Production of diesel fuel from bitumen
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsStephen Mark Davis, Michael Gerard Matturro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for producing a diesel fuel stock from bitumen uses steam and a hydroisomerized diesel fraction produced by a gas conversion process, to respectively stimulate the bitumen production and increase the cetane number of a hydrotreated diesel fuel fraction produced by upgrading the bitumen, to form a diesel stock. The diesel stock is used for blending and forming diesel fuel.
Claims20
A process for producing a diesel fuel fraction from bitumen comprises (i) stimulating the production of bitumen with steam obtained from a natural gas fed gas conversion process that produces a diesel hydrocarbon fraction and steam, (ii) upgrading said bitumen to lower boiling hydrocarbons, including a diesel fraction, and (iii) forming a mixture of both said diesel fractions.
A process for producing a diesel fuel fraction from bitumen comprises the steps of (i) producing bitumen with steam stimulation, (ii) upgrading said bitumen to lower boiling hydrocarbons, including a sulfur-containing bitumen diesel fraction, (iii) treating said bitumen diesel fraction to reduce said sulfur content, and (iv) producing steam and hydrocarbons, including a diesel fraction, by means of a natural gas fed gas conversion process, wherein at least a portion of said steam is used for said bitumen production, and (v) treating at least a portion of said gas conversion diesel fraction to reduce its pour point.
A process according to claim 9 wherein at least a portion of both said diesel fractions are blended.
A process for producing a diesel fuel fraction from bitumen comprises:
- (i) converting natural gas to a hot synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO which is cooled by indirect heat exchange with water to produce steam;
- (ii) contacting said synthesis gas with a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst in one or more hydrocarbon synthesis reactors, at reaction conditions effective for said H2 and CO in said gas to react and produce heat, liquid hydrocarbons including a diesel fuel fraction, and a gas comprising methane and water vapor;
- (iii) removing heat from said one or more reactors by indirect heat exchange with water to produce steam;
- (iv) hydroisomerizing at least a portion of said diesel fraction to reduce its pour point;
- (v) passing at least a portion of said steam produced in either or both steps (i) and (iii) into a tar sand formation to heat soak and reduce the viscosity of said bitumen;
- (vi) producing said bitumen by removing it from said formation;
- (vii) upgrading said bitumen to produce lower boiling hydrocarbons, including a diesel fuel fraction containing heteroatom compounds;
- (viii) hydrotreating said bitumen diesel fuel fraction to reduce its heteroatom content, and
- (ix) combining at least a portion of each of said treated diesel fuel fractions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.