Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Imperial Oil Resources

Mainak Ghosh

Ronald Damian Myers

John Brenton MacLeod

Tapan Chakrabarty

Norman A Chambers

Roby Bearden, Jr

William Ernest Lewis

Paul Podsiadlo

John P Greeley

Tapantosh Chakrabarty

Manuel Anthony Francisco

Ramanathan Sundararaman

Irwin A Wiehe

Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr

Payman Esmaeili

James A Dunn

Brian C Speirs

Michael K Bridle

Amitava Sarkar

Michelle A Young

Christopher Lin

Bruce M Sankey

Ronald D Meyers

John B Macleod

Michelle Anne Young

Irwin Andrew Wiehe

Giovanna Stea

Brian C Spiers

Systems and methods are provided for slurry hydroconversion of a heavy oil feedstock, such as an atmospheric or vacuum resid, in the presence of an enhanced or promoted slurry hydroconversion catalyst system. The slurry hydroconversion catalyst system can be formed from a) a Group VIII non-noble metal catalyst precursor/concentrate (such as an iron-based catalyst precursor/concentrate) and b) a Group VI metal catalyst precursor/concentrate (such as a molybdenum-based catalyst precursor/concentrate) and/or a Group VI metal sulfided catalyst.

Slurry hydroconversion catalysts

A bitumen stream is upgraded by heating to near-critical or super-critical conditions in the stream. The bitumen stream may be from a water-based extraction process, an in situ bitumen recovery process, or a solvent-based bitumen extraction process. To achieve an appropriate feed stream composition, water and/or clay may be added. The clay offers a catalytic effect. To achieve an appropriate feed stream composition, water may alternatively be removed.

Processing a hydrocarbon stream using supercritical water

A system and method for treating tailings from a bitumen froth treatment process such as TSRU tailings. The tailings are dewatered and then combusted to convert kaolin in the tailings into metakaolin. Calcined fines and heavy minerals may be recovered from the combustion products, namely from the flue gas and bottom ash.

System and method for treating tailings from bitumen extraction

The invention relates to a process for splitting bitumen into two fractions and rendering a heavier bottom fraction as a useable emulsion fuel. The process is particularly effective in creating an alternate fuel to natural gas in a steam-based bitumen recovery process wherein bitumen is recovered from an underground reservoir.

Integrated process for bitumen recovery, separation and emulsification for steam generation

A water stream containing hardness minerals is subjected to a water treatment process using an alkali agent to precipitate the hardness minerals and to produce a softened water stream is used to create an integrated water treatment and flue gas desulfurization process. Thereafter, the softened, alkaline water stream is utilized in a scrubber to scrub a flue gas containing sulfur dioxide to produce a sulfur-lean flue gas. The invention may be applied to a steam-based bitumen recovery operation where bitumen, sour produced gas or other sulfur containing fuels are burned for producing steam for bitumen recovery. More specifically, the associated produced water from the bitumen recovery process may be softened for re-use and for utilization as a scrubbing agent for high-sulfur containing flue gas arising from the steam generators. The process provides an economically favorable process while minimizing waste disposal requirements.

Integrated water treatment and flue gas desulfurization process

The present invention provides a process for the management of H S containing gas streams and high alkalinity water streams in which process the H S is selectively removed from the gas stream and combusted to form an SO rich waste gas stream. The SO gas stream is then scrubbed with the water stream to substantially remove the SO from the gas while subsequent treatment of the water such as softening or settling is improved.

Process for management of industrial wastes

A heavy hydrocarbon is rendered pipelineable by hydroconverting the heavy hydrocarbon under conditions sufficient to obtain a product oil of lowered viscosity and an API gravity suitable for pipelining and thereafter adding a diluent modified hydrocarbon to the product oil in an amount sufficient to stabilize the product oil against asphaltene phase separation and when phase separated asphaltene is present to dissolve the phase separated asphaltenes.

Dissolution and stabilization of thermally converted bitumen

The present invention provides a process for the management of H,S containing gas streams and high alkalinity water streams in which process the H,S is selectively removed from the gas stream and combusted to form an SO,rich waste gas stream. The SO,gas stream is then scrubbed with the water stream to substantially remove the SO,from the gas while subsequent treatment of the water such as softening or settling is improved.

A bitumen is rendered pipelineable by partially hydroconverting the bitumen and then adding sufficient diluent to the partially hydroconverted bitumen to provide a mixture having an API gravity at 15&deg; C. of at least 19&deg; and a viscosity at 40&deg; C. in the range of about 35 to about 60 cP.

Producing pipelineable bitumen

A bitumen is rendered pipelineable by partially hydroconverting the bitumen and then adding sufficient diluent to the partially hydroconverted bitumen to provide a mixture having an API gravity at 15.degree. C. of at least 19.degree. and a viscosity at 40.degree. C. in the range of about 35 to about 60 cP.

Producing pipelinable bitumen

A method for lowering the viscosity and specific gravity of a heavy hydrocarbon to render it pipelineable is disclosed. The method comprises adding a vanadium and nickel containing coke fly ash to the heavy hydrocarbon; reacting the heavy hydrocarbon in the presence of the fly ash with a molecular hydrogen containing gas under hydroconversion conditions for a time sufficient to lower the viscosity of the hydrocarbon in the range of about 20 to 60 centipoise at 40.degree. C. and to lower the specific gravity in the range of from about 0.925 to about 0.940 at 15.degree. C., whereby the heavy hydrocarbon is rendered pipelineable.

Growing community of inventors

Calgary, Canada

Mainak Ghosh