System and method for converting material comprising bitumen into light hydrocarbon liquid product

Abstract

Various methods and systems for obtaining light hydrocarbon distillate from material comprising bitumen are disclosed. The method may include a primary leaching or extraction process that separates most of the bitumen from the material comprising bitumen and results in a bitumen-enriched solvent phase and first solvent-wet tailings. The bitumen-enriched solvent phase includes mainly solvent and bitumen. The bitumen-enriched solvent phase is injected into a nozzle reactor wherein at least a portion of the bitumen is cracked into light hydrocarbon distillate. The light hydrocarbon distillate may then be used as solvent in the first primary leaching or extraction step.

1 . A method comprising:
 forming a first mixture by mixing a first quantity of material comprising bitumen with a first solvent, wherein the first mixture comprises a bitumen-enriched solvent phase;   separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture and thereby producing first solvent-wet tailings, wherein the bitumen-enriched solvent phase comprises a bitumen component and the first solvent-wet tailings comprise a first solvent component;   forming a light hydrocarbon liquid distillate and a non-participating hydrocarbon stream by cracking bitumen component inside a first nozzle reactor; and   mixing the light hydrocarbon liquid distillate with a second quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 separating the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings by adding a second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, wherein the second solvent-wet tailings comprise a second solvent component; and   separating the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises:
 a first stage of separating a first quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture by filtering, settling or draining the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture; and   a second stage of separating a second quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture by adding a second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture.   
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the second stage of separating a second quantity of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises washing the first mixture with the second quantity of first solvent in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein separating the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises washing the first solvent-wet tailings with the second solvent in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein separating the second solvent from the second solvent-wet tailings comprises flashing the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises filtering the first mixture in a plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein separating the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises adding the second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings loaded in a plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein filtering the first mixture in a plate and frame-type filter press further comprises adding a gas over the first mixture loaded in the plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein gas is added over the first solvent-wet tailings loaded in the plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 cracking the non-participating hydrocarbon stream inside a second nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material comprising bitumen is tar sands. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the light aromatic solvent comprises kerosene, diesel, gas oil, naphtha, benzene, toluene, an aromatic alcohol, derivatives thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second solvent comprises a volatile hydrocarbon solvent. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the volatile hydrocarbon solvent comprises a cyclo- or iso-paraffin having between 3 and 9 carbons, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second solvent is liquefied petroleum gas. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle reactor comprises:
 a reactor body having an interior reactor chamber with an injection end and an ejection end;   an injection passage mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the injection end of the interior reactor chamber, the injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end, and (c) a material ejection end in injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber; and   a material feed passage penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the injection passage and (b) transverse to an injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the injection passage.   
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light hydrocarbon liquid distillate comprises hydrocarbon having a molecular weight less than 300 Daltons. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein cracking bitumen component inside the first nozzle reactor comprises:
 injecting a stream of cracking material through an injection passage into an interior reactor chamber; and   injecting the bitumen component into the interior reactor chamber adjacent to the injection passage and transverse to the stream of cracking material entering the interior reactor chamber from the injection passage.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase into bitumen component and a first solvent phase prior to cracking the bitumen component inside a first nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase into bitumen component and the first solvent phase comprises heating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase to a temperature above the boiling point temperature of the first solvent. 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 forming a first mixture by mixing a first quantity of material comprising bitumen with a first solvent, wherein the first mixture comprises a bitumen-enriched solvent phase;   separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture and thereby producing first solvent-wet tailings, wherein the bitumen-enriched solvent phase comprises a bitumen component and a primary first solvent component and the first solvent-wet tailings comprise a secondary first solvent component;   separating the primary first solvent from the bitumen-enriched solvent phase to thereby isolate the bitumen component of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase;   producing an asphaltene stream by deasphalting bitumen component;   forming a light hydrocarbon liquid distillate and a non-participating hydrocarbon stream by cracking the asphaltene stream inside a first nozzle reactor; and   mixing the light hydrocarbon liquid distillate with a second quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         24 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising:
 separating the secondary first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings by adding a second solvent to the first solvent wet tailings and thereby producing second solvent-wet tailings, wherein the second solvent-wet tailings comprise a second solvent component; and   separating the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings.   
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises:
 a first stage of separating a first quantity of the first bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture by filtering, settling or draining the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture; and   a second stage of separating a second quantity of the first bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture by adding a second quantity of first solvent to the first mixture.   
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the second stage of separating the second quantity of the first bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises washing the first mixture with the second quantity of first solvent in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein separating the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises washing the first solvent-wet tailings with the second solvent in a countercurrent process. 
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein separating the second solvent from the second solvent-wet tailings comprises flashing the second solvent component from the second solvent-wet tailings. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first mixture comprises filtering the first mixture in a plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein separating the first solvent component from the first solvent-wet tailings comprises adding second solvent to the first solvent-wet tailings loaded in a plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein filtering the first mixture in a plate and frame-type filter press further comprises adding a gas over the first mixture loaded in the plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein gas is added over the first solvent-wet tailings loaded in the plate and frame-type filter press. 
     
     
         33 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising:
 cracking the non-participating hydrocarbon inside a second nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         34 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the material comprising bitumen is tar sands. 
     
     
         35 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         36 . The method as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the light aromatic solvent comprises kerosene, diesel, gas oil, naphtha, benzene, toluene, an aromatic alcohol, derivatives thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the second solvent comprises a volatile hydrocarbon solvent. 
     
     
         38 . The method as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the volatile hydrocarbon solvent comprises a cyclo- or iso-paraffin having between 3 and 9 carbons, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the second solvent is liquefied petroleum gas. 
     
     
         40 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the first nozzle reactor comprises:
 a reactor body having an interior reactor chamber with an injection end and an ejection end;   an injection passage mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the injection end of the interior reactor chamber, the injection passage having (a) an enlarged volume injection section, an enlarged volume ejection section, and a reduced volume mid-section intermediate the enlarged volume injection section and enlarged volume ejection section, (b) a material injection end, and (c) a material ejection end in injecting communication with the interior reactor chamber;   a material feed passage penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the injection passage and (b) transverse to a injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the injection passage.   
     
     
         41 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the light hydrocarbon liquid distillate comprises hydrocarbon having a molecular weight less than 300 Daltons. 
     
     
         42 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein cracking the asphaltene stream inside the first nozzle reactor comprises:
 injecting a stream of cracking material through a injection passage into an interior reactor chamber; and   injecting the asphaltene stream into the interior reactor chamber adjacent to the injection passage and transverse to the stream of cracking material entering the interior reactor chamber from the injection passage.   
     
     
         43 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein separating the first solvent from the bitumen-enriched solvent phase comprises heating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase to a temperature above the boiling point temperature of the first solvent. 
     
     
         44 . A method comprising:
 solvent extracting a first quantity of material comprising bitumen with at least one solvent to separate bitumen from the first quantity of material comprising bitumen;   cracking the bitumen to form a light hydrocarbon liquid distillate; and   solvent extracting a second quantity of material comprising bitumen with the light hydrocarbon distillate to separate bitumen from the second quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         45 . A method comprising:
 mixing a first solvent with a first quantity of material comprising bitumen;   separating a bitumen-enriched solvent phase from a first result of mixing the first solvent with the first quantity of material comprising bitumen;   feeding the bitumen-enriched solvent phase through a nozzle reactor; and   mixing a portion of a second result of feeding the bitumen-enriched solvent phase through a nozzle reactor with a second quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         46 . The method as recited in  claim 45 , wherein separating the bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first result of mixing the first solvent with the first quantity of material comprising bitumen comprises:
 filtering, settling or draining a first quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first result of mixing the first solvent with the first quantity of material comprising bitumen;   displacing a second quantity of bitumen-enriched solvent phase from the first result of mixing the first solvent with the first quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         47 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         48 . The method as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the portion of the second result comprises light hydrocarbon distillate. 
     
     
         49 . A method comprising:
 mixing a first quantity of material comprising bitumen with a first solvent;   separating a bitumen-enriched solvent phase from a first result of mixing the first solvent with the first quantity of material comprising bitumen;   separating a first solvent component from the bitumen-enriched solvent phase;   deasphalting a second result of separating the first solvent component from the bitumen-enriched solvent phase;   feeding a third result of deasphalting the second result into a nozzle reactor; and   mixing a portion of a fourth result of feeding the third result into a nozzle reactor with a second quantity of material comprising bitumen.   
     
     
         50 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the first solvent comprises a light aromatic solvent. 
     
     
         51 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the portion of the fourth result comprises light hydrocarbon distillate. 
     
     
         52 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 upgrading bitumen component of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase.   
     
     
         53 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising:
 upgrading bitumen component of the bitumen-enriched solvent phase.