heavy oil,
• wherein separated heavy oil is flowed to the heat exchanger to combine with heavy oil from the heavy oil feed and/or the separated heavy oil is flowed to an inter-electrode gap comprised in the reactor, wherein the inter-electrode gap is defined by a distance between a first end of a negative electrode and a first end of a positive electrode, wherein a second end of the positive electrode and a second end of the negative electrode are connected to a power generator by a power line,
• and wherein the light hydrocarbon gas is flowed to a compressor or the power generator, wherein the light hydrocarbon gas at the compressor is compressed and flowed to the reactor,
• and wherein the light hydrocarbon liquid is flowed to a blender or collected;
• forcing, at a second pressure, between 0.2 and 20 bar, a light hydrocarbon gas through a light hydrocarbon gas feed and into the reactor to mix with the heavy oil therein, to form a liquid hydrocarbon-gas mixture in between the inter-electrode gap;
• generating a spark-discharge in the inter-electrode gap to react the liquid hydrocarbon-gas mixture;
• flowing the reacted liquid hydrocarbon-gas mixture to the separator and separating light hydrocarbon liquid and light hydrocarbon gas from the heavy oil;
• combining separated heavy oil and heavy oil from the heavy oil feed and flowing the combined heavy oil through a second trim exchanger and to the blender and blending the combined heavy oil with the light hydrocarbon liquid to produce upgraded oil.