Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Christopher Alan Powers

Bruce Edward Reynolds

Andre R Da Costa

Paul F Bryan

Donald Henry Mohr

Jose Guitian Lopez

James R Stoy

Seyi Abiodun Odueyungbo

Lalit S Shah

Oluwaseyi Abiodun Odueyungbo

Fred D Brent

Rahul S Bhaduri

A process to upgrade heavy oil and convert the heavy oil into lower boiling hydrocarbon products is provided. The process employs a catalyst slurry comprising catalyst particles with an average particle size ranging from 1 to 20 microns. In the upgrade process, spent slurry catalyst in heavy oil is generated as an effluent stream, which is subsequently recovered/separated from the heavy oil via membrane filtration. In one embodiment, dynamic filtration is used for the separation of the heavy oil from the catalyst particles. Valuable metals can be recovered from catalyst particles for subsequent re-use in a catalyst synthesis unit, generating a fresh slurry catalyst.

Heavy oil upgrade process including recovery of spent catalyst

A method of recovering unsupported fine catalyst from heavy oil comprises combining a slurry comprising unsupported fine catalyst in heavy oil with solvent to form a combined slurry-solvent stream. The combined slurry-solvent stream is filtered in a deoiling zone. A stream comprising unsupported fine catalyst and solvent is recovered from the deoiling zone. Unsupported fine catalyst is separated from the stream comprising unsupported fine catalyst and solvent. Filtering in the deoiling zone can comprise filtering the slurry and solvent through a cross-flow microfiltration unit, recovering a retentate stream of the cross-flow microfiltration unit, combining the retentate stream of the cross-flow microfiltration unit with solvent to form a combined retentate-solvent stream, and filtering the combined retentate-solvent stream through a cross-flow microfiltration unit.

Recovery of slurry unsupported catalyst

A process to upgrade heavy oil and convert the heavy oil into lower boiling hydrocarbon products is provided. The process employs a catalyst slurry comprising catalyst particles with an average particle size ranging from 1 to 20 microns. In the upgrade process, spent slurry catalyst in heavy oil is generated as an effluent stream, which is subsequently recovered/separated from the heavy oil via a filtration assembly. The filtration assembly has a least a filtration unit employing at least a membrane for separating heavy oil from the catalyst particles. Valuable metals can be recovered from catalyst particles for subsequent re-use in a catalyst synthesis unit, generating a fresh slurry catalyst.

Systems and methods for hydroprocessing a heavy oil feedstock, the system employs a plurality of contacting zones and separation zones and a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit for providing at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock. The contacting zones operate under hydrocracking conditions, employing a slurry catalyst for upgrading the deasphalted oil, forming upgraded products of lower boiling hydrocarbons. In the separation zones which operates at a temperature within 20&#xb0; F. and a pressure within 10 psi of the pressure in the contacting zones, upgraded products are removed overhead and optionally, further treated in an in-line hydrotreater.

Systems and methods for producing a crude product

A process for converting fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil into a coke-like material from which catalytic metals can be recovered comprises mixing fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil with solvent, which causes asphaltenes in the heavy oil to precipitate from the heavy oil; separating fine catalyst and precipitated asphaltenes from the heavy oil and solvent; and converting precipitated asphaltenes to a coke-like material by pyrolizing fine catalyst and precipitated asphaltenes separated from the heavy oil.

Conversion of fine catalyst into coke-like material

A process for recovering catalytic metals from fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil comprises pyrolizing fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil to provide one or more lighter oil products and a coke-like material and recovering catalytic metals from the coke-like material.

Growing community of inventors

Mandeville, LA, United States of America

Christopher Alan Powers