Process for upgrading heavy oils
AssigneeInstitut Francais du Petrole
InventorsJean-Francois Le Page, Germain Martino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The viscosity of heavy oils is reduced in order to facilitate pipe line transportation thereof. A fraction of the heavy oil is deasphalted in the presence of C.sub.5 -C.sub.7 hydrocarbons, a portion of the separated asphalt is converted to synthesis gas, at least a portion of said gas is used to manufacture an alcohol mixture including methanol and C.sub.2 to C.sub.10 alcohols, which mixture is admixed with the heavy oil before transportation thereof. This procedure is more beneficial to the transported heavy oil than the prior processes which do not comprise the conversion of the asphalt fraction of the heavy oil.
Claims13
A process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy oil, comprising the steps of:
- (a) deasphalting at least a portion of the heavy oil, and separately recovering a deasphalted heavy oil and asphaltenes;
- (b) gasifying at least a portion of said asphaltenes to produce a synthesis gas;
- (c) converting at least a portion of said synthesis gas to a mixture of alcohols consisting of methanol and at least one C.sub.2-10 alcohol;
- and
- (d) admixing said alcohol mixture with the nondeasphalted heavy oil portion or with the deasphalted heavy oil or with a mixture thereof, to produce an oil of lower viscosity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.