Integrated Solvent Deasphalting and Slurry Hydrocracking Process

Abstract

Integrated slurry hydrocracking (SHC) and coking methods for making slurry hydrocracking (SHC) distillates are disclosed. Representative methods involve passing a slurry comprising a deasphalted oil (DAO) produced in a solvent deasphalting (SDA) process, optionally with recycled SHC gas oil and recycled SHC pitch, and a solid particulate through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to obtain the SHC distillate. Recovery and recycle of SHC gas oil and pitch from the SHC effluent improves the overall conversion to naphtha and distillate products and decreases catalyst requirements.

1 . An integrated process for preparing a slurry hydrocracking (SHC) distillate, the process comprising:
 (a) passing a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a deasphalted oil (DAO) through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to provide an SHC effluent; and   (b) recovering said SHC distillate from said SHC effluent.   
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (a), subjecting a vacuum distillation column residue to solvent deasphalting (SDA) in the presence of a solvent to obtain said DAO and an SDA pitch. 
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is present as a slurry, in combination with a solid particulate, in said SHC reaction zone. 
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein said solid particulate comprises a compound of a metal of Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB, Group VIIB, or Group VIII. 
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises at least one liquid product recovered from said SHC effluent and recycled to said SHC reaction zone. 
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein said liquid product is selected from the group consisting of an SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid, an SHC gas oil, an SHC pitch, recycled portions thereof, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises both a recycled portion of an SHC gas oil and a recycled portion of an SHC pitch obtained from vacuum column distillation of an SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid. 
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said liquid product comprises (i) a recycled portion of an SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid, (ii) a recycled portion of an SHC gas oil, and (iii) a recycled portion of an SHC pitch, wherein (ii) and (iii) are obtained from fractionation of a non-recycled portion of said SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid. 
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein, said SHC distillate is separated, as a lower boiling component, from an SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid by flash separation or fractionation of said SHC effluent. 
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said SHC gas oil has a distillation end point temperature from about 427° C. (800° F.) to about 538° C. (1000° F.). 
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises an SHC pitch obtained from vacuum column distillation of an SHC high pressure separator bottoms, and wherein a non-recycled portion of said SHC pitch is removed as a solid particulate drag stream. 
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein said non-recycled portion of said SHC pitch removed as a solid particulate drag stream represents less than about 70% of said SHC pitch obtained from vacuum column distillation of said SHC high pressure separator bottoms. 
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein said SHC pitch comprises hydrocarbons boiling at a temperature of greater than about 538° C. (1000° F.). 
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said SHC reaction zone is maintained at a temperature from about 343° C. (650° F.) to about 593° C. (1100° F.), a pressure from about 3.5 MPa (500 psig) to about 21 MPa (3000 psig), and a space velocity from about 1 to about 30 volumes of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock per hour per volume of said SHC zone. 
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a conversion of said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to hydrocarbons having a boiling point temperature of 538° C. (1000° F.) or less in said SHC reaction zone is at least about 90% per pass. 
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising hydrotreating said SHC distillate in a hydrotreating zone to obtain a hydrotreated distillate. 
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said DAO has a metals content of at least about 500 ppm by weight. 
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said DAO has a Conradson carbon residue of at least about 10% by weight. 
   
   
       19 . A method for making a distillate hydrocarbon by integrating solvent deasphalting and slurry hydrocracking (SHC), the method comprising:
 (a) passing a slurry comprising a recycled portion of an SHC gas oil, a recycled portion of an SHC pitch, a deasphalted oil obtained from solvent deasphalting, and a solid particulate through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to provide an SHC effluent,   (b) recovering said distillate hydrocarbon and an SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid from flash separation of said SHC effluent,   (c) recycling a first portion of said SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid to said SHC reaction zone,   (d) fractionating a second portion of said SHC high pressure separator bottoms liquid in an SHC vacuum distillation column to provide said SHC pitch and said SHC gas oil, as a heavy fraction and a light fraction, respectively,   (e) recycling said recycled portion of said SHC gas oil and said recycled portion of said SHC pitch to said SHC reaction zone, and   (f) removing a non-recycled portion of said SHC pitch as a solid particulate drag stream.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising hydrotreating said distillate hydrocarbon to obtain a hydrotreated distillate.