# US 8,784,646 B2 · Residue conversion process that includes a deasphalting stage and a hydroconversion stage with recycling of deasphalted oil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,646 B2 - Document ID: US8784646B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/226,582 - Filed: 2011-09-07 - Published: 2012-03-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-07 - Assignees: Ifp Energies Nouvelles - Applicants: Eric Sanchez; Jan Verstraete - Inventors: Eric Sanchez; Jan Verstraete - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784646B2 ## CPC - C10G 21/003: {Solvent de-asphalting} - C10G 67/0463: {The hydrotreatment being a hydrorefining} - C10G 67/049: {The hydrotreatment being a hydrocracking} - B01J 21/04: Alumina - B01J 23/85: Chromium, molybdenum or tungsten - B01J 23/883: and nickel - C10G 2300/107: Atmospheric residues having a boiling point of at least about 538 °C - C10G 2300/1074: Vacuum distillates - C10G 2300/1077: Vacuum residues - C10G 2300/202: Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P - C10G 2300/205: Metal content - C10G 2300/206: Asphaltenes - C10G 2300/301: Boiling range - C10G 2300/4018: Spatial velocity, e.g. LHSV, WHSV - C10G 2300/4081: Recycling aspects - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract For conversion of crude oil or a heavy hydrocarbon fraction having an initial boiling point of at least 300° C., conducting a catalytic hydroconversion in a three-phase reactor operating in a boiling bed with an upward flow of liquid and gas, separating resultant effluent into a light liquid fraction boiling at less than 300° C. and a heavy liquid fraction boiling above 300° C., deasphalting the heavy liquid fraction to obtain a deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction and residual asphalt, and recycling at least one portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction upstream of the hydroconversion stage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for conversion of a feedstock containing crude oil or of a heavy hydrocarbon fraction that is obtained from atmospheric and/or vacuum distillation of a crude oil and that has an initial boiling point of at least 300° C., said process comprising: a) hydroconverting of at least one portion of said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one three-phase reactor, whereby said reactor contains at least one hydroconversion catalyst and operates in a boiling bed, with an upward flow of liquid and gas, and comprises at least one line capable of drawing off said catalyst outside of said reactor and at least one fresh catalyst make-up line in said reactor, under conditions that make it possible to obtain a liquid feedstock with a reduced content of Conradson carbon, metals, sulfur and nitrogen, b) separating of the effluent that is obtained from a) obtaining a light liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is less than 300° C. and a heavy liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is greater than 300° C., c) deasphalting of at least one portion of the heavy liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is greater than 300° C. obtained from b) obtaining a deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction and residual asphalt, said process being conducted without an intermediate atmospheric or vacuum distillation stage, d) recycling of at least one portion of deasphalted hydrocarbon that is obtained from c) and mixing with said feedstock upstream from the hydroconversion a). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the heavy hydrocarbon fraction consists of vacuum residues that have a sulfur content of at least 0.5% by weight, a Conradson carbon content of at least 5% by weight, a C7 asphaltene content of at least 1% by weight, and a metal content of at least 20 ppm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the hydroconversion a) operates under an absolute pressure of between 2 and 35 MPa, at a temperature that is between 300 and 550° C., at an hourly volumetric flow rate (VVH) of between 0.1 h−1 and 10 h−1, and—under a quantity of hydrogen that is mixed with the feedstock—is preferably between 50 and 5,000 normal cubic meters (Nm3) per cubic meter (m3) of liquid feedstock. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the hydroconversion catalyst is a catalyst that comprises an alumina substrate and at least one metal of group VIII that is nickel or cobalt, whereby said metal of group VIII is used in association with at least one metal of group VIB that is molybdenum or tungsten. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the effluent that is obtained from stage a) undergoes a separation stage for obtaining a light liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is less than 350° C. and a heavy liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is greater than 350° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process according to claim 5, in which effluent that is obtained from a) undergoes a separation obtaining a light liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is less than 375° C. and a heavy liquid fraction that boils at a temperature that is greater than 375° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which at least one portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction DAO that is obtained from c) is recycled upstream from hydroconversion a), mixed with at least one portion of light liquid fraction that is obtained from b), and mixed with the feedstock. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which a portion of deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction that is not recycled upstream from the hydroconversion a) is sent, mixed with at least one portion of light liquid fraction that is obtained from b), into post-treatment units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the feedstock that is introduced into the hydroconversion a) is a vacuum residue that is obtained from atmospheric and vacuum distillation of a crude oil prior to the hydroconversion a), and the entirety of said deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction that is obtained from deasphalting c) is recycled, either upstream from a primary atmospheric distillation column or upstream from a primary vacuum fractionation column. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the feedstock that is introduced into the hydroconversion a) is a crude oil, and at least one portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction that is obtained from deasphalting c) is recycled and sent directly to the input of the hydroconversion a). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, in which the feedstock that is introduced into the hydroconversion a) is an atmospheric residue that is obtained from an atmospheric distillation stage of a crude oil prior to the hydroconversion a), and at least one portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction is recycled upstream from a primary atmospheric distillation column, in a mixture with at least one portion of light liquid fraction that is obtained from separation b). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11, wherein the entire light liquid fraction is recycled in a mixture with the deasphalted hydrocarbon fraction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein a, b and c are conducted in the same unit reaction section.