Processes for handling heavy oil or bitumen or mixtures of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen

Abstract

Heavy oil or asphalt, or a mixture of heavy oil and asphalt, or a mixture of a diluent and heavy oil or asphalt, is processed to separate the components of the feed oil and initiate reactions that crack the heavy oil or asphalt into lighter components. This heated, inclined double-tube unit features an inner tube into which the feed oil enters and opens midway through the outer tube. Vaporized oil continues upward within the outer tube, while the liquid oil product flows downward into the annular space between the inner and outer tubes. The vaporized oil condenses outside the double-tube unit to produce a liquid oil product. Heat exchange can be performed between the product and the inlet feed oil to improve the unit's energy efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of processing heavy oil and / or bitumen and a mixture of a diluent (solvent) and the heavy oil and / or bitumen into light oil components and distillates and heavy oil products having increased value and being easier to transport or handle. Background Art

[0002] Oil is produced worldwide and converted into transportation fuels and materials for the petrochemical or construction industries. Oil is typically transported in liquid form via trucks, railcars, or pipelines.

[0003] Heavy oil and asphalt are thick oils with viscosities typically greater than 100 centipoise, often greater than 1000 centipoise, and are usually transported by truck or rail car or pipeline or tanker. Heavy oil can have a viscosity of thousands to tens of thousands of centipoise, and asphalt can have a viscosity of hundreds of thousands to millions of centipoise.

[0004] To meet pipeline flow regulations, heavy oil and asphalt must be diluted with a diluent or solvent to meet viscosity, density, and other pipeline transport specifications. This increases the handling and transportation costs of heavy oil and asphalt. Typically, this mixture of heavy oil or asphalt and solvent is called dilbit. The diluent or solvent mixed with the heavy oil or asphalt is typically composed of natural gas condensate.

[0005] For railcar transport, the heavy oil and bitumen must be placed in heating tanks to enable the oil to be heated for unloading from the railcar.

[0006] Heavy oil and bitumen are processed by upgrading to synthetic crude oil and subsequently refining it into feedstock for transportation fuels and the petrochemical industry. This is done in large-scale upgrading plants where hydrocracking (adding hydrogen) or coking (removing carbon) is performed to produce synthetic crude oil.

[0007] There is a constant need to increase the value of crude heavy oil and asphalt. Due to their naturally high viscosity, heavy oil and asphalt are typically less valuable than conventional, low-viscosity oils. Typically, heavy oil or asphalt is upgraded to produce synthetic crude oil, which can then be refined to produce transportation fuels.

[0008] There is a long-standing need to safely transport heavy oil and bitumen to upgrading plants, refineries, and petrochemical plants. Transporting heavy oil and bitumen in liquid form, with or without solvent diluents, presents risks for all known modes of transportation, including trucks, trains, pipelines, or ships. These risks include health, safety, and environmental risks that could harm humans, processing plants, animals, and ecosystems (e.g., rivers and land). Therefore, safer methods for transporting heavy oil and bitumen are needed.

[0009] The ingenuity of the process described herein lies in the conversion of heavy oil or bitumen, or a mixture of heavy oil or bitumen and a diluent, to produce valuable distillate oil products and heavy oil cut products.

[0010] Distillate oil products have low viscosities, typically less than 50 centipoise, are easily transported by pipeline, and can be used as a diluent to mix with heavy oil or asphalt for transportation, or as an oil product used as a feedstock for refineries.

[0011] The heavy oil fraction product may be shipped in heated form as a feedstock for heavy oil products including asphalt, tar, asphalt binder, asphalt additive, coking feed, or fuel.

[0012] The heavy oil fraction product can be transported in a semi-solid form by converting it into pellets. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Generally speaking, this specification describes an apparatus for processing heavy oil or bitumen or a mixture of the two (collectively referred to as source oil) or a mixture of a diluent and source oil (referred to as diluent oil).

[0014] The method taught herein comprises a heated, inclined, double-tube unit, in which feed oil enters the unit through an inner tube and opens midway through an outer tube. Vaporized oil continues upward within the outer tube, while liquid oil product flows downward into the annular space between the inner and outer tubes. The vaporized oil condenses outside the double-tube unit to produce a liquid oil product. Heat exchange can be performed between the product and the inlet feed oil to improve the unit's energy efficiency.

[0015] The external temperature of the outer tube is maintained at a specific temperature, typically between 150 and 450°C, depending on the characteristics of the feed oil.

[0016] If heavy oil or bitumen (source oil) is fed into the unit, the output products from the unit consist of a light distillate product and a heavy oil fraction product. The chemical changes that occur to the heavy oil or bitumen include thermal cracking (pyrolysis).

[0017] If diluted oil (heavy oil or bitumen mixed with a diluent) is fed into the unit, the output products from the unit may be diluent and heavy oil or bitumen. Chemical changes that occur to the diluted oil include distillation.

[0018] If diluted oil (heavy oil or bitumen mixed with a diluent) is fed into the unit, the products output from the unit may be diluent, a light distillate product, and a heavy oil fraction product. Chemical changes to the diluted oil include distillation and thermal cracking (pyrolysis).

[0019] Materials can be added to the oil fed to the unit to help convert the oil into new products. Examples include hydrogen or hydrogen donors, methane, ethane, butane and other alkanes, or aromatic solvents.

[0020] Downstream of the double pipe unit, the heavy oil fraction product can be formed into pellets for transportation.

[0021] Downstream of the double-pipe unit, the light oil product consisting of diluent and distillate can be separated by distillation.

[0022] The process can also be used with residual oil fractions from upgrading and refining plants or mixtures of solvents or diluents with residual oil fractions.

[0023] Multiple units can be used in parallel to produce different petroleum products from one source oil.

[0024] In accordance with the foregoing, there is provided a method and apparatus for treating heavy oil or bitumen or a mixture of heavy oil and bitumen or a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen, the apparatus comprising:

[0025] A tilted double-tube device in which the inner tube fits inside the outer tube, the inner tube is inserted from the bottom of the outer tube, and the inner tube is shorter than the outer tube;

[0026] The double-tube device is heated;

[0027] Heavy oil or asphalt or a mixture of heavy oil and asphalt or a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or asphalt flows continuously from the bottom through the inner pipe into the device;

[0028] the petroleum product produced in the plant is produced in a double-pipe plant; and

[0029] The light final product produced flows out from the top of the outer tube, and the heavy fraction product produced flows out from the bottom of the outer tube.

[0030] The inner tube can, for example, have an outer diameter of between 10% and 90% of the inner diameter of the outer tube; preferably, the outer diameter of the inner tube is between 40% and 60% of the inner diameter of the outer tube.

[0031] The inner tube can be inserted into the outer tube with its outlet in the outer tube being between 20% and 80% of the length of the outer tube; the preferred length of the inner tube in the outer tube is between 50% and 65% of the length of the outer tube.

[0032] The double-tube arrangement may, for example, be inclined between 20° and 90° relative to the horizontal; a preferred inclination angle relative to the horizontal is between 40° and 60°.

[0033] The temperature of the double-tube device can be maintained, for example, at a defined temperature at which separation into individual light and heavy fractions is achieved by vaporization of the feed oil components; preferably between 150 and 500° C., more particularly preferably between 230 and 480° C.

[0034] The double tube apparatus can be operated, for example, at a temperature at which a thermal cracking reaction is achieved within the double tube apparatus; preferably the temperature is between 250 and 500°C, more particularly preferably between 300 and 480°C.

[0035] The outlet positions at the top and bottom of the outer tube can be located, for example, at a distance from the end of the outer tube equal to or less than five times the diameter of the outer tube; the preferred position is a distance from the end of the outer tube equal to or less than two times the diameter of the outer tube.

[0036] The light oil product from the top of the double-pipe unit can be sent to another double-pipe unit to achieve further separation of the light oil product into a lighter light oil product and a heavy fraction product.

[0037] The heavy distillate oil product from the bottom of the double-pipe unit can be sent to another double-pipe unit to achieve further separation of the heavy distillate oil product into a light oil product and a heavier heavy distillate product.

[0038] The products of multiple dual-pipe units can be used as feed oil for other multiple dual-pipe units to obtain multiple light oil and heavy distillate products, each product coming from a different unit.

[0039] A condenser may be used to condense the light oil product into a liquid.

[0040] The output stream from the dual tube unit array may be used as a feed stream to one or more other dual tube units for producing light and heavy distillate products.

[0041] The mixture of oil and water can be transported to the double-pipe device to separate the oil and water.

[0042] A hydrogen source may be added to the feed oil to increase the yield of the upgraded oil product; the preferred hydrogen source is hydrogen gas.

[0043] A catalyst may be placed within the inner tube or within the annular space between the inner and outer tubes to increase the yield of upgraded petroleum products.

[0044] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the following description. Other features and advantages will become apparent from reading the specification and claims. The contents of the patents and non-patent documents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The features and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will become apparent through the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] Figure 1 The process described herein for processing heavy oil or bitumen (source oil) into a light distillate oil product and a heavy oil fraction product is shown.

[0047] Figure 2 The method described herein for processing a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluent oil) into diluent and heavy oil or bitumen is shown.

[0048] Figure 3 The process described herein for processing a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluent oil) into diluent, a light distillate oil product, and a heavy oil fraction product is shown.

[0049] Figure 4 The process described herein for processing a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluent oil) into diluent, a light distillate oil product, and a heavy oil fraction product is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The present description relates to a method and apparatus for processing heavy oil or bitumen into more valuable products, including a light distillate oil product and a heavy oil fraction product.

[0051] The methods and apparatus described herein may be used to process heavy oil or bitumen or a mixture of the two, or a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen.

[0052] The processing of heavy oil or bitumen, or a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (collectively referred to as feed oil), involves heating the feed oil to a specified temperature. The heating causes the separation of light oil components from the feed oil phase and thermal cracking (pyrolysis) of some fractions of the feed oil into the light oil components, with the remaining product of the thermal cracking being a heavy oil fraction product.

[0053] This method takes a different approach: an inclined, inner-outer dual-tube unit arrangement, where the feed oil enters the unit through the inner tube. The oil is heated to the target temperature before exiting the inner tube within the outer tube. The vaporized oil continues upward along the outer tube, while the liquid oil exits downward through the annular space between the inner and outer tubes. Heat is applied directly to the outer wall of the unit—this can be achieved through either electrical or natural gas heating.

[0054] Throughout the specification, many terms and expressions are used according to their ordinary meanings. The following provides definitions of some additional terms and expressions used in the subsequent description.

[0055] "Oil" is a naturally occurring unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon components.

[0056] "Bitumen" and "heavy oil" are typically distinguished from other petroleum products based on their density and viscosity. "Heavy oil" is generally classified as having a density between 920 and 1000 kg / m³. "Bitumen" typically has a density greater than 1000 kg / m³. For the purposes of this specification, the terms "oil," "bitumen," and "heavy oil" are used interchangeably, thus encompassing each other. For example, when the term "bitumen" is used alone, its scope includes "heavy oil."

[0057] "Cracking" refers to the breaking apart of larger hydrocarbon chains into smaller compounds.

[0058] Figure 1 One embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention for processing heavy oil or bitumen or a mixture of the two (referred to as feed oil) is shown. Figure 1 In the illustrated method and apparatus, feed oil flows into the inner tube of an inclined dual-tube unit and upward along the inner tube. As the oil flows through the inner tube, it is heated to the target temperature within the unit. The unit temperature is maintained between 300 and 500°C, most preferably between 350 and 450°C. The feed oil is thermally cracked within the inner tube, with some fraction of the oil converted into a vaporized light oil distillate product. This product flows from the upper outlet of the inner tube into the outer tube, then out the top of the outer tube, where it condenses into a liquid light distillate product. The remaining liquid oil exiting the inner tube flows downward into the annular space between the inner and outer tubes and is further thermally cracked into steam. This steam rises along the annular space until it exits the outer tube and condenses to produce a light distillate product. The remaining heavy oil fraction product is discharged from the annular space through an outlet at the bottom of the outer tube.

[0059] Figure 1 The device described in the embodiment is inclined at 20° to 90° relative to the horizontal direction, preferably at 30° to 70° relative to the horizontal direction, and more preferably at 40° to 60° relative to the horizontal direction.

[0060] Occurs in Figure 1 The thermal cracking reaction in the device shown starts in the inner tube and continues in the annular space between the inner and outer tubes.

[0061] The outlet position of the inner tube within the outer tube is between the upper 25% and 90% of the outer tube length, preferably between the upper 50% and 80% of the outer tube length, more preferably between the upper 50% and 65% of the outer tube length.

[0062] The upper outlet and lower outlet of the vaporized oil product and the heavy oil fraction product are located at or near the top and bottom of the outer tube, respectively. Preferably, the length of these outlets from the end of the outer tube is equal to or less than twice the diameter of the outer tube.

[0063] Hydrogen may be added to the inlet feed oil to support the hydrogenation reaction within the unit.

[0064] The tubes may be provided with a catalyst, such as a nickel-based or palladium-based catalyst, to support upgrading of the feed oil.

[0065] Figure 2 Another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluted oil) is fed into the inner pipe.

[0066] exist Figure 2 In the described method and apparatus, diluted oil flows into the inner tube of an inclined dual-tube unit and flows upward along the inner tube. As the oil flows through the inner tube, it is heated to the target temperature within the unit. The unit temperature is maintained between 150 and 350°C, most preferably between 200 and 300°C. The feed oil is heated sufficiently so that a portion of the diluent in the diluent oil fed to the unit vaporizes in the inner tube. The vapor exits the upper outlet of the inner tube and enters the outer tube, then exits the top of the outer tube, condensing into a liquid diluent product. The remaining liquid oil, consisting of residual diluent and heavy oil or liquid asphalt, flows downward into the annular space between the inner and outer tubes after exiting the inner tube and is further processed to vaporize the remaining diluent in the liquid oil. The diluent rises in the annular space until it exits the outer tube and is condensed to produce a liquid diluent product. The heavy oil or asphalt exits the annular space at the bottom of the outer tube through the outer tube and through the outlet.

[0067] Figure 2 The device described in the embodiment is inclined at 20° to 90° relative to the horizontal direction, preferably at 30° to 70° relative to the horizontal direction, and more preferably at 40° to 60° relative to the horizontal direction.

[0068] Occurs in Figure 2 The phase change (vaporization) in the device shown starts in the inner tube and continues in the annular space between the inner and outer tubes.

[0069] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the outlet position of the inner tube within the outer tube is between the upper 25% and 90% of the length of the outer tube, preferably between the upper 50% and 80% of the length of the outer tube, and more preferably between the upper 50% and 65% of the length of the outer tube.

[0070] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper outlet and the lower outlet for the diluent product and the heavy oil or bitumen product are located at or near the top and bottom ends of the outer tube, respectively. Preferably, the length of these outlets from the end of the outer tube is equal to or less than twice the diameter of the outer tube.

[0071] Figure 3 Another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluted oil) is fed into the inner pipe.

[0072] exist Figure 3 In the described method and apparatus, diluted oil flows into the inner tube of an inclined dual-tube device and flows upward along the inner tube. As the oil flows through the inner tube, it is heated to the target temperature within the unit. The unit temperature is maintained between 150 and 500°C, most preferably between 250 and 450°C. The feed oil is heated sufficiently so that a portion of the diluent in the diluent oil fed to the unit vaporizes within the inner tube. The vapor flows from the upper outlet of the inner tube and into the outer tube, then flows out of the top of the outer tube and condenses into a liquid diluent product. Simultaneously, the heavy oil or asphalt flowing within the inner tube is thermally cracked, and some fractions of the oil are converted within the inner tube into a vaporized light oil distillate product. This vaporized light oil distillate product flows from the upper outlet of the inner tube and into the outer tube, then flows out of the top of the outer tube and condenses into a liquid distillate product. After exiting the inner tube, the remaining liquid oil, consisting of residual diluent and heavy oil or liquid asphalt, flows downward into the annular space between the inner and outer tubes and is further processed to vaporize the residual diluent in the liquid oil. This diluent rises in the annular space until it exits the outer tube and is condensed to produce a liquid diluent product. Simultaneously, the liquid oil flows downward along the annular space between the inner and outer tubes and is further thermally cracked into steam. This steam rises in the annular space until it exits the outer tube and is condensed to produce a light distillate product. The heavy oil distillate product flows out of the annular space at the bottom of the outer tube through the outer tube and through an outlet.

[0073] Figure 3 The device described in the embodiment is inclined at 20° to 90° relative to the horizontal direction, preferably at 30° to 70° relative to the horizontal direction, and more preferably at 40° to 60° relative to the horizontal direction.

[0074] Occurs in Figure 3 The phase change (vaporization) in the device shown starts in the inner tube and continues in the annular space between the inner and outer tubes.

[0075] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment, the outlet position of the inner tube within the outer tube is between the upper 25% and 90% of the length of the outer tube, preferably between the upper 50% and 80% of the length of the outer tube, and more preferably between the upper 50% and 65% of the length of the outer tube.

[0076] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper outlet and the lower outlet for the diluent product and the heavy oil or bitumen product are located at or near the top and bottom ends of the outer tube, respectively. Preferably, the length of these outlets from the end of the outer tube is equal to or less than twice the diameter of the outer tube.

[0077] Figure 4 Another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen (diluted oil) is fed into the inner pipe.

[0078] exist Figure 4 In the described method and apparatus, feed oil (crude heavy oil or bitumen, or a diluent or a mixture of diluent and heavy oil or bitumen) flows into the inner tube of a first inclined dual-tube unit and upwards into the inner tube. As described above, the feed oil is separated into light and heavy fractions using an inclined pipe-in-pipe arrangement, but in this case, the light oil product flows to the second unit, while the heavy fraction flows to the other unit. In this way, multiple units can be connected together to form a unit array, where the output product from one unit is fed into other units to produce further products.

[0079] Many details are provided for the purpose of illustration, but the method can be implemented without some or all of the features discussed herein. For the sake of clarity, known technical materials in the field related to the method are not discussed in detail.

[0080] Heat to the outer pipe can be transferred by a variety of methods, including induction heating, heating tape, steam heating, natural gas heating, and electric resistance heating.

[0081] Before entering the inclined dual-tube device, the feed oil or diluent oil can be preheated to a temperature close to the operating temperature of the device. The temperature can be 150-500°C lower than the operating temperature of the device, preferably 10-20°C lower. The exhaust fluid stream can be used to exchange heat with the feed oil to improve the thermal efficiency of the device.

[0082] While this description describes specific embodiments and examples of the methods and processes discussed herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for continuously fractionating hydrocarbons, comprising: providing a hydrocarbon feed fluid comprising a heavy oil component and a light distillate component; Feeding the hydrocarbon feed fluid upward into an inner inlet pipe of an upwardly inclined double-pipe device, the double-pipe device being inclined upward at 30° to 70° from the horizontal, the inner inlet pipe being accommodated within an annular outer pipe, the space between the inner inlet pipe and the outer pipe forming an annular space in fluid communication with the inlet pipe, the upper end of the inner inlet pipe terminating at an open inlet pipe upper end within the outer pipe, the upper portion of the outer pipe extending above and beyond the open inlet pipe upper end, so that the hydrocarbon feed fluid exits the open inlet pipe upper end and flows downward into the annular space; externally heating a lower portion of the outer pipe so that hydrocarbon feed fluid flowing downwardly in the annular space is heated to form heated hydrocarbon fluid in the annular space, the heated hydrocarbon fluid thereby providing countercurrent heating of the hydrocarbon feed fluid in the inner inlet pipe; maintaining fractionation conditions within the annular space such that the heated hydrocarbon fluid is thermally fractionated into a volatile upward gaseous fluid stream and a residual downward liquid fluid stream, the gaseous fluid comprising the light fraction and the liquid fluid comprising the heavy oil component, the fractionation conditions including an effective residence time of the heated hydrocarbon fluid within the annular space of 1 to 20 minutes; collecting the light fraction component from the light fraction outlet at the upper end of the outer tube; and The heavy oil component is collected from a heavy oil outlet at the lower end of the annular space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the double tube device is tilted upward at 45° from the horizontal.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper portion of the outer tube extending above and beyond the open inlet tube upper end is one-third to two-thirds the length of the annular space.

4. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer pipe has a full effective length from the heavy oil outlet to the light fraction outlet, and the lower portion of the outer pipe to which external heating is applied is the bottom third of the full effective length of the outer pipe.

5. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrocarbon feed fluid comprises asphalt.

6. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrocarbon feed fluid comprises a hydrocarbon diluent.

7. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fractionation conditions include a fractionation temperature between 150°C and 500°C.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the fractionation temperature is between 230°C and 480°C.

9. The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a condenser positioned to condense the light fraction into a light fraction liquid product.

10. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrocarbon feed fluid comprises a water component, and the collected light fraction comprises at least a portion of the water component, thereby separating the oil and water components of the hydrocarbon feed fluid.

11. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein a hydrogen source is added to the hydrocarbon feed fluid, and the fractionation conditions are effective to react the hydrogen source with the heated hydrocarbon fluid to provide an upgraded oil product in the heavy oil component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the hydrogen source comprises hydrogen gas.

13. The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising providing a catalyst on a surface of the inner tube or the annular space, wherein the fractionation conditions are effective for the catalyst to promote a reaction in the heated hydrocarbon fluid to provide a catalytically upgraded oil product in the heavy oil component.

14. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of inclined double-pipe devices operated in series, the heavy oil component collected from one inclined double-pipe device being used as the hydrocarbon feed fluid for consecutive inclined double-pipe devices in the series.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the effective residence time is 1 to 10 minutes.

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