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US 2014/0197072 A1Published application
Oil upgrading within combustion exhaust
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorDavid William LARKIN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems relate to upgrading hydrocarbons, such as bitumen, by contacting the bitumen with flue gas of oxy-combustion. Quenching a mixture formed of the bitumen and the flue gas controls conversion of the bitumen. Limited size and amount of equipment needed enables employing such upgrading at production fields to facilitate making the bitumen transportable by pipeline without relying on diluents.
Claims20
A method of upgrading hydrocarbons, comprising:
- combusting oxygen and fuel inside a vessel to generate flue gas;
- introducing the hydrocarbons into the vessel and in contact with the flue gas to cause thermal cracking of the hydrocarbons;
- quenching a mixture of the hydrocarbons and the flue gas to control conversion of the hydrocarbons;
- and
- separating the mixture into an aqueous stream, a gaseous stream and a products stream containing the hydrocarbons that have been upgraded.
2 more elements
A system for upgrading hydrocarbons, comprising:
- a vessel coupled to receive oxygen and fuel for combustion inside the vessel to generate flue gas, wherein the vessel includes a first inlet to introduce the hydrocarbons into the vessel and in contact with the flue gas for thermal cracking of the hydrocarbons and a second inlet to introduce a coolant for controlling conversion of the hydrocarbons by quenching a mixture of the hydrocarbons and the flue gas;
- and
- a separator coupled to receive the mixture for splitting into an aqueous output, a gaseous output and a product output containing the hydrocarbons that have been upgraded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.