Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Mohammed Rashid Al-Dossary

Ki-Hyouk Choi

Ashok Kumar Punetha

Mohammad Fuad Aljishi

Sameer Ali Ghamdi

Joo-Hyeong Lee

Bader M Al-Otaibi

A method and apparatus for upgrading a petroleum feedstock with supercritical water are provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) heating and pressurizing a petroleum feedstock; (2) heating and pressurizing a water feed to above the supercritical point of water; (3) combining the heated and pressurized petroleum feedstock and the heated and pressurized water feed to produce a combined feed; (4) supplying the combined feed to a hydrothermal reactor to produce a first product stream; (5) supplying the first product stream to a post-treatment process unit to produce a second product stream; and (6) separating the second product stream into a treated and upgraded petroleum stream and a water stream.

Petroleum upgrading process

A hydrocarbon feedstock upgrading method is provided. The method includes supplying the hydrocarbon feedstock, water and a pre-heated hydrogen donating composition to a hydrothermal reactor where the mixed stream is maintained at a temperature and pressure greater than the critical temperatures and pressure of water in the absence of catalyst for a residence time sufficient to convert the mixed stream into a modified stream. The hydrogen donating composition is pre-heated and maintained at a temperature of greater than about 50&#xb0; C. for a period of at least about 10 minutes. The modified stream includes upgraded hydrocarbons relative to the hydrocarbon feedstock. The modified stream is then separated into a gas stream and a liquid stream and the liquid stream is separated into a water stream and an upgraded hydrocarbon product stream.

Upgrading of hydrocarbons by hydrothermal process

A process for upgrading an oil stream by mixing the oil stream with a water stream and subjecting it to conditions that are at or above the supercritical temperature and pressure of water. The process further includes cooling and a subsequent alkaline extraction step. The resulting thiols and hydrogen sulfide gas can be isolated from the product stream, resulting in an upgraded oil stream that is a higher value oil having low sulfur, low nitrogen, and low metallic impurities as compared to the oil stream.

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Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Rashid Al-Dossary