Upgrading hydrocarbon material on offshore platforms

Abstract

Methods and systems for upgrading hydrocarbon on offshore platforms are described. Hydrocarbon material can be extracted from deposits under bodies of water and upgraded on offshore platforms, such as through the use of one or more nozzle reactors. The upgraded hydrocarbon material produced by the nozzle reactor, can than be transported back to shore through pipelines, in part due to the improved viscosity of the upgraded material.

1 . An offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method comprising:
 providing an offshore platform adapted for extracting hydrocarbon material from hydrocarbon deposits located below the floor of a body of water;   extracting hydrocarbon material from a hydrocarbon deposit located below the floor of a body of water;   collecting the extracted hydrocarbon material on the offshore platform;   upgrading the collected hydrocarbon material on the offshore platform; and   transporting the upgraded hydrocarbon material through pipelines.   
     
     
         2 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the collected hydrocarbon material has a viscosity greater than 25000 cSt @ 20 deg C. 
     
     
         3 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein upgrading the collected hydrocarbon material comprises:
 injecting a stream of cracking material through a converging then diverging passage of a cracking material injector into a reaction chamber, wherein passing the cracking material through the converging then diverging passage accelerates the cracking material to supersonic speed; and   injecting the collected hydrocarbon material into the reaction chamber adjacent to the cracking material injector and transverse to the stream of cracking material entering the reaction chamber from the cracking material injector and cracking the collected hydrocarbon material with the injection of the cracking material.   
     
     
         4 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the collected hydrocarbon material injecting step includes injecting the collected hydrocarbon material into the reaction chamber annularly around the stream of cracking material. 
     
     
         5 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the cracking material is a cracking gas. 
     
     
         6 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the cracking gas comprises steam. 
     
     
         7 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the collected hydrocarbon material comprises bitumen. 
     
     
         8 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the steam is generated by a method comprising:
 injecting an air stream and a fuel stream into a combustor and producing a combustion flame in a combustion chamber; and   injecting atomized water into the combustion chamber and forming steam.   
     
     
         9 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upgraded hydrocarbon material has a viscosity lower than 380 cSt @ 15.5 deg C. 
     
     
         10 . A offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation system comprising:
 an offshore platform established over a body of water; and   a nozzle reactor established on the offshore platform.   
     
     
         11 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation system as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 upgraded hydrocarbon material transportation piping extending from the offshore platform to land surrounding the body of water.   
     
     
         12 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation system as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a combustor adaptable for generating steam to be used in the nozzle reactor.   
     
     
         13 . The offshore hydrocarbon material recovery and transportation system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the nozzle reactor comprises:
 a reactor body having a reactor body passage with an injection end and an ejection end;   a first material injector having a first material injection passage and being mounted in the nozzle reactor in material injecting communication with the injection end of the reactor body passage, the first material 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 in material injecting communication with the combustion chamber, and (c) a material ejection end in material injecting communication with the reactor body passage; and   a second material feed port penetrating the reactor body and being (a) adjacent to the material ejection end of the first material injection passage and (b) transverse to a first material injection passage axis extending from the material injection end to the material ejection end in the first material injection passage in the first material injector.