Supercritical Water Processing of Extra Heavy Crude in a Slurry-Phase Up-Flow Reactor System

Abstract

A system and method for upgrading heavy crude oil. The system comprises: a system for blending a catalyst with the heavy crude to produce a crude / catalyst slurry, a source of supercritical water, a system for blending the supercritical water with the crude / catalyst slurry, infecting the feed slurry into the bottom of an tip-flow reactor, carrying out a reaction between the water and the crude to produce treated hydrocarbons, and separating the treated hydrocarbons into a heavy stream and a light stream. The first separator is in fluid communication with the tipper half of the reactor. A second separator receives the light stream and separates it into gases, liquid hydrocarbons, and water. A system and method of generating hydrogen for the process through in situ shift reaction, generating carbon monoxide either in situ through the injection of air inside the reactor or externally by gasification of unreacted resid or produced gases.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not Applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not Applicable.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The present invention relates generally to a reactor system and apparatus for treating extra heavy crude petroleum using supercritical water in a slurry-phase up-flow reactor system. More specifically, this invention provides a process for upgrading extra heavy hydrocarbon crudes into lighter hydrocarbon synthetic crudes having lower viscosities and high enough API gravities to allow the synthetic crude to be transported in a pipeline. In particular, the present invention is directed to a reactor that combines thermal and catalytic treatment of heavy petroleum crude in a slurry phase reactor, in which a feed comprising hydrocarbons, catalyst and supercritical water is fed into the bottom of the reactor and products are removed from the top.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]Current technologies for converting heavy ...

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Benefits of technology

[0007]The present invention provides a process and apparatus for simultaneous and combined thermal and catalytic treatment of extra heavy crude oil in a slurry phase reactor that avoids the problems inherent with fixed bed catalyst reactors. The present invention uses a slurry-phase up-flow reactor that provides more efficient use of catalyst and easier recovery of reaction products. By using a single reactor vessel and providing improved operating life, the present concept can produce products with essentially the sane products at lower investment and operating costs.

[0008]The present invention allows a cost-effective and efficient conversion of extra heavy hydrocarbon crudes, tar sands and bitumens. More specifically, this invention provides a process for converting hydrocarbons with a relatively cheaper source of hydrogen, in the presence of supercritical water and a suitable catalyst. Alternatively, hydrogen can also be produced in-situ through a shift reaction i.e., reaction of carbon monoxide with water, either through the production of CO by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons through the injection of air / oxygen into the system or by injection of CO produced externally in a gasifier by gasifying unconverted residue or product gas. In this process a heavy hydrocarbon crude having a high viscosity and low API is converted into a lighter synthetic hydrocarbon crude having a lower viscosity and an API gravity high enough to allow the synthetic crude to be transported through a pipeline. The upgraded liquid stream is sometimes referred to in the industry as “Synthetic Crude Oil” and can be pipelined to a refinery for further treatment, such as the production of transportation fuel.

Problems solved by technology

For example, in some systems, a liquid petroleum feedstock is cracked in a down-flow fixed-bed reactor.

This type of system is vulnerable to coking and may require frequent catalyst replacement.

Other problems include flooding of the catalyst bed and plugging of the catalyst bed with metals present in the heavy oil.

In addition, current crude conversion technologies are capital intensive and require a sophisticated refinery infrastructure including hydrogen plants, fuel, and feed for the production of hydrogen or a source of hydrogen.

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