Systems and Methods For Hydrotreating A Shale Oil Stream Using Hydrogen Gas That Is Concentrated From The Shale Oil Stream

Abstract

Systems and methods for hydrotreating a liquid fraction of a shale oil stream using hydrogen gas that is concentrated from a gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream. The systems and methods include providing a portion of the gaseous fraction to a sorptive separation assembly and separating a concentrated hydrogen stream from the portion of the gaseous fraction within the sorptive separation assembly. The system and methods further include providing the concentrated hydrogen stream and the liquid fraction to a hydrotreater and reacting the concentrated hydrogen stream with the liquid fraction within the hydrotreater to produce the hydrotreated liquid stream. The systems and methods may include generating the shale oil stream within a subterranean formation using an in situ process, such as an in situ shale oil conversion process and/or providing a supplemental hydrogen stream to the hydrotreater.

1 . A method of hydrotreating a liquid fraction of a shale oil stream with hydrogen gas concentrated from a gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream, the method comprising:
 separating the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream from the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream;   providing a portion of the gaseous fraction to a sorptive separation assembly;   separating, in the sorptive separation assembly, a concentrated hydrogen stream from the portion of the gaseous fraction;   providing the concentrated hydrogen stream and the liquid fraction to a hydrotreater; and   reacting, in the hydrotreater, the concentrated hydrogen stream with the liquid fraction to produce a hydrotreated liquid stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes generating the shale oil stream within a subterranean formation using at least one of a pyrolysis reaction, an in situ pyrolysis reaction, a shale oil retort process, a shale oil heat treating process, a hydrogenation reaction, a thermal dissolution process, and an in situ shale oil conversion process, and further wherein the method includes conveying the shale oil stream from the subterranean formation through a hydrocarbon well. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further includes transferring the shale oil stream from the hydrocarbon well to a hydrotreating assembly that includes the sorptive separation assembly and the hydrotreater. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the transferring includes transferring over a transfer distance of less than 5 km. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the transferring includes transferring the shale oil stream from the hydrocarbon well to the hydrotreating assembly without prior treatment of the shale oil stream to decrease a concentration of unsaturated carbon bonds therein. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream includes hydrogen gas and contaminants, and further wherein the method includes separating at least a portion of the contaminants from the gaseous fraction to produce the portion of the gaseous fraction prior to providing the portion of the gaseous fraction to the sorptive separation assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes separating a gaseous hydrocarbon stream from the gaseous fraction and reforming the gaseous hydrocarbon stream in a reforming apparatus to produce a reformate stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further includes providing a portion of the reformate stream to the hydrotreater and reacting the portion of the reformate stream with the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream to generate the hydrotreated liquid stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon stream includes methane. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the reforming apparatus includes at least one of a steam reformer, a pressure swing reformer, an autothermal reformer, a partial oxidation reformer, and a preferential oxidation reformer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sorptive separation assembly includes at least one of a pressure swing adsorption assembly, a rotary pressure swing adsorption assembly, and a rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sorptive separation assembly is configured to operate cyclically in a plurality of operational steps that include at least a pressurization step, an adsorption step, a depressurization step, and a purge step, and further wherein separating the concentrated hydrogen stream from the portion of the gaseous fraction includes cycling the sorptive separation assembly through the plurality of operational steps. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method includes hydrotreating the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream using an overall water to liquid hydrocarbon volumetric ratio that is less than 0.5:1. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream includes 3-30 mole % hydrogen gas. 
     
     
         15 . A system for hydrotreating a liquid fraction of a shale oil stream with hydrogen gas from a gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream, the system comprising:
 a sorptive separation assembly configured to receive a portion of the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream and to produce a concentrated hydrogen stream therefrom; and   a hydrotreater configured to receive the concentrated hydrogen stream and the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream, to react the concentrated hydrogen stream with the liquid fraction, and to produce a hydrotreated liquid stream therefrom.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system is in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon well configured to convey the shale oil stream from a subterranean formation, and further wherein the subterranean formation includes a chemical reactor configured to generate the shale oil stream by at least one of a pyrolysis reaction, an in situ pyrolysis reaction, a shale oil retort process, a shale oil heat treating process, a hydrogenation reaction, a thermal dissolution process, and an in situ shale oil conversion process. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein a distance between a wellhead that is associated with the hydrocarbon well and a hydrotreating assembly that includes the sorptive separation assembly and the hydrotreater is less than 5 km. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the system is configured to transfer the shale oil stream from the wellhead to the hydrotreating assembly without prior treatment to decrease a concentration of unsaturated carbon bonds therein. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream includes hydrogen gas and contaminants, wherein the system includes a contaminant removal assembly configured to decrease a concentration of the contaminants in the gaseous fraction and to produce a purified gaseous fraction therefrom, wherein the contaminant removal assembly is configured provide the purified gaseous fraction to the sorptive separation assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system further includes a reforming apparatus configured to receive a gaseous hydrocarbon stream and to produce a reformate stream therefrom, wherein the hydrotreater is configured to receive a portion of the reformate stream, to react the portion of the reformate stream with the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream, and to generate the hydrotreated liquid stream therefrom. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon stream includes methane that is separated from the gaseous fraction. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the reforming apparatus includes at least one of a steam reformer, a pressure swing reformer, an autothermal reformer, a partial oxidation reformer, and a preferential oxidation reformer. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the sorptive separation assembly includes at least one of a pressure swing adsorption assembly, a rotary pressure swing adsorption assembly, and a rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the sorptive separation assembly is configured to be operated cyclically in a plurality of operational steps that include at least a pressurization step, an adsorption step, a depressurization step, and a purge step. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system is configured to hydrotreat the liquid fraction of the shale oil stream using an overall water to liquid hydrocarbon volumetric ratio that is less than 0.5:1. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gaseous fraction of the shale oil stream includes 3-30 mole % hydrogen gas.