Process for treating heavy oil

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for hydroprocessing heavy oil under process intensification conditions to form an upgraded hydrocarbon product.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 250,282, filed Oct. 9, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates to a process for treating heavy oil. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for upgrading heavy oil by hydroprocessing the oil using process intensification techniques.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Untreated heavy oils are typically in the form of a dark brown, free-flowing liquids. Unconventional sources of these heavy oils include those made from the gasification, pyrolysis or liquefaction of carbonaceous materials such as coal, shale, tar sand, bitumen, biomass, and the like. These unconventional heavy oil sources are often distributed in locations far from large central processing facilities that are required to upgrade these oils to useful products such as middle distillate fuels, and the like. Additionally many of these oils...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]The problem relates to providing a viable process for upgrading heavy oil to produce useful hydrocarbon products such as middle distillate fuels and the like, using equipment that is modular or relatively small in size so that the process can be conducted economically at locations closer to the source of the heavy oil and thus avoid the problems of storage and transportation incurred when using large central processing facilities. It would be advantageous if the equipment could be readily adapted to process the heavy oil at any desired production volume. This invention provides a solution to this problem. With the present invention, heavy oil is upgraded to form useful hydrocarbon products by hydroprocessing the oil using process intensification techniques. Heavy oil in the form of a liquid, vapor or combination thereof may be treated using the inventive process.

[0039]With the inventive process, increased process efficiency may be achieved as a result of relatively high mass and energy transfer rates that can be achieved as a result of conducting the process under process intensification conditions. This may provide for the following advantages when compared to conventional processing:

[0042]increased processing windows and operational flexibility (opportunities to operate at lower pressures and temperatures),

[0050]These benefits can eliminate cost and distribution issues that often constrain operation, allowing energy to be produced on site, adopting readily available, local and renewable feedstocks that may include agricultural resources, waste and / or other biological materials, as well as coal, shale, tar sand, bitumen, biomass, and the like.

Problems solved by technology

The problem relates to providing a viable process for upgrading heavy oil to produce useful hydrocarbon products such as middle distillate fuels and the like, using equipment that is modular or relatively small in size so that the process can be conducted economically at locations closer to the source of the heavy oil and thus avoid the problems of storage and transportation incurred when using large central processing facilities.

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