# US 2014/0197070 A1 · Process for the conversion of heavy charges such as heavy crude oils and distillation residues

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- Number: US 2014/0197070 A1
- Document ID: US20140197070A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/083,237
- Filed: 2013-11-18
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2001-07-06
- Assignees: ENI S.p.A.
- Inventors: Mario MARCHIONNA; Alberto DELBIANCO; Nicoletta PANARITI; Romolo MONTANARI; Sergio ROSI; Sebastiano CORRERA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197070A1

## CPC

- C10G 67/0454: {Solvent desasphalting}
- C10G 67/00: Treatment of hydrocarbon oils by at least one hydrotreatment process and at least one process for refining in the absence of hydrogen only
- C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids
- C10G 2300/107: Atmospheric residues having a boiling point of at least about 538 °C
- C10G 2300/1077: Vacuum residues
- C10G 2300/205: Metal content
- C10G 2300/206: Asphaltenes
- C10G 2300/207: Acid gases, e.g. H2S, COS, SO2, HCN
- C10G 2300/4081: Recycling aspects
- C10G 2300/44: Solvents
- Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A process for converting a heavy charge such as a heavy crude oil, a tar from oil sand and a distillation residue, by combining a hydroconversion with catalysts in slurry phase process, a distillation or flash process, and a deasphalting process, wherein the three processes operate on mixed streams consisting of fresh charge and recycled streams.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the conversion of heavy charges selected from heavy crude oils, distillation residues, “heavy oils coming from catalytic treatment, “thermal tars”, tars from oil sands, various kinds of coals and other high-boiling charges of a hydrocarbon origin known as “black oils”, by the combined use of the following three process units: hydroconversion with catalysts in slurry phase (HT), distillation or flash (D), deasphalting (SDA), characterized in that the three units operate on mixed streams consisting of fresh charge and recycled streams, with the use of the following steps:
sending at least one fraction of the heavy charge to a deasphalting section (SDA) in the presence of hydrocarbon solvents obtaining two streams, one consisting of deasphalted oil (DAO), the other of asphalts;
mixing the asphalt with a suitable hydrogenation catalyst and optionally with the remaining fraction of heavy charge not sent to the deasphalting section and sending the mixture obtained to a hydro-treatment reactor (HT) into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and H2S is charged;
sending the stream containing the hydro-treatment reaction product and the catalyst in dispersed phase to one or more distillation or flash steps (D) whereby the most volatile fractions are separated, among which the gases produced in the hydro-treatment reaction;
recycling at least 60% by weight of the distillation residue (tar) or liquid leaving the flash unit, containing the catalyst in dispersed phase, rich in metallic sulfides produced by demetallation of the charge and possibly coke, to the deasphalting zone.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein at least 80% by weight of the distillation residue or liquid leaving the flash unit is recycled to the deasphalting zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2, wherein at least 95% by weight of the distillation residue or liquid leaving the flash unit is recycled to the deasphalting zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the remaining part of distillation residue (tar) or liquid leaving the flash unit, not recycled to the deasphalting zone, is recycled to the hydrotreatment section.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the recycling ratio between the streams containing asphaltenes, or fresh charge, tar and asphalts, must be such that:
(νmix/RT)(δasph−δmix)2<k
wherein:
δasph is the highest value among the solubility parameters of the two C7 asphaltenes of the mixture (highest value)
νmix is the molar average of the molar volumes of the maltene components
δmix is the volumetric average of the solubility parameters of the maltene components
k is a constant whose value ranges from 0.2 to 0.5.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the distillation step is carried out at a reduced pressure ranging from 0.001 to 0.5 MPa.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process according to claim 6, wherein the distillation step is carried out at a reduced pressure ranging from 0.05 to 0.3 MPa.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the hydro-treatment step is carried out at a temperature ranging from 370 to 450° C. and a pressure ranging from 30 to 300 Atm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process according to claim 8, wherein the hydro-treatment step is carried out at a temperature ranging from 380 to 440° C. and a pressure ranging from 100 to 200 Atm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the deasphalting step is carried out at temperatures ranging from 40 to 200° C. and a pressure ranging from 1 to 70 Atm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the deasphalting solvent is a light paraffin with from 3 to 6 carbon atoms.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the deasphalting step is carried out by means of extraction with a solvent operating in supercritical phase.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the stream consisting of deasphalted oil (DAO) is fractionated by conventional distillation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the stream consisting of deasphalted oil (DAO) is mixed with the products separated in the flash step after being condensed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst is an easily decomposable precursor or a preformed compound based on one or more transition metals.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process according to claim 15, wherein the transition metal is molybdenum.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of catalyst in the hydroconversion reactor, defined on the basis of the concentration of the metal or metals present, ranges from 350 to 10000 ppm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The process according to claim 17, wherein the concentration of catalyst in the hydroconversion reactor ranges from 1000 to 8000 ppm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The process according to claim 18, wherein the concentration of catalyst in the hydroconversion reactor ranges from 1500 to 5000 ppm.