Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Rashid M Khan

Emad Naji Al-Shafei

Mazen Mashhour

Mazen M Mashhour

Heavy crude oils having high sulfur content and viscosities are upgraded by a hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process that includes microwave irradiation of a mixture of the sour heavy crude oil with at least one catalyst and optionally, one or more sensitizers, and irradiation in the presence of hydrogen. The process is also adapted to microwave treatment of hard to break emulsions, either above ground or below ground where water-in-oil emulsions are initially formed, followed by the catalytic hydrodesulfurization promoted by application of further microwave energy to the demulsified crude oil stream.

Microwave-promoted desulfurization of crude oil

A process for upgrading, or refining, high sulfur containing heavy hydrocarbon crude oil to a lighter oil having a lower sulfur concentration and, hence a higher value product, is disclosed. The process includes reacting the high sulfur heavy hydrocarbon crude oil in the presence of a catalyst and low pressure hydrogen to produce a reaction product stream from which the light oil is recovered. Part of the reaction product is separated and subjected to further upgrading to produce a lower sulfur oil product for application as distillate fuels. The upgrading process also produces residual oil that is suitable for making olefins, carbon fiber or road asphalt. Catalysts utilized in the processes of the invention can include a transition metal containing compound, the metal being selected from Group V, Group VI, and Group VIII of the Periodic Table, and mixtures of these metals.

Methods for making higher value products from sulfur containing crude oil

High-pressure air is discharged in the form of jets moving at a high velocity from nozzles mounted on a ring around the interior of the flare stack, placed at a predetermined distance from the flare tip and the portion of the surrounding stack wall downstream of the jets is perforated with air passages to admit atmospheric air. The high-velocity air movement induces a larger volume of air from the atmosphere to enter the stack where it rises to the flame zone, thereby lifting the flame and enhancing turbulent mixing of air and gas in the flame zone. Adequate stoichiometric amounts of oxygen to assure complete combustion are determined by measuring any variations of the mass flow rate of the fuel gas and/or undesired chemical and effecting a corresponding adjustment of an air flow control valve to admit a predetermined amount of pressurized air and/or atmospheric air to the flaring tip. A Coanda-effect body is positioned proximate the open end of the flare stack to improve the mixing of the air feedstream with atmospheric air and combustible components and to elevate the heat of the flame above the metal structural elements that control air flow at the top of the flare stack.

Flare stack combustion method and apparatus

A process for the recovery of high purity hydrogen for recycling to a hydroprocessing or similar unit located in an integrated refinery facility includes sampling and providing analytical information on the make-up of the hydrogen-containing feedstream entering the bottom of a stripping column and the composition of the hydrogen recycle stream at, and/or approaching the top of the stripping column to a computer-directed control system in real time for the purpose of controlling the selection and the volumetric flow rate of one or more 'refinery solvents' into the column to maximize the removal of non-hydrogen gases from the feedstream and to thereby maximize the percentage of hydrogen in the recycle gas stream. The 'refinery solvent' used in the stripping column is any one or more compounds that are generated as product or by-product streams in the integrated refinery facility that are readily available for diversion in the required quantities for use a solvent to absorb or strip one or more compounds from the hydrogen-containing feedstream at the integrated refinery facility. The refinery solvent is preferable subsequently flashed to remove separated compounds and returned to its original product stream.

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Rashid M Khan