Method of and apparatus for upgrading and gasifying heavy hydrocarbon feeds

An apparatus for producing sweet synthetic crude from a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising:

• a) an upgrader comprising:
• I. a distillation column for receiving said heavy hydrocarbon feed and producing a distillate fraction, and a non-distilled fraction containing sulfur, asphaltene and metals;
• II a solvent deasphalting unit for processing said non-distilled fraction and producing a deasphalted oil stream and an asphaltene stream, an outlet of said deasphalting unit containing said deasphalted oil being connected to an inlet of a thermal cracker and wherein said asphaltene stream comprises said high-carbon by-products;
• III said thermal cracker thermally cracking said deasphalted oil and forming a thermally cracked stream;
• b) a gasifier for gasifying said asphaltenes in the presence of air or oxygen and producing ash and a gas mixture:
• c) a scrubber which receives said gas mixture and water and produces sour water and a clean sour gas mixture;
• d) a first gas processor which receives said clean sour gas mixture and produces a sweet synthetic fuel gas, said first gas processor comprises:
• I a solvent contactor which receives lean solvent from a solvent regenerator and said clean sour gas mixture and produces a sweet product and rich solvent;
• II said solvent regenerator receiving said rich solvent and producing said lean solvent and acid gas;
• III a sulfur recovery unit which receives said acid gas and produces sulfur and a sulfur-depleted gas which is vented to the atmosphere;
• and
• IV a liquid recovery unit which receives said sweet product and produces sweet gas, sour water and light liquid hydrocarbons;
• e) a hydroprocessing unit for receiving said sour products and hydrogen gas, thereby producing gas and said sweet crude, said hydroprocessing unit comprising:
• I a hydroprocessor which receives said distillate feed and hydrogen gas and produces a high-pressure hydroprocessed product;
• II a first flash vessel which receives said high-pressure hydroprocessed product and produces high pressure sour gas and high pressure flashed product;
• III a second flash vessel which receives said high pressure flashed product and produces low pressure sour gas and low pressure flashed product;
• IV a stripper which receives said low pressure flashed product and steam and produces low pressure sour gas, sour water and sweet synthetic crude;
• V a first solvent contactor in fluid communication with a first solvent regenerator and containing a clean solvent, said first solvent contactor receiving said high pressure high pressure sour gas from said first flash vessel and producing sweet recycle gas which is fed to said hydroprocessor and sour solvent, said first solvent regenerator receiving said sour solvent and producing said clean solvent which is fed to said first solvent contactor and hydrogen sulfide and ammonia;
• and
• VI a second solvent contactor in fluid communication with a second solvent regenerator and containing clean solvent, said second solvent contactor receiving said low pressure sour gas from said second flash vessel and from said stripper and producing fuel gas and sour solvent, said second solvent regenerator receiving said sour solvent and producing said clean solvent which is fed to said second solvent contactor.;
• and
• f) a hydrogen recovery unit for receiving said synthetic fuel gas and producing further hydrogen gas and hydrogen-depleted synthetic fuel gas, said further hydrogen gas being supplied to said hydroprocessing unit.

A method for producing sweet synthetic crude from a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising:

• a) upgrading said heavy hydrocarbon feed in an upgrader and thereby producing a distillate feed including sour products, and high-carbon content by-products;
• b) gasifying in a gasifier said high-carbon content by-products and producing synthetic fuel gas and sour by-products;
• c) hydroprocessing said sour products along with hydrogen gas, thereby producing gas and said sweet crude;
• and
• d) recovering hydrogen in a hydrogen recovery unit from said synthetic fuel gas and producing further hydrogen gas and hydrogen-depleted synthetic fuel gas, and supplying said further hydrogen gas to said hydroprocessing unit.