WO2010069907A1 - Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity - Google Patents
Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2010069907A1 WO2010069907A1 PCT/EP2009/067046 EP2009067046W WO2010069907A1 WO 2010069907 A1 WO2010069907 A1 WO 2010069907A1 EP 2009067046 W EP2009067046 W EP 2009067046W WO 2010069907 A1 WO2010069907 A1 WO 2010069907A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- heavy hydrocarbon
- hydrocarbon feedstock
- process according
- viscosity
- range
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G29/00—Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, with other chemicals
- C10G29/02—Non-metals
Definitions
- This invention provides a process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, a heavy hydrocarbon stream obtained by such a process and the use of the heavy hydrocarbon stream in pipeline transportation.
- Heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks like heavy crude oil and bitumen, particularly that produced from certain geological formations as oil sands, can be relatively viscous, that is, can have a viscosity that makes it difficult to transport through a pipeline.
- Heavy, thick viscous hydrocarbon feedstock is referred to in the petroleum industry as "low gravity" oil; high gravity oil being that which is relatively thin and relatively easy to pump.
- the method is concerned with injecting into crude oil carbon dioxide (CO2) or more preferably, a combination of CO2 and nitrogen.
- CO2 crude oil carbon dioxide
- This method suffers the disadvantage that reducing the viscosity of crude oil by injecting into the crude oil a gas, or a combination of gases has to be carried out at high gas pressures.
- Carbon disulphide is known to be a suitable solvent for enhanced oil recovery.
- US 3847221 for example, the use of carbon disulfide for enhanced heavy hydrocarbon feedstock recovery from oil sands by miscible displacement is disclosed.
- the process involves introducing a slug of solvent mixture for heavy hydrocarbon feedstock recoverable from the oil sands into the reservoir which solvent has a density equal to or greater than water and comprises carbon disulfide and an aromatic hydrocarbon or aliphatic hydrocarbon.
- solvent has a density equal to or greater than water and comprises carbon disulfide and an aromatic hydrocarbon or aliphatic hydrocarbon.
- an aqueous fluid is introduced into the reservoir, to force the solvent through the reservoir.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and solvent are moving towards a point below the point of introducing of the solvent where the heavy hydrocarbon stream is produced.
- a disadvantage of the prior art process described above is that fresh solvents are required for the process, which are introduced into the reservoir. This process works effectively to reduce the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks so it can be more effectively pumped but is expensive and in many applications impractical.
- the viscosity of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock can be reduced without addition of any fresh solvent or solvent mixture.
- the viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock can be advantageously reduced by adding elemental sulphur to the heavy hydrocarbon and heating at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 750 0 C. This will result in partly conversion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with elemental sulphur into carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide. Cooling down the reaction mixture results in a product in which carbon disulphide is dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock .
- the invention provides a process for reducing the viscosity a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising: supplying the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and elemental sulphur to a reaction zone and reacting, in the liquid phase, at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 75O 0 C, a part of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with the elemental sulphur to form a reaction mixture comprising heavy hydrocarbon stream, carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide, followed by cooling the reaction mixture to provide treated heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising carbon disulphide.
- An advantage of the process is that the viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is reduced without addition of fresh solvents or solvent mixtures. In this way the costs of the process of the present invention are sufficiently reduced. Furthermore, the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is reduced in-situ.
- the invention further provides a product obtainable by said process.
- the product formed by said process generally has a viscosity in the range of from 50 to 10000 mPa/s, preferably of from 100 to 1000 mPa/s. In this way the flowability of the heavy hydrocarbon stream has been improved.
- the present invention also concerns the use of the product obtained in said process in pipeline transportation .
- An advantage of the use of the product obtainable by said process in pipeline transportation is that a product can be made meeting the Canadian pipeline specification for viscosity of 250 cSt (250 mPa/s) . - A -
- a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is reacted with elemental sulphur phase at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 750 0 C.
- Elemental sulphur may be introduced in the form of a vapour phase or a liquid phase.
- elemental sulphur is a liquid elemental sulphur phase.
- the liquid sulphur phase may consist of sulphur in the form of S 2 , Ss or Soo or mixtures thereof.
- sulphur has a melting point between 96 and 116 0 C.
- the liquid sulphur phase and heavy hydrocarbon feedstock are added to a reaction zone, in which they are reacted with each other in the liquid phase.
- the reaction zone may typically be a reactor vessel or tube.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock may be supplied to the reaction zone containing liquid elemental sulphur phase.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock may be oil sand derived bitumen or an atmospheric residuum obtained by distillation, especially by vacuum distillation of heavy crude oil or by vacuum distillation of oil sand derived bitumen, especially residual bitumen with a solubility of at least 99.5% in carbon disulphide.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprises a hydrocarbonaceous compound having carbon and hydrogen atoms and, optionally, a smaller amount of heteroatoms such as oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen.
- the hydrocarbonaceous compound is liquid at the reaction conditions applied.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock may have a starting boiling point between 350 and 850 0 C.
- the hydrocarbonaceous compound and elemental sulphur react with each other.
- the overall reaction equation is: C x H y + ( 2x+V 2 y ) S ⁇ XCS 2 + V 2 yH 2 S
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock may comprise more than one hydrocarbonaceous compound.
- both the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and the elemental sulphur will typically continually be supplied to the reaction zone.
- the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is supplied to the reaction zone by pre-mixing it with the liquid sulphur phase.
- the amount of elemental sulphur added to the reaction zone is in the range of from 1 to 25 wt .% based on the heavy hydrocarbon stream.
- the contact time of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with the liquid sulphur is preferably in the range of from 1 to 3600 seconds, preferably in the range of from 5 to 600 seconds.
- the liquid elemental sulphur phase is kept at a temperature in the range of from 250 to 750 0 C. At temperatures below 250 0 C, the high viscosity of the liquid sulphur phase would impede proper processing.
- the temperature is in the range of from 350 to 700 0 C, more preferably of from 400 to 650 0 C.
- the reactants are reacted with each other at a pressure that is sufficient to maintain a liquid elemental sulphur phase. Therefore, the pressure may strongly depend on the reaction temperature.
- the pressure in the reaction zone is in the range of from 3 to 200 bar (absolute) , more preferably of from 4 to 100 bar (absolute) , even more preferably of from 5 to 30 bar (absolute) .
- a reaction mixture comprising heavy hydrocarbon stream, carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide is formed. This reaction mixture is transported to a second reactor vessel or tube wherein the reaction mixture is cooled down to obtain a liquid stream comprising carbon disulphide.
- the amount of carbon disulfide formed is preferably between 1 and 25 wt% based on the weight of heavy hydrocarbons.
- the liquid stream comprising carbon disulphide obtained by the process according to the invention will also comprise hydrogen sulphide.
- a typical hydrogen sulphide concentration is in the range of 0.05 to 50 wt%, especially 0.2 to 10 wt . % hydrogen sulphide based on the amount of heavy hydrocarbon .
- the product comprising partly converted heavy hydrocarbons, carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide has a reduced viscosity in the range of from 50 to 10000 mPa/s, more preferably in the range of from 100 to 1000 mPa/s.
- reaction between heavy hydrocarbons and sulphur can be performed in the presence of a catalyst, for instance as described in EP06116866.2.
- a catalyst for instance as described in EP06116866.2.
- the hydrocarbonaceous compound is reacted with the sulphur in the absence of a catalyst.
- the process according to the invention comprises splitting the heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks into two feedstocks (first and second feedstock), from which the first feedstock is reacted with elemental sulphur in the reaction zone, and the treated first stream is combined with the second feedstock in a second vessel or tube.
- the first feedstock is 1 to 50 wt%, especially 5 to 40 wt% based on the weight of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock. In this way, only 1 to 50 wt% of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock has to be heated to a temperature in the range of from 300 to 750 0 C, in order to obtain a product according to the present invention with the same reduced viscosity as described above.
- the product comprising carbon disulphide formed in the process according to the invention is particularly suitable to be transported via pipelines as it generally will meet requirements such as the Canadian specifications for pipeline transport.
- the product comprising carbon disulphide may be transported at a temperature usually range of from 5 to 80 0 C. Heating of the pipeline is not necessary. Therefore, the transport temperatures can be reduced by a temperature decrease of from 30 to 80 0 C, preferably of from 40 to 60 0 C. In this way the transportation of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks is economically viable.
- the hydrogen sulphide may be removed from the reaction mixture by a gas/liquid separation.
- the reaction mixture can be further purified from hydrogen sulphide by stripping of the liquid stream by a gas stream, for instance nitrogen, carbon dioxide or methane.
- the hydrogen sulphide may be removed from the reaction mixture after pipeline transportation.
- the separated hydrogen sulphide can be converted to elemental sulphur, e.g. in a Claus process, and recycled to the reaction zone.
- the amount of hydrogen sulphide removed from the reaction mixture is in the range of 0.05 to 40 wt.%, especially 0.2 to 10 wt% hydrogen sulphide based on the amount of heavy hydrocarbon .
- Carbon disulphide may be separated from the heavy hydrocarbon stream after pipeline transportation. The separation of carbon disulphide may be done by any suitable method, such as distillation.
- the separated carbon disulphide is preferably recycled and mixed with heavy hydrocarbons in a mixing vessel or tube.
- the viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon stream may be reduced in a range of from 10 to 99.9%, especially 80 to 99%, expressed as mPa/s.
- Residue are heavy oils with high viscosities. Carbon disulphide was used to reduce the viscosity of both oils. Several mixtures of oil and carbon disulphide were tested to measure the influence the carbon disulphide /oil ratio on the viscosity. Example 1
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EA201100957A EA201100957A1 (en) | 2008-12-15 | 2009-12-14 | METHOD FOR HANDLING HYDROCARBON RAW MATERIAL TREATMENT TO REDUCE ITS VISCOSITY |
US13/139,403 US20110259791A1 (en) | 2008-12-15 | 2009-12-14 | Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity |
CN2009801502271A CN102245505A (en) | 2008-12-15 | 2009-12-14 | Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity |
CA2746842A CA2746842A1 (en) | 2008-12-15 | 2009-12-14 | Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP08171615 | 2008-12-15 | ||
EP08171615.1 | 2008-12-15 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2010069907A1 true WO2010069907A1 (en) | 2010-06-24 |
Family
ID=40602409
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2009/067046 WO2010069907A1 (en) | 2008-12-15 | 2009-12-14 | Process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce its viscosity |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110259791A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102245505A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2746842A1 (en) |
EA (1) | EA201100957A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010069907A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2013102639A1 (en) * | 2012-01-06 | 2013-07-11 | Statoil Petroleum As | A process for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN105883808B (en) * | 2014-11-07 | 2018-11-27 | 王兴路 | A kind of preparation method of carbon disulfide |
US10851314B2 (en) | 2019-04-17 | 2020-12-01 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Method to improve the efficiency of pipeline transportation of heavy oils |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1981161A (en) * | 1931-12-11 | 1934-11-20 | Meigs Bassett & Slaughter Inc | Preparation of carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide |
US2492719A (en) * | 1943-06-26 | 1949-12-27 | Pure Oil Co | Preparation of carbon disulfide |
US3087788A (en) * | 1959-04-06 | 1963-04-30 | Fmc Corp | Combined catalytic and non-catalytic process of producing hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide |
GB1173344A (en) * | 1966-06-15 | 1969-12-10 | Progil | Process for preparing carbon disulphide |
US20060254769A1 (en) * | 2005-04-21 | 2006-11-16 | Wang Dean C | Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas |
WO2007131977A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | A process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide |
WO2007131976A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | A process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide |
WO2008003732A1 (en) * | 2006-07-07 | 2008-01-10 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | Process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide and use of a liquid stream comprising carbon disulphide for enhanced oil recovery |
US20080087425A1 (en) * | 2006-08-10 | 2008-04-17 | Chia-Fu Hsu | Methods for producing oil and/or gas |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2556177A (en) * | 1948-08-17 | 1951-06-12 | Great Lakes Carbon Corp | Process for production of carbon disulfide |
-
2009
- 2009-12-14 WO PCT/EP2009/067046 patent/WO2010069907A1/en active Application Filing
- 2009-12-14 CA CA2746842A patent/CA2746842A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-12-14 US US13/139,403 patent/US20110259791A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-12-14 CN CN2009801502271A patent/CN102245505A/en active Pending
- 2009-12-14 EA EA201100957A patent/EA201100957A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1981161A (en) * | 1931-12-11 | 1934-11-20 | Meigs Bassett & Slaughter Inc | Preparation of carbon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide |
US2492719A (en) * | 1943-06-26 | 1949-12-27 | Pure Oil Co | Preparation of carbon disulfide |
US3087788A (en) * | 1959-04-06 | 1963-04-30 | Fmc Corp | Combined catalytic and non-catalytic process of producing hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide |
GB1173344A (en) * | 1966-06-15 | 1969-12-10 | Progil | Process for preparing carbon disulphide |
US20060254769A1 (en) * | 2005-04-21 | 2006-11-16 | Wang Dean C | Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas |
WO2007131977A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | A process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide |
WO2007131976A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | A process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide |
WO2008003732A1 (en) * | 2006-07-07 | 2008-01-10 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. | Process for the manufacture of carbon disulphide and use of a liquid stream comprising carbon disulphide for enhanced oil recovery |
US20080087425A1 (en) * | 2006-08-10 | 2008-04-17 | Chia-Fu Hsu | Methods for producing oil and/or gas |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2013102639A1 (en) * | 2012-01-06 | 2013-07-11 | Statoil Petroleum As | A process for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock |
RU2625160C2 (en) * | 2012-01-06 | 2017-07-12 | Статойл Петролеум Ас | Method for improving heavy hydrocarbon mixture quality |
US9856421B2 (en) | 2012-01-06 | 2018-01-02 | Statoil Petroleum As | Process for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA2746842A1 (en) | 2010-06-24 |
CN102245505A (en) | 2011-11-16 |
US20110259791A1 (en) | 2011-10-27 |
EA201100957A1 (en) | 2011-12-30 |
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