# US 9,039,890 B2 · Two-stage, close-coupled, dual-catalytic heavy oil hydroconversion process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,890 B2 - Document ID: US9039890B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/358,495 - Filed: 2012-01-25 - Published: 2012-05-17 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-30 - Assignees: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Applicants: Dennis R. Cash; Graham J. Forder; David S. Mitchell; Joel W. Rosenthal - Inventors: Dennis R. Cash; Graham J. Forder; David S. Mitchell; Joel W. Rosenthal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039890B2 ## CPC - C10G 65/12: including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps - C10G 1/002: {in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes} - C10G 65/02: plural serial stages only - C10G 65/10: including only cracking steps - C10G 2300/107: Atmospheric residues having a boiling point of at least about 538 °C - C10G 2300/1077: Vacuum residues - C10G 2300/205: Metal content - C10G 2300/206: Asphaltenes - C10G 2300/301: Boiling range - 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 ## Abstract A process for the production of high yields of high quality products from heavy hydrocarbonaceous feedstock comprising a two-stage, close-coupled process, wherein the first stage comprises a thermal-catalytic zone into which is introduced a mixture comprising the feedstock, coal, dispersed catalyst, and hydrogen; and the second, close-coupled stage comprises a catalytic-hydrotreating zone into which substantially all the effluent from the first stage is directly passed and processed under hydrotreating conditions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for conversion of heavy oils to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon products comprising: a) dispersing finely divided coal and catalyst in a heavy oil feedstock to obtain a dispersed mixture, wherein the amount of coal relative to the feedstock is from about 3 to 10 percent by weight and the amount of dispersed catalyst relative to the feedstock is from about 0.1 to 5 percent by weight, b) heating and passing the dispersed mixture together with hydrogen to a first reaction zone comprising one or more thermo-catalytic reactors, c) converting a portion of the coal into coal liquids in the first reaction zone, d) mixing heavy oils in the heavy oil feedstock, the coal liquids, and the dispersed catalyst in the first reaction zone to convert the heavy oils to an effluent comprising hydrocarbons boiling below 1000.degree. F., e) passing at least a portion of the effluent comprising hydrocarbons boiling below 1000.degree. F. reduced in temperature to a second reaction zone comprising one or more catalytic-hydrotreating reactors and having a supported hydrotreating catalyst, and f) recovering a product of the second reaction zone, wherein the first and second reaction zones are close-coupled and operated at elevated temperature and pressure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein substantially all effluent from the first reaction zone is passed into the second reaction zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein some gaseous product is removed from the effluent of the first reaction zone before passing the effluent to the second reaction zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the dispersed catalyst is oxides or sulfides of metals selected from the group consisting of Group V1b, V11b and V111b metals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the dispersed catalyst is either a synthetic catalyst or a naturally occurring material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 wherein the dispersed catalyst is limonite, a naturally occurring iron oxide/hydroxide mineral. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of said first reaction zone is maintained within a range of between 750.degree. F. and 900.degree. F. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of said first reaction zone is maintained within a range of between 800.degree. F. and 875.degree. F. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the product from the second reaction zone is separated into gaseous, liquid and liquid/solid bottom fractions and wherein a portion of the liquid fraction, the liquid/solid bottom fraction, or both is recycled back to a feed system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the product from the second reaction zone is separated into gaseous and liquid/solid bottom fractions and wherein a portion of a gaseous fraction containing hydrogen is recycled to the second reaction zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the product from the second reaction zone is separated into gaseous and liquid/solid bottom fractions and wherein a portion of a gaseous fraction containing hydrogen is recycled to the first reaction zone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the temperature of the second reaction zone is between 600.degree. F. and 800.degree. F. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the percentage of heavy oils in the feedstock converted to hydrocarbons boiling below 1000.degree. F. is at least 50 percent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the percentage of heavy oils in the feedstock converted to hydrocarbons boiling below 1000.degree. F. is at least 75 percent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said heavy oil feedstock is selected from the group consisting of crude petroleum, topped crude petroleum, reduced crudes, petroleum residua from atmospheric or vacuum distillations, solvent deasphalted tars and oils, and heavy hydrocarbonaceous liquids derived from coal, bitumen, or coal tar pitches. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said heavy oil feedstock is co-processed with oil selected from the group consisting of VGO, Coker Gas Oil, FCC Cycle Oil, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of catalyst relative to the feedstock is from about 0.5 to 1 percent by weight. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the residence time of the dispersed mixture in the first reaction zone is from about 0.5 to 3 hours. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the residence time of effluent in the second reaction zone is from about 0.3 to 4 hours. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supported hydrotreating catalyst in said second reaction zone is maintained in a fixed, ebullated or moving bed within the reaction zone. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process is maintained at a hydrogen partial pressure from about 35 atmospheres to 300 atmospheres. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising converting a portion of the coal into coal ash in the first reaction zone. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The process as claimed in claim 22 further comprising substantially removing metal contaminants in the feedstock in the first reaction zone by sequestering the metal contaminants with the coal ash.