Hydrocarbon Technology & Innovation, LLC

Brett M Silverman

David M Mountainland

Michael A Rueter

Lee Morgan Smith

Everette Harris

Paul Sadelski

David M Moutainland

Lee Smith

System and method for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil using a high boiling hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, which is mixed with the heavy oil feedstock to form a conditioned feedstock, which is subsequently heated to decompose the precursor and form dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ. Because the high boiling hydrocarbon diluent is typically at a temperature above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor, it is first feed through a cooler to reduce its temperature to avoid premature decomposition of the catalyst precursor. The high boiling hydrocarbon diluent may include a portion of the heavy oil feedstock, a portion of the conditioned feedstock, a vacuum tower bottoms product, or other high boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point higher than 524° C. A portion of the diluent may optionally include a medium boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point less than 524° C.

Method and system for mixing catalyst precursor into heavy oil using a high boiling hydrocarbon diluent

Combined hydroprocessing and solvent deasphalting with sequential addition of a dispersed catalyst to process heavy oil without increasing equipment fouling. An example method includes: hydroprocessing heavy oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded heavy oil; subjecting a resid portion of the upgraded heavy oil to solvent deasphalting to produce DAO and pitch; and hydroprocessing the deasphalted oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded deasphalted oil. An example system includes: mixer(s) for blending catalyst precursor with heavy oil to form conditioned feedstock; heater to decompose catalyst precursor and form dispersed catalyst particles in situ; hydroprocessing reactor(s) for hydroprocessing heavy oil to yield upgraded heavy oil; solvent deasphalting system to separate DAO from pitch; mixer(s) for blending catalyst precursor with deasphalted oil to form conditioned deasphalted oil; heater to decompose catalyst precursor and form dispersed catalyst particles in situ; and hydroprocessing reactor(s) for hydroprocessing deasphalted oil yield upgraded deasphalted oil.

Efficient hydroprocessing and solvent deasphalting of heavy oil with sequential addition of dispersed catalyst

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded and operated at modified conditions using a dual catalyst system to produce less fouling sediment. The less fouling sediment produced by the upgraded ebullated bed reactor reduces the rate of equipment fouling at any given sediment production rate and/or concentration compared to the sediment produced by the ebullated bed reactor prior to upgrading. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are maintained or increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, while equipment fouling is reduced. In other cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, without increasing equipment fouling. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are decreased by a given percentage, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, and the rate of equipment fouling is decreased by a substantially greater percentage.

Ebullated bed reactor upgraded to produce sediment that causes less equipment fouling

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.

Dual catalyst system for ebullated bed upgrading to produce improved quality vacuum residue product

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks (i.e., lower quality heavy oils or lower quality feedstock blends) while maintaining or increasing the rate of production of converted products. The dual catalyst system improves the ability of the upgraded ebullated bed hydroprocessing system to accommodate and withstand negative effects of periodic use of opportunity feedstocks (e.g., without significantly increasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production). In some cases, an upgraded ebullated bed reactor using the dual catalyst system can hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Upgraded ebullated bed reactor used with opportunity feedstocks

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to increase rate of production of converted products. The rate of production is achieved by increasing reactor severity, including increasing the operating temperature and at least one of throughput or conversion. The dual catalyst system permits increased reactor severity and provides increased production of converted products without a significant increase in equipment fouling and/or sediment production. In some cases, the rate of production of conversion products can be achieved while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Upgraded ebullated bed reactor with increased production rate of converted products

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to produce less fouling sediment. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts sediment-forming precursors to produce sediment that is less fouling than sediment produced using only the heterogeneous catalyst and not the dispersed metal sulfide particles. The dual catalyst system provides for a lower rate of equipment fouling for a given sediment production rate and/or concentration. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be maintained or increased while equipment fouling is reduced. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be increased without increasing equipment fouling.

Upgraded ebullated bed reactor with less fouling sediment

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles, which permits recycling of vacuum bottoms without recycle buildup of asphaltenes. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts asphaltenes in the ebullated bed reactor and increases asphaltene conversion by an amount that at least offsets higher asphaltene concentration resulting from recycling of vacuum bottoms. In this way, there is no recycle buildup of asphaltenes in upgraded ebullated bed reactor notwithstanding recycling of vacuum bottoms. In addition, residual dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in the vacuum bottoms can maintain or increase the concentration of the dispersed metal sulfide catalyst in the ebullated bed reactor.

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Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Brett M Silverman