Upgrading raw shale-derived crude oils to hydrocarbon distillate fuels

An integrated system for upgrading crude shale-derived oils produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or by mixtures thereof that includes the following:

• a. a fractionator for fractionating the whole shale oil into a first fraction comprising naphtha, kerosene and diesel and an atmospheric bottoms fraction comprising gas oil and residuum;
• b. a first-stage hydroprocessing reactor containing a hydrogenation catalyst to saturate diolefins contained in the first fraction with hydrogen and having an outlet for recovering an effluent;
• c. a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization and saturation of mono-olefins in the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluent, wherein the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• d. a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluent and having an outlet for recovering a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluent, wherein the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• e. a fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization of the atmospheric bottoms fraction and having an outlet for recovering a fourth-stage reactor effluent;
• f. a fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst each containing a catalyst to perform one or more of hydrotreating and hydro cracking of the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluent and having an outlet for recovering a fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluent, wherein the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• g. a separation train to recover two or more hydrocarbon fractions from the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluents of (f) and the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor effluents of (d).

An integrated system for upgrading crude shale-derived oils produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof that includes the following:

• a. a fractionator for fractionating the whole shale oil into a first fraction comprising naphtha, kerosene and diesel and an atmospheric bottoms fraction comprising gas oil and residuum;
• b. a first-stage hydroprocessing reactor containing a hydrogenation catalyst for reacting the first fraction and hydrogen to saturate diolefins contained in the first fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• c. a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization and saturation of mono-olefins in the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• d. a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization of the atmospheric bottoms fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• e. a fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst each containing a catalyst to perform one or more of hydrotreating and hydrocracking of the effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• f. a fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of the effluents from the second- and fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactors and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the second-, fourth-, and fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactors are fluidly connected such that the effluents from the second- and fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactors are fed to the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• g. a separation train for separating the effluent from the fifth-stage hydroprocessing reactor of (f) into two or more hydrocarbon fractions.

An integrated system for upgrading crude shale-derived oils produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof that includes the following:

• a. a first-stage hydroprocessing reactor containing hydrogenation catalysts for contacting the whole shale oil and hydrogen to saturate diolefins contained in the whole shale oil and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• b. a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization and saturation of mono-olefins in the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• c. a fractionator for fractionating the effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor (b) into a partially hydrotreated fraction comprising naphtha, kerosene and diesel and a partially hydrotreated bottoms fraction comprising gas oil and residuum;
• d. a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and hydrodearomatization of the partially hydrotreated fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• e. a fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of the partially hydrotreated bottoms fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• f. a separation train for processing the effluents from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor (d) and the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor (e) to recover two or more hydrocarbon fractions.

An integrated system for upgrading crude shale-derived oils produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof that includes the following:

• a. a first-stage hydroprocessing reactor containing catalysts for contacting the whole shale oil and hydrogen to saturate diolefins contained in the whole shale oil and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• b. a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization and saturation of mono-olefins in the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• c. a fractionator for fractionating the effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor (b) into a partially hydrotreated fraction comprising naphtha, kerosene and diesel and a partially hydrotreated bottoms fraction comprising gas oil and residuum;
• d. a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of the partially hydrotreated bottoms fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• e. a fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of a mixture of the effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the partially hydrotreated fraction comprising naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• f. a separation train for processing the effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor to recover two or more hydrocarbon fractions.

An integrated system for upgrading crude shale-derived oils produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof that includes the following:

• a. a first-stage hydroprocessing reactor containing catalysts for contacting the whole shale oil and hydrogen to saturate diolefins contained in the whole shale oil and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• b. a second-stage hydroprocessing reactor configured to be operated in an upflow mode and containing catalysts to perform hydrodemetallization and saturation of mono-olefins in the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the first-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• c. a third-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation, and aromatics saturation of the effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor, wherein the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor and the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor are fluidly connected such that the effluent from the second-stage hydroprocessing reactor is fed to the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor without phase separation;
• d. a fractionation system for fractionating the effluent from the third-stage hydroprocessing reactor of (c) into a partially hydrotreated fraction, comprising naphtha, kerosene and diesel, and a partially hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction;
• e. a fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor having one or more beds of catalyst to perform hydrocracking of the partially hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction and having an outlet for recovering an effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor;
• f. fluid conduits for feeding the effluent from the fourth-stage hydroprocessing reactor to the fractionation system (d);
• wherein:
• the catalyst in the first stage reactor comprises an alumina base extruded catalyst with nickel and molybdenum as active metals;
• the catalyst in the second stage reactor comprises an alumina base spheroidal catalyst with nickel and molybdenum as active metals;
• the catalyst in the third stage reactor comprises a layer of amorphous base metal Type II extruded catalyst with an organic compound and nickel and molybdenum as active metals and a layer of base metal extruded catalyst containing both amorphous and zeolitic components with nickel and tungsten as active metal;
• and
• the catalyst in the fourth stage reactor comprises a base metal extruded catalyst containing both amorphous and zeolitic components with nickel and tungsten as active metal.