Process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale
AssigneeStandard Oil Company (Indiana)
InventorsJohn D. McCollum, Leonard M. Quick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for recovering and upgrading hydrocarbons from oil shale by contacting the oil shale solids in the presence of an acidic or oxidative catalytic substance with a water-containing fluid at a temperature in the range of from at least 705.degree. F., the critical temperature of water, to about 900.degree. F., in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen, wherein the water has a density of at least 0.15 gram per milliliter. Examples of such acidic or oxidative catalytic substance are molecular oxygen, sodium bisulfate, sodium bisulfite, and carbon dioxide.
Claims14
In a method for recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale by contacting the oil shale solids with water at a high temperature and under a super-atmospheric pressure, the improvement which comprises recovering the maximum yield of liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and upgrading the recovered liquid hydrocarbons by removing said liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and cracking, desulfurizing, and demetalating said liquid hydrocarbons by contacting said oil shale solids in the presence of an acidic or oxidative catalytic substance with a water-containing fluid under super-atmospheric pressure, at a temperature in the range of from at least 705.degree. F., the critical temperature of water, to about 900.degree. F., in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen, said catalytic substance being molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide, a metal bisulfate, a metal bisulfite, or a compound which reacts in situ to form a metal bisulfate or a metal bisulfite, wherein sufficient water is present in the water-containing fluid and said pressure is sufficiently high so that the water in the water-containing fluid has a density of at least 0.15 gram per milliliter and serves as an effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons;
- and lowering said temperature or pressure or both, to thereby make the water in the water-containing fluid a less effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons and to thereby form separate phases.
In a method for recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale solids by contacting the oil shale solids with water at a high temperature and under a super-atmospheric pressure, the improvement which comprises recovering the maximum yield of liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and upgrading the recovered liquid hydrocarbons by removing said liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and cracking, desulfurizing, and demetalating said liquid hydrocarbons by contacting said oil shale solids in the presence of at least 10 psia of molecular oxygen with a water-containing fluid under super-atmospheric pressure, at a temperature in the range of from at least 705.degree. F., the critical temperature of water, to about 900.degree. F., in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen, wherein sufficient water is present in the water-containing fluid and said pressure is sufficiently high so that the water in the water-containing fluid has a density of at least 0.15 gram per milliliter and serves as an effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons;
- and lowering said temperature or pressure or both, to thereby make the water in the water-containing fluid a less effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons and to thereby form separate phases.
In a method for recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale solids by contacting the oil shale solids with water at a high temperature and under a super-atmospheric pressure, the improvement which comprises recovering the maximum yield of liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and upgrading the recovered liquid hydrocarbons by removing said liquid hydrocarbons from said oil shale solids and cracking, desulfurizing, and demetalating said liquid hydrocarbons by contacting said oil shale solids in the presence of a material selected from the group consisting of metal bisulfate, metal bisufite, and a compound which reacts in situ to form said metal bisulfate or said metal bisulfite, said compound being sulfur trioxide or sulfur dioxide, with a water-containing fluid under super-atmospheric pressure, at a temperature in the range of from at least 705.degree. F., the critical temperature of water, to about 900.degree. F., in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen, wherein sufficient water is present in the water-containing fluid and said pressure is sufficiently high so that the water in the water-containing fluid has a density of at least 0.15 gram per milliliter and serves as an effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons;
- and lowering said temperature or pressure or both, to thereby make the water in the water-containing fluid a less effective solvent for the removed liquid hydrocarbons and to thereby form separate phases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.