Process for hydroconversion of petroleum feedstocks via a slurry technology allowing the recovery of metals from the catalyst and from the feedstock using a coking step

Abstract

A process for hydroconversion of heavy petroleum feedstocks comprising a hydroconversion step of the feedstock in at least one reactor containing a slurry catalyst and allowing the recovery of metals in the unconverted residual fraction, in particular those used as catalysts, The process comprises a hydroconversion step, a gas / liquid separation step, a coking step, a combustion step, a metals extraction step and a step of preparing catalytic solutions which are recycled to the hydroconversion step.

Description

[0001]The invention relates to a process for hydroconversion of heavy petroleum feedstocks to lighter products, which can be upcycled as fuels and / or raw materials for the petrochemicals industry. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for hydroconversion of heavy petroleum feedstocks comprising a step of hydroconversion of the feedstock in at least one reactor containing a slurry catalyst and allowing the recovery of metals from the unconverted residual fraction, in particular those used as catalysts, in order to re-use them in catalytic solutions and recycle them upstream of the slurry conversion process. The process comprises a hydroconversion step, a gas / liquid separation step, a coking step, a combustion step, a metals extraction step and a step of preparing catalytic solution(s) which is / are recycled to the hydroconversion step.[0002]Heavy petroleum feedstocks can be converted to liquid products by means of thermal treatments or hydrogenation treatments, also ca...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]c) a step of coking of said residual fraction as obtained in step b) and / or of said vacuum residue as obtained in step b′) making it possible to obtain a solid effluent containing coke,

[0055]The residual fraction originating from the separation without decompression (via the HPHT separator for example) and / or the vacuum residue fraction from the separation under vacuum (for example drawn off at the bottom of the vacuum distillation unit) are then directed towards a coking type thermal conversion step. The objective of this step is to concentrate the metals in the effluent to be subsequently treated by combustion, by reducing its quantity, and to maximize the yield of liquid effluents for the hydrotreatment and / or hydrocracking treatment.

Problems solved by technology

The specific nature of the slurry processes being to have a finely dispersed catalyst not supported on a mineral phase makes the recovery of the metals much more complex than that of the supported refining catalysts used conventionally.

The challenge for the industrial development of the processes for hydroconversion by slurry technology is the need to recover and recycle the metals originating from the catalysts.

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