Other

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister

Energy, Mines & Resources - Canada

Chandra P Khulbe

Barry B Pruden

Ramaswami Ranganathan

David J Patmore

Jean-Marie D Denis

An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the hydrocracking process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst consisting of finely divided coal or other carbonaceous material carrying catalytically active metals from Group VIA and Group VIII of the Periodic Table of Elements, e.g. cobalt and molybdenum. The catalyst is slurried with the charge stock and has been found to greatly reduce coke precursors and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone while also being effective in reducing the sulfur concentration of the product.

Catalytic hydrocracking of heavy oils

An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the charge stock is in the form of a slurry of heavy hydrocarbon oil and finely divided fly ash or high ash coal fines. The presence of this ash in the charge stock serves to greatly reduce coke precursors and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone.

Hydrocracking of heavy oils/fly ash slurries

An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oils, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a confined hydrocracking zone under upflow liquid conditions, and the effluent emerging from the top of the hydrocracking zone is passed into a hot separator where it is separated into a gaseous stream containing hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. The hot separator is maintained near the temperature of the hydrocracking zone and the effluent from the hydrocracking zone enters the separator in a lower region below the liquid level in the separator. The gaseous stream containing hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons is withdrawn from the top of the separator while a portion of the liquid phase in the separator is recycled to the hydrocracking zone without further treatment and in quantities sufficient to increase the superficial liquid flow velocity in the hydrocracking zone such that deposition of coke in the hydrocracking zone is substantially eliminated.

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Ottawa, Canada

Chandra P Khulbe