Syngas production via supercritical water

A system to produce syngas from a feed oil, the system comprising:

• a catalyst pump configured to increase a pressure of a slurry catalyst to produce a pressurized slurry stream, where the slurry catalyst comprises catalyst particles dispersed in deionized water;
• a slurry heater fluidly connected to the catalyst pump, the slurry heater configured to increase a temperature of the pressurized slurry stream to produce a hot slurry stream;
• an oil pump configured to increase a pressure of the feed oil to produce a pressurized feed stream, wherein the feed oil comprises a heavy oil;
• an oil heater fluidly connected to the oil pump, the oil heater configured to increase a temperature of the pressurized feed stream to produce a hot oil stream, where the temperature of the hot oil stream is between 100° C. and 380° C.;
• a mixer fluidly connected to the slurry heater and the oil heater, the mixer configured to mix the hot slurry stream and the hot oil stream to produce a mixed stream;
• a combined heater fluidly connected to the mixer, the combined heater configured to increase a temperature of the mixed stream to produce a hot mixed stream, wherein the hot mixed stream comprises an oil-in-water emulsion comprising catalyst particles dispersed in the emulsion such that precipitation of the catalyst particles is minimized;
• a supercritical reactor fluidly connected to the combined heater, the supercritical reactor configured to maintain upgrading reactions of hydrocarbons in the hot mixed stream to produce a supercritical effluent, wherein the catalyst particles catalyze the upgrading reactions, wherein a residence time in supercritical reactor is in the range of 0.01 minutes to 1.0 minute, wherein the supercritical reactor is at a temperature between 380° C. and 500° C. and a pressure between 22 MPa and 35 MPa;
• a pressure let-down device fluidly connected to the supercritical reactor, the pressure let-down device configured to reduce a pressure of the supercritical effluent to produce a depressurized effluent;
• a separator fluidly connected to the pressure let-down device, the separator configured to separate the depressurized effluent to produce a gas stream, a catalyst-containing water stream and a liquid hydrocarbon stream, wherein the gas stream comprises light hydrocarbon gases, syngas, carbon dioxide, and combinations of the same, where the light hydrocarbon gases are selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and combinations of the same;
• a high pressure separator fluidly connected to the separator, the high pressure separator configured to separate the gas stream to produce a light gas stream and a light hydrocarbon stream, wherein the light hydrocarbon stream comprises the light hydrocarbon gases;
• a reformer mixer fluidly connected to the high pressure separator, the reformer mixer configured to mix the light hydrocarbon stream and a catalyst feed to produce a combined feed, wherein the combined comprises light hydrocarbon gases, water, and catalyst;
• a reformer heater fluidly connected to the reformer mixer, the reformer heater configured to increase a temperature of the combined feed to produce a hot feed, wherein the hot feed is at a temperature between 500° C. and 800° C.;
• a steam reformer fluidly connected to the reformer heater, the steam reformer configured to maintain water gas shift reactions of the light hydrocarbon gases to produce a reformer effluent, wherein the catalyst from the catalyst feed catalyzes the water gas shift reactions, wherein the steam reformer is at a temperature between 500° C. and 800° C. and a pressure between atmospheric pressure and 0.5 MPa;
• and
• a product separator fluidly connected to the steam reformer, the product separator configured to separate the reformer effluent to produce a product gas, wherein the product gas comprises syngas.