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US 2015/0144527 A1Published application
Method for enhanced upgrading of heavy oil by adding a hydrotreating step to an upgrading process
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMazin M. Fathi, Omer Refa Koseoglu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to methods for enhancing the upgrading of heavy oils. In essence, a hydrotreating step is added to an upgrading process, so that process severity can be increased, product yields and quality improve, and hydrogen can be produced and serve as a source for the entire process.
Claims17
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
- (i) emulsifying said feedstock with an upgrading catalyst precursor, an aromatic rich hydrocarbon stream, and water to form an emulsion in the form of a slurry;
- (ii) forming the catalyst by decomposing the said emulsion into a catalytic suspension, which is then transported to a hydrotreating reactor that contains a hydrotreating catalyst, said emulsion decomposition being carried out at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C., and a pressure of from about 1 Bar to about 200 Bar;
- (iii) fractionating said effluent into (a) contaminant gases, (b) a portion of light hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) a portion of gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) a portion of unconverted bottoms;
- (iv) separating from (a) from (b), and (c) and transporting (b) and (c) to a recovery unit;
- (v) combining said uncoverted bottom with water, to form a slurry mixture;
- (vi) transferring said slurry mixture to an upgrading reactor under conditions for cracking said mixture to form a light fraction containing (a), (b), (c), and (d) of step (ii);
- (vii) transporting the unconverted bottoms from (vi) to a fractionation zone to remove light fractions therefrom, and
- (viii) recycling any remaining unconverted bottoms to a feedstock preparation unit for further processing.
5 more elements
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
- combining said feedstock with hydrogen in a hydrotreating reactor which contains a hydrotreating catalyst, at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C. and a pressure from about 1 Bar to about 200 Bar, to form a first effluent containing (a) contaminant gases, (b) a portion of light hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) a portion of gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) a portion of unconverted bottoms;
- (ii) transporting (a), (b), and (c) to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other;
- (iii) transporting said unconverted bottoms to a feedstock/catalyst preparation zone which contains an upgrading catalyst precursor, to form a mixture therebetween;
- (iv) transporting said mixture to a decomposition zone;
- (v) treating said mixture to form said catalyst;
- (vi) adding water to said mixture;
- (vii) transporting said mixture to an upgrading reactor for reaction via catalytic hydrothermal aquathermolysis, to form a light fraction containing (a), (b), and (c) of step (i) and unconverted bottoms;
- (viii) separating said light fraction and said unconverted bottoms;
- (ix) transporting said light fraction to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other, and
- (x) recycling said unconverted bottoms to said hydrotreating zone for further processing.
7 more elements
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
- combining said feedstock with an upgrading catalyst precursor to form a mixture;
- (ii) transporting said mixture to a decomposition reactor;
- (iii) treating said mixture to form said upgrading catalyst;
- (iv) adding water to said mixture;
- (v) transporting said mixture to an upgrading reactor;
- (vi) upgrading said mixture, to form an effluent of (a) contaminant gases, (b) hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) unconverted bottoms;
- (vii) fractionating (a), (b), and (c) from said unconverted bottoms in a fractionation zone;
- (viii) transporting said unconverted bottoms to a hydrotreating reactor which contains a hydrotreating catalyst, at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C., and a pressure of from about 50 Bar to about 200 Bar, to form a fractionate of (a), (b), and (c) and unconverted bottoms;
- (ix) transporting (a), (b), and (c) produced in step (vi) and (viii) to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other, and
- (x) recycling any unconverted bottoms from (viii) to said feedstock preparation zone for further processing.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.