Method for enhanced upgrading of heavy oil by adding a hydrotreating step to an upgrading process

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for enhancing the upgrading of heavy oils. In essence, a hydrotreating step is added to an upgrading process, so that process severity can be increased, product yields and quality improve, and hydrogen can be produced and serve as a source for the entire process.

1 . A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
 (i) emulsifying said feedstock with an upgrading catalyst precursor, an aromatic rich hydrocarbon stream, and water to form an emulsion in the form of a slurry; 
 (ii) forming the catalyst by decomposing the said emulsion into a catalytic suspension, which is then transported to a hydrotreating reactor that contains a hydrotreating catalyst, said emulsion decomposition being carried out at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C., and a pressure of from about 1 Bar to about 200 Bar; 
 (iii) fractionating said effluent into (a) contaminant gases, (b) a portion of light hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) a portion of gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) a portion of unconverted bottoms; 
 (iv) separating from (a) from (b), and (c) and transporting (b) and (c) to a recovery unit; 
 (v) combining said uncoverted bottom with water, to form a slurry mixture; 
 (vi) transferring said slurry mixture to an upgrading reactor under conditions for cracking said mixture to form a light fraction containing (a), (b), (c), and (d) of step (ii); 
 (vii) transporting the unconverted bottoms from (vi) to a fractionation zone to remove light fractions therefrom, and 
 (viii) recycling any remaining unconverted bottoms to a feedstock preparation unit for further processing. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding hydrogen in step (vi). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature in step (ii) ranges from 380° C. to 450° C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pressure in step (i) ranges from 50 Bar to 180 Bar. 
     
     
         5 . A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
 combining said feedstock with hydrogen in a hydrotreating reactor which contains a hydrotreating catalyst, at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C. and a pressure from about 1 Bar to about 200 Bar, to form a first effluent containing (a) contaminant gases, (b) a portion of light hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) a portion of gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) a portion of unconverted bottoms; 
 (ii) transporting (a), (b), and (c) to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other; 
 (iii) transporting said unconverted bottoms to a feedstock/catalyst preparation zone which contains an upgrading catalyst precursor, to form a mixture therebetween; 
 (iv) transporting said mixture to a decomposition zone; 
 (v) treating said mixture to form said catalyst; 
 (vi) adding water to said mixture; 
 (vii) transporting said mixture to an upgrading reactor for reaction via catalytic hydrothermal aquathermolysis, to form a light fraction containing (a), (b), and (c) of step (i) and unconverted bottoms; 
 (viii) separating said light fraction and said unconverted bottoms; 
 (ix) transporting said light fraction to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other, and 
 (x) recycling said unconverted bottoms to said hydrotreating zone for further processing. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising adding hydrogen in step (vi). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature in step (i) range from 380° C. to 450° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said pressure in step (i) ranges from 50 Bar to 180 Bar. 
     
     
         9 . A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing feedstock which has a boiling point greater than 300° C., comprising:
 combining said feedstock with an upgrading catalyst precursor to form a mixture; 
 (ii) transporting said mixture to a decomposition reactor; 
 (iii) treating said mixture to form said upgrading catalyst; 
 (iv) adding water to said mixture; 
 (v) transporting said mixture to an upgrading reactor; 
 (vi) upgrading said mixture, to form an effluent of (a) contaminant gases, (b) hydrocarbon gases having a boiling point of from 36° C. to 180° C., (c) gas oil having a boiling point of from 180° C. to 375° C., and (d) unconverted bottoms; 
 (vii) fractionating (a), (b), and (c) from said unconverted bottoms in a fractionation zone; 
 (viii) transporting said unconverted bottoms to a hydrotreating reactor which contains a hydrotreating catalyst, at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C., and a pressure of from about 50 Bar to about 200 Bar, to form a fractionate of (a), (b), and (c) and unconverted bottoms; 
 (ix) transporting (a), (b), and (c) produced in step (vi) and (viii) to a fractionation zone to separate (a), (b), and (c) from each other, and 
 (x) recycling any unconverted bottoms from (viii) to said feedstock preparation zone for further processing. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising adding hydrogen in step (iv). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said temperature in step (viii) ranges from 380° C. to 450° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said pressure in step (viii) ranges from 50 Bar to 180 Bar. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 ,  5 , or  9 , wherein said hydrotreating reactor is a fixed bed, moving bed, slurry, plug flow, or CSTR. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 ,  5 , or  9 , wherein each reactor is a single or multiple reactors. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 ,  5 , or  9 , wherein each said catalyst contains an active metal selected from the group consisting of a Group VI, Group VII, or Group VIII B metal plus alkali and alkaline metals. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 ,  5 , or  9 , wherein each said catalyst is a part of a support. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said support is an alumina, alumina silica, silica, or zeolite support.