US 4,543,177 A · Production of light hydrocarbons by treatment of heavy hydrocarbons with water

Abstract

A process is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbons into light hydrocarbons which comprises contacting, in a first zone, a heavy hydrocarbon having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of less than about 20, such as Boscan heavy crude oil and tar sand bitumen, with a liquid comprising water, in the absence of externally added catalyst and hydrogen, while maintaining the first zone at a temperature between 400.degree. and about 480.degree. C. and at a pressure at least about 690 kPa (about 100 psig, about 6.76 atm) and less than about 5,000 kPa (about 725 psig, about 148 atm), for a contact time under continuous flow conditions sufficient to produce a uniform (i.e., intimate) reaction mixture; forwarding the uniform reaction mixture to a second zone wherein the temperature and pressure conditions of the first zone are maintained at substantially steady state conditions for a time sufficient to separate the uniform mixture into a residue and a phase comprising light hydrocarbons, gas and water, withdrawing the residue and said phase from the second zone; and recovering a light hydrocarbon product having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of greater than about 20 and substantially free of vanadium and nickel values, i.e., less than 50 ppm, preferably less than 10 or 5 ppm, a gaseous product, and a residue.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for converting heavy hydrocarbons into light hydrocarbons which comprises:

(a) contacting, in a first zone, heavy hydrocarbons having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of less than about 20 with a liquid comprising water, in the absence of externally added catalyst and hydrogen, at a temperature between about 400.degree. C. and about 480.degree. C. and at a pressure between about 690 kPa (about 100 psig, about 6.76 atm) and less than about 5,000 kPa (about 725 psig, about 49 atm), and for a contact time under continuous flow conditions sufficient to form a uniform mixture;
(b) forwarding the uniform mixture to a second zone while maintaining the temperature and pressure conditions of the first zone;
(c) maintaining the uniform mixture in the second zone at substantially steady state conditions under the temperature and pressure conditions of the first zone, in the absence of externally added catalyst and hydrogen, for a time sufficient to separate the uniform mixture into a residue and a phase comprising light hydrocarbons, gas and water;
(d) withdrawing the residue and said phase from the second zone;
(e) separating said phase into a gaseous product, a liquid comprising water and light hydrocarbon product having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of greater than about 20 and substantially free of vanadium and nickel values;
and
(f) recovering said light hydrocarbon product.

4 more elements

A process for converting heavy hydrocarbons into light hydrocarbons which comprises:

(a) contacting, in a first zone, heavy hydrocarbons having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of less than about 20 and a total vanadium and nickel content between about 1000 and 2000 ppm with a liquid comprising water, in the absence of externally added catalyst and hydrogen, at a temperature between about 400.degree. C. and about 480.degree. C., and at a pressure about 690 kPa (about 100 psig, about 6.76 atm) and less than about 5,000 kPa (about 725 psig, about 49 atm) for a contact time under continuous flow conditions sufficient to form a uniform mixture;
(b) forwarding the uniform mixture to a second zone while maintaining the temperature and pressure conditions of the first zone;
(c) maintaining the uniform mixture in the second zone at substantially steady state conditions under the temperature and pressure conditions of the first zone, in the absence of externally added catalyst and hydrogen, for a time sufficient to separate the uniform mixture into a residue and a phase comprising light hydrocarbons, gas and water;
(d) withdrawing the residue and said phase from the second zone;
(e) separating said phase into a gaseous product, a liquid comprising water, and a light hydrocarbon product having an API gravity at 25.degree. C. of between about 20 and 40 and substantially free of vanadium and nickel values;
and
(f) recovering said light hydrocarbon product.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Production of light hydrocarbons by treatment of heavy hydrocarbons with water

Life of this patent

Production of light hydrocarbons by treatment of heavy hydrocarbons with water

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23