Steamless hydrocarbon processing (upgrading) facility with multiple & integrated uses of non-condensable gas for hydrocarbon processing

A process for a heavy hydrocarbon processing operation that uses a non-condensable gas at operating conditions, with the following process steps:

• a) providing a hydrocarbon liquid to a hydrocarbon treatment and separation vessel which is a stripper at a low pressure and elevated temperature
• b) contacting the hydrocarbon liquid with the non-condensable gas as a stripper gas, thereby transferring at least a portion of volatile hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon liquid to the stripper gas;
• c) removing the combined stripper gas and volatile hydrocarbons from the stripper;
• d) separating the stripper gas and the volatized hydrocarbons removed from the hydrocarbon liquid by condensing the volatized hydrocarbons;
• and
• e) recycling at least some non-condensable recovered stripper gas for reuse ;
• f) providing the hydrocarbon liquid to a conversion vessel which is a reactor at temperature in the cracking range for hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon liquid, and introducing the non-condensable gas as a heat exchange medium, or as a velocity fluid to the reactor, and as a stripping gas to assist removal of volatile conversion products of the hydrocarbon conversion reaction from the reactor in a vapor phase;
• and
• g) removing the non-condensable gas and volatile hydrocarbon conversion products from the reactor.