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

Charlene M Hogan

David J Patmore

Theo J De Bruijn

Several procedures are provided for the thermal rearrangement of a water emulsion, of or a mixture with water, of a feedstock selected from the group consisting of tar sand bitumen, heavy oil, refinery residue and a heavy waste oil stream, the feedstock containing a naturally-occurring, finely-divided mineral material. The essence of such procedures involves contacting the water emulsion or the water mixture with a gas selected from the group consisting of synthesis gas and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount, i.e., from about 0.3% to about 15% of a bifunctional catalyst that facilitates the water gas shift reaction and also promotes the hydrogenation and stabilization of cracking reaction products. The bifunctional catalyst includes the naturally-occurring, finely-divided mineral material which is contained in the feedstock. The process is conducted under such conditions of pressure and temperature that the water gas shift reaction occurs. Thermally rearranged liquid oil having a lower viscosity and a lower density than that of the feedstock is recovered. In addition, separate streams of gaseous carbon dioxide and gaseous hydrogen are also recovered therefrom.

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Charlene M Hogan