Integrated method for bitumen partial upgrading

Abstract

The present invention relates to decreasing the amount of diluent needed to convert a heavy oil to a bitumen product that can be transported by pipeline. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for partially upgrading heavy oil into a lower viscosity bitumen product.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . An integrated method for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon containing heavy oil, comprising:
 (a) introducing a hydrocarbon containing heavy oil into a reactor to a thermal nozzle and treating the hydrocarbon containing heavy oil to an oxycombustion process wherein the hydrocarbon containing heavy oil is atomized and cracked into a partially upgraded reactor effluent;   (b) routing the partially upgraded reactor effluent to a process boiler wherein the upgraded hydrocarbon reactor effluent is cooled;   (c) separating the cooled upgraded reactor effluent in step (b) in a flash drum into a lighter hydrocarbon and cracked combustion gases which are removed overhead from the top portion of the flash drum, and flash drum bottom portion of the partially upgraded hydrocarbon;   (d) at least one heat exchanger to cool the product from the top portion of the second flush drum;   (e) a treater to receive the cooled flash drum portion and separate it into a gas fraction, a water fraction and a light hydrocarbon liquid fraction; and   (f) combining the flash drum bottom portion from step (c) with the light hydrocarbon liquid fraction from step (e) to form a partially upgraded oil product.   
     
     
         9 . The integrated method of  claim 8 , wherein the hydrocarbon containing heavy oil comprises by volume about 70-100% bitumen, 0-20% water and 0-30% diluent. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated method of  claim 8 , wherein the upgraded hydrocarbon product has a viscosity of less than 50,000 cSt at 20° C. 
     
     
         11 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The integrated method of partially upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:
 (a) operating an oxyfuel combustion process carried out in a thermal nozzle disposed on a reactor producing a hot gas that atomizes a hydrocarbon containing heavy oil and induces upgrading reactions to produce a reactor effluent containing a partially upgraded oil;   (b) receiving and cooling the partially upgraded reactor effluent producing steam in a heat recovery/process boiler;   (c) receiving and separating the reactor effluent in a flash drum into a lighter hydrocarbon and cracked combustion gases portion which is removed overhead from the top of the flash drum, and a flash drum bottom portion of heavier oil hydrocarbons;   (d) cooling the product from the top portion of the flush drum in at least one heat exchanger; and   (e) receive the cooled flash drum portion in a treater and separate it into a gas fraction, a water fraction and a light hydrocarbon liquid fraction and   (f) combining the flash drum product bottom portion from step (c) with the light hydrocarbon liquid fraction from step (e) to form a partially upgraded oil product.