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US 4,605,489 AGranted
Upgrading shale oil by a combination process
AssigneeOccidental Oil Shale, Inc.
InventorAjay Madgavkar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil is disclosed. The method comprises selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds to form a nitrogen-lean raffinate and a nitrogen-rich extract. The nitrogen-lean raffinate is distilled to form a distillate having a further reduced nitrogen content and a bottoms having a further increased nitrogen content. The bottoms is hydrotreated to remove nitrogen-containing compounds. Extracted shale oil compounds may be combined with the bottoms prior to the hydrotreatment or may be used to generate hydrogen gas for the hydrotreatment. Arsenic-containing compounds are removed from the distillate by extraction.
Claims49
A process for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil containing nitrogen-containing compounds comprising:
- extracting a portion of the nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil by contacting the shale oil with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil to form a nitrogen-lean shale oil;
- vaporizing a portion of the nitrogen-lean shale oil;
- and
- condensing the vaporized shale oil to form a shale oil condensate having a further reduced nitrogen content.
1 more element
A process for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil feed containing lighter and heavier compounds comprising:
- selectively removing lighter compounds containing nitrogen from a shale oil feed to form a nitrogen-depleted raffinate;
- heating the raffinate sufficiently to vaporize at least a portion of the remaining lighter compounds;
- and
- condensing the vaporized lighter compounds to form at least one shale oil distillate fraction having a further reduced nitrogen content.
1 more element
A process for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil comprising:
- contacting shale oil with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil for a time sufficient to form a nitrogen-lean raffinate and a nitrogen-rich extract;
- separating the nitrogen-lean raffinate from the nitrogen-rich extract;
- and
- distilling the nitrogen-lean raffinate to form a distillate having a further reduced nitrogen content which is collected in at least one fraction and a residue having an increased nitrogen content.
1 more element
A process for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil comprising:
- contacting in an extraction zone, shale oil with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil for a time sufficient to form nitrogen-lean shale oil and nitrogen-rich extract;
- separating the nitrogen-lean shale oil from the nitrogen-rich extract;
- passing the nitrogen-lean shale oil to a distillation zone wherein the nitrogen-lean shale oil is distilled to form a distillate having no more than about 3,000 ppm nitrogen and a bottoms having an increased nitrogen content;
- and
- hydrotreating the bottoms to reduce the nitrogen content of the bottoms.
2 more elements
A process for upgrading shale oil comprising:
- contacting a shale oil feed with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil for a time sufficient to form a nitrogen-rich extract comprising the extraction agent and nitrogen-containing compounds and a nitrogen-lean raffinate;
- separating the nitrogen-rich extract from the nitrogen-lean raffinate;
- removing at least a portion of the extraction agent from the extract to thereby form a high-nitrogen extract oil;
- distilling the nitrogen-lean raffinate to form a distillate having a nitrogen content of no more than about 3,000 ppm and a bottoms having an increased nitrogen content;
- and
- hydrotreating the bottom sufficiently to reduce the nitrogen content of the bottoms to no more than about 3,000 ppm.
3 more elements
A process for reducing the nitrogen content of shale oil comprising:
- introducing shale oil feed to an extraction zone containing a solvent which is substantially immiscible with said shale oil, said solvent comprising an organic acid component selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid and mixtures thereof, and contacting said solvent for a time sufficient to form a nitrogen-lean raffinate and a nitrogen-rich extract comprising solvent and nitrogen-containing compounds;
- separating the nitrogen-lean raffinate from the nitrogen-rich extract;
- distilling the nitrogen-rich extact to form a first solvent distillate comprising at least a portion of the organic acid component substantially free of nitrogen-containing compounds and a residue comprising a high-nitrogen extract oil;
- distilling the nitrogen-lean raffinate sufficiently to form a second solvent distillate comprising organic acid component that has dissolved in the raffinate and a shale oil distillate which is collected in a number of fractions wherein each fraction has a nitrogen content of no more than about 3,000 ppm, and a bottoms having a nitrogen content greater than that of the shale oil distillate;
- and
- hydrotreating the bottoms sufficiently to reduce the nitrogen content of the bottoms to no more than about 3,000 ppm.
3 more elements
A process for upgrading a shale oil feed containing lighter and heavier shale oil compounds containing nitrogen, the process comprising the steps of:
- mixing the shale oil feed with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting lighter shale oil compounds containing nitrogen from the shale oil feed for a time sufficient to form a nitrogen-rich extract comprising the extraction agent and extracted lighter shale oil compounds containing nitrogen and a nitrogen-lean raffinate comprising non-extracted shale oil compounds and dissolved extraction agent;
- separating the nitrogen-lean raffinate from the nitrogen-rich extract;
- removing at least a portion of the extraction agent from the extract to form a high-nitrogen extract oil comprising extracted lighter shale oil compounds containing nitrogen;
- removing at least a portion of the dissolved extraction agent from the nitrogen-lean raffinate to form a treated raffinate;
- heating the treated raffinate sufficiently to vaporize lighter shale oil compounds;
- condensing the vaporized lighter shale oil compounds in a number of fractions, each fraction having a nitrogen content of no more than about 3,000 ppm;
- and
- hydrotreating the remaining unvaporized heavier shale oil compounds to reduce the nitrogen content of the unvaporized heavier shale oil compounds to no more than about 3,000 ppm.
5 more elements
A process for upgrading shale oil comprising:
- contacting a shale oil feed with an extraction agent capable of selectively extracting nitrogen-containing compounds from shale oil for a time sufficient for the extraction agent to extract a portion of the nitrogen-containing compounds present in the shale oil feed to form a nitrogen-rich extract comprising the extraction agent and nitrogen-containing compounds and a nitrogen-lean raffinate;
- separating the nitrogen-rich extract from the nitrogen-lean raffinate;
- removing at least a portion of the extraction agent from the nitrogen-rich extract to thereby form a high-nitrogen extract oil;
- dealkylating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon compounds in the high-nitrogen extract oil to form gaseous light hydrocarbons;
- converting at least a portion of the gaseous lighter hydrocarbons to hydrogen and carbon dioxide by a steam reforming process;
- and
- separating the formed hydrogen from the carbon dioxide.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.