CA3167587A1 - Use of asphaltene dispersants for treating hydrocarbon feedstocks subjected to partial upgrading - Google Patents

Abstract

Processes and systems for partially upgrading various hydrocarbon feedstocks, such as bitumen feedstocks, are described. The process can include subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream, the thermal treatment comprising heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor, and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor, or onto internal surface of the thermal reactor walls or onto internal surfaces of other downstream equipment. Examples of components of the thermal treatment reactor can include immersion heating elements. The asphaltene dispersant can include for instance inverse micelles comprising a transition metal, an alkaline-earth metal or a semi-metal. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant can include inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide and a magnesium sulfonate.

Description

USE OF ASPHALTENE DISPERSANTS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON
FEEDSTOCKS SUBJECTED TO PARTIAL UPGRADING
TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The technical field generally relates to the treatment of hydrocarbons. In particular, the technical field relates to techniques for partially upgrading hydrocarbon feedstocks using chemical additives such as asphaltene dispersants and other processing methods.
BACKGROUND

[002] Bitumen generally has a high viscosity, irrespective of whether it has been recovered by mining operations or by in situ recovery processes. This high viscosity can make pipeline transportation of bitumen difficult. Various methods exist to decrease bitumen viscosity and increase suitability for pipeline transportation, although such methods have various drawbacks.

[003] For instance, bitumen upgrader facilities of various designs can upgrade the bitumen to produce less viscous products. However, conventional upgrader facilities have high associated capital and operating costs. In addition, in some conventional upgrading methods such as severe thermal cracking, hydrogen originally present in the bitumen is lost to the gas phase such that, in the absence of added hydrogen, significant yet undesirable olefin production can occur. In order to meet pipeline specifications, the olefin content of the bitumen must be minimized, typically to less than 1 wt% (1-decene equivalent). Thus, upgrading methods that produce bitumen products having a high olefin content must therefore use an external source of hydrogen, via some form of hydroprocessing, to provide sufficient hydrogen, Le., to compensate for at least some of the bitumen hydrogen losses that occurred during cracking, to saturate or convert the olefins by breaking down the carbon-to-carbon double bond and convert them to single bonds, and stabilize cracked products to achieve targeted bitumen quality requirements.
Hydroprocessing can include the addition of hydrogen in a separate unit. On the other hand, for economic and technical reasons, various traditional hydroprocessing methods are generally avoided since external hydrogen production has high associated costs.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 Indeed, any approach using external hydrogen is likely to have higher capital and operating costs.

[004] Another option to improve bitumen viscosity is to dilute the bitumen, for example with naphtha or natural gas condensate as a diluent. Diluted bitumen is often referred to as "dilbit". While bitumen dilution does not have the same capital cost penalty as a bitumen upgrader facility, it still has high associated operating costs. For example, since dilbit includes a significant volume of diluent (e.g., one third diluent and two thirds bitumen per barrel of diluted bitumen), significant pipeline capacity is therefore taken up by the diluent for pipelining of the dilbit as well as the return pipelining of separated diluent to be reused in bitumen dilution. Thus, since diluent travels to and from the bitumen recovery operation, approximately a third of the pipeline capacity can be required for diluent transport and approximately a third of the hydrocarbon inventory can be diluent, which is costly and inefficient.

[005] Other bitumen upgrading methods involve high severity operating conditions and/or significant coking and/or hydrocracking, which can also involve technical challenges as well as high capital and operating costs.

[006] Partial upgrading techniques have been developed to mitigate certain of the drawbacks described above. Partial upgrading techniques refer to any combination of processing steps that enable reducing diluent addition while meeting pipeline specifications, and can include for instance mild thermal treatments and/or solvent deasphalting. However, even mild thermal treatments can result in asphaltenes-related challenges, such as agglomeration and fouling that can occur on various pieces of equipment.

[007] Accordingly, various challenges exist in terms of technologies for partially upgrading hydrocarbons feedstocks.
SUMMARY

[008] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream, the thermal treatment comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor.

[009] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.

[0010] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

[0011] In some implementations, the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

[0012] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

[0013] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises manganese.

[0014] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises chromium.

[0015] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

[0016] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

[0017] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.

[0018] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

[0019] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0020] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

[0021] In some implementations, the semi-metal comprises silicon.

[0022] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

[0023] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.

[0024] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.

[0025] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

[0026] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock is performed upstream of the thermal treatment reactor.

[0027] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises adding the asphaltene dispersant to an in-line flow of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an in-line flow of asphaltene dispersant added hydrocarbon feedstock that is subsequently subjected to the thermal treatment.

[0028] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

[0029] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

[0030] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 25 ppm to about 300 ppm.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0031] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

[0032] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 200 ppm.

[0033] In some implementations, the operating temperature is at least 370 C.

[0034] In some implementations, the operating temperature ranges from about 370 C
to about 415 C.

[0035] In some implementations, the operating temperature ranges from about 395 C
to about 415 C.

[0036] In some implementations, the thermal treatment is performed at an operating pressure ranging from about 3 psig to 6 psig.

[0037] In some implementations, the thermal treatment is performed for a residence time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 80 minutes.

[0038] In some implementations, the components of the thermal treatment reactor comprises immersion heating elements.

[0039] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction, the thermal treatment comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor; and deasphalting the thermally treated heavy fraction, comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 contacting the thermally treated heavy fraction with a deasphalting solvent to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream and an asphaltene-reduced stream as a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product.

[0040] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.

[0041] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

[0042] In some implementations, the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

[0043] In some implementations, the process further comprises subjecting the thermally treated light fraction to a gas-liquid separation to produce a liquid phase comprising an olefin-reduced product, and a gas phase.

[0044] In some implementations, the asphaltene-reduced stream is combined with the liquid phase from the gas-liquid separation to produce the partially upgraded hydrocarbon product.

[0045] In some implementations, the thermal treatment further comprises contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with a sweep gas to contribute to separating the thermally treated light fraction from the thermally treated heavy fraction.

[0046] In some implementations, the sweep comprises a non-condensable gas.

[0047] In some implementations, the process further comprises pre-heating the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to introducing the hydrocarbon feedstock into the thermal treatment reactor.

[0048] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

[0049] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises manganese.

[0050] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises chromium.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0051] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

[0052] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

[0053] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.

[0054] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

[0055] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .

[0056] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

[0057] In some implementations, the semi-metal comprises silicon.

[0058] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

[0059] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.

[0060] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.

[0061] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

[0062] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock is performed upstream of the thermal treatment reactor.

[0063] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises adding the asphaltene dispersant to an in-line flow of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an in-line flow of asphaltene dispersant added hydrocarbon feedstock that is subsequently subjected to the thermal treatment.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0064] In some implementations, adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

[0065] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

[0066] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 25 ppm to about 300 ppm.

[0067] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

[0068] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 200 ppm.

[0069] In some implementations, the operating temperature is at least 370 C.

[0070] In some implementations, the operating temperature ranges from about 370 C
to about 415 C.

[0071] In some implementations, the operating temperature ranges from about 395 C
to about 415 C.

[0072] In some implementations, the thermal treatment is performed at an operating pressure ranging from about 3 psig to 6 psig.

[0073] In some implementations, the thermal treatment is performed for a residence time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 80 minutes.

[0074] In some implementations, the deasphalting solvent comprises an alkane-based solvent.

[0075] In some implementations, the alkane-based solvent comprises propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane or a mixture thereof.

[0076] In some implementations, the deasphalting solvent comprises branched hydrocarbons.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0077] In some implementations, the branched hydrocarbons comprises isopentane.

[0078] In some implementations, the deasphalting solvent comprises hydrocarbons that include cyclic structures.

[0079] In some implementations, the deasphalting solvent comprises one or more of cyclopentane and cyclohexane.

[0080] In some implementations, the components of the thermal treatment reactor comprises immersion heating elements.

[0081] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a system for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the system comprising:
a thermal treatment reactor configured to receive the hydrocarbon feedstock and operable to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction, the thermal treatment reactor comprising:
a reaction chamber defined by sidewalls, a bottom wall and a top wall;
heating elements to heat the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature;
a transport line to supply the hydrocarbon feedstock to the thermal treatment reactor;
and an asphaltene dispersant unit in fluid communication with the thermal treatment reactor, the asphaltene dispersant unit being configured for introducing an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to prevent to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor.

[0082] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant unit is provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor, along the transport line supplying the hydrocarbon feedstock to the thermal treatment reactor.

[0083] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant unit is configured for introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0084] In some implementations, the system further comprises a solvent deasphalting unit configured to receive the thermally treated heavy fraction or a portion thereof and operable to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream and an asphaltene-reduced stream.

[0085] In some implementations, the system further comprises a heater provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor to heat the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to introduction of the hydrocarbon feedstock into the thermal treatment reactor.

[0086] In some implementations, the system further comprises a gas-liquid separation unit configured to receive the thermally treated light fraction to produce a gas phase and a liquid phase comprising an olefin-reduced product.

[0087] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.

[0088] In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

[0089] In some implementations, the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

[0090] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

[0091] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises manganese.

[0092] In some implementations, the transition metal comprises chromium.

[0093] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

[0094] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

[0095] In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.

[0096] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

[0097] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[0098] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

[0099] In some implementations, the semi-metal comprises silicon.

[00100] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

[00101] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.

[00102] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

[00103] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for selecting an asphaltene dispersant for use in partial upgrading of a hydrocarbon feedstock, the method comprising:
providing candidate chemical additives;
for each of the candidate chemical additives, adding a given one of the candidate chemical additives to a hydrocarbon feedstock sample;
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock sample to heating to a target temperature for a target residence time using a sample immersion heater;
determining asphaltene adhesion on the sample immersion heater during or after the heating; and selecting at least one of the candidate chemical additives according to the asphaltene adhesion on the sample immersion heater.

[00104] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream, the thermal treatment comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor;
operating the thermal treatment reactor for a given period of time until formation of asphaltene agglomerates and adherence of the asphaltene agglomerates onto components of the thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to redisperse asphaltene agglomerates in the hydrocarbon feedstock.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00105] The attached figures illustrate various features, aspects and implementations of the technology described herein.

[00106] Fig 1 is a flowchart of a process for treating a hydrocarbon feedstock, in accordance with an implementation, the process including the addition of an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock, and a thermal treatment.

[00107] Fig 2 is a flowchart of a process for treating a hydrocarbon feedstock, in accordance with another implementation, the process including the addition of an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock, a thermal treatment, and solvent deasphalting.

[00108] Fig 3 is a system for treating a hydrocarbon feedstock in accordance with an implementation, the system including a thermal treatment reactor, a pre-heater, two asphaltene dispersant addition units, a solvent deasphalting unit, and a gas-liquid separator.

[00109] Fig 4 is a graph showing the impact of the addition of an asphaltene dispersant on the temperature of a thermal treatment reactor over time.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00110] Techniques described herein relate to processes and systems for treating a hydrocarbon feedstock. Such techniques can also be referred to as "partial upgrading" of a hydrocarbon feedstock. The partial upgrading of the hydrocarbon feedstock, which can Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 include bitumen, includes subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment in a thermal treatment reactor to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction. Optionally, the thermally treated heavy fraction can be subjected to solvent deasphalting to separate asphaltenes from the thermally treated heavy fraction.
The thermal treatment is performed at operating conditions determined to encourage various reactions to occur, including thermal cracking. The thermal cracking reactions result in the formation of smaller hydrocarbon molecules, which have a positive impact on viscosity reduction and the quality of the hydrocarbon product that can result from the partial upgrading process.

[00111] An asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock, prior to the hydrocarbon feedstock being subjected to the thermal treatment, i.e., upstream of the thermal treatment reactor, directly into the thermal treatment reactor, or both. The addition of the asphaltene dispersant can facilitate delaying the onset of coking, offering the opportunity to operate the thermal treatment at a higher temperature and/or for a longer residence time, and reducing the risks of coke depositing onto the components of the thermal reactor such as on immersion heating elements if present and/or other surfaces of the equipment that is in contact with the hydrocarbon feedstock, which can also be referred to as "fouling". In turn, the increased temperature and/or longer residence time can favour cracking reactions to occur over coking reactions, which can increase the residue conversion of the hydrocarbon feedstock and thus improve the yield of lighter fractions, such as diesel and gasoline.

[00112] The asphaltene dispersant can include for instance inverse micelles comprising a transition metal or an alkaline-earth metal, such as inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

[00113] Details regarding the processes and systems for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock are described hereinbelow.
Definitions

[00114] Throughout this description, numerous terms and expressions are used in accordance with their ordinary meanings. Below are definitions of some terms and expressions that are used in the present description.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[00115] "Bitumen" as used herein refers to hydrocarbon material extracted from bituminous formations, such as oil sands formations, the density of which is typically around 1000 kg/m3, and the viscosity of which is typically between about 1 million cP to about 100 million cP measured at 20 C. Bitumen can be recovered from bitumen-containing ore by mining and extraction operations, or from a bitumen-containing reservoir using in situ recovery processes. Examples of bitumen include bitumen extracted from the Athabasca and Cold Lake regions, in Alberta, Canada.

[00116] "Hydrocarbon feedstock" refers to the hydrocarbon material that is subjected to the partial upgrading. In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock is a bitumen feedstock that includes both heavy and light hydrocarbon fractions and has very low or substantially zero water content and mineral solids content (e.g., below 2.5%
water, or below 0.5% water and below 1.0% solids). The hydrocarbon feedstock can include various non-hydrocarbon compounds (e.g., sulfur, metals, etc.) that are often found in bitumen and may be associated with certain hydrocarbon components (e.g., asphaltenes).
The hydrocarbon feedstock can be obtained from a diluent recovery unit that has received a diluted bitumen stream from an in situ recovery facility or a secondary extraction operation.
In some implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted bitumen stream that has not been subjected to certain conventional separation steps, such as fractionation or distillation, prior to the partial upgrading, and therefore still has many if not substantially all of the heavy and light hydrocarbon components of the native bitumen. In other implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock can be a residuum stream from a distillation tower (e.g., vacuum distillation tower) that has been operated to remove light hydrocarbon components (e.g., gas oils and other hydrocarbons that boil below about 525 C). In other implementations, the hydrocarbon feedstock can be a solvent-depleted bitumen produced by a solvent recovery unit (SRU) that recovers paraffinic solvent from a solvent diluted bitumen overflow stream that is part of a paraffinic froth treatment operation. By way of example, the hydrocarbon feedstock can include 10 wt% - 35 wt% saturates, 20 wt% - 45 wt% aromatics, 20 wt% - 40 wt% resins, and 5 wt% to 20 wt% asphaltenes (measured using Modified ASTM 2007, SARA), where approximately 30 wt% - 60 wt% of the hydrocarbons are heavy with a boiling point over 525 C. The hydrocarbon feedstock can have an initial viscosity of between about 1million cP and about 100 million cP at ambient temperature. It should also be noted that the hydrocarbon feedstock can in some cases Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 be a blend of different hydrocarbon streams, e.g., one or more heavy hydrocarbon streams can be blended with one or more light hydrocarbon streams.

[00117] "Solvent deasphalting" as used herein refers to a partial or a complete separation of the asphaltene fraction of a hydrocarbon-containing stream using a solvent, such as a paraffinic solvent. Asphaltene-reduced products obtained following a deasphalting step refer to product streams characterized by an asphaltene content that is partially or fully rejected.

[00118] "Fraction" as used herein refers to a collection of hydrocarbons that can be recovered and/or processed together. The fraction can contain, but is not limited to, hydrocarbons that are similar in composition, physical characteristics (e.g., viscosity), boiling point, location, geologic origin, or in recoverability or processability.

[00119] "Pipelinable bitumen" as used herein refers to a bitumen stream that meets a predetermined pipeline specification. For instance, a non-limiting example of a pipeline specification can require a viscosity of 350 cSt or less at the reference temperature of the pipeline and a density of 940 kg/m3 or less. Other requirements can also be part of a pipeline specification, such as the olefin content of the bitumen, for instance an olefin content of less than 1 wt% (1-decene equivalent basis).

[00120] "Partial upgrading" as used herein refers to a process where a hydrocarbon feedstock is processed to improve its characteristics, for instance, by decreasing its viscosity and/or density.
Hydrocarbon feedstock and viscosity characteristics

[00121] The hydrocarbon feedstock can include bitumen that was extracted from oil sands ore using a surface mining process, or using an in situ recovery process (e.g., a thermal energy-based recovery method such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) or cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), a solvent-based recovery method such as in situ solvent or solvent-steam extraction, an in situ combustion recovery method, a cold production process, an electromagnetic energy assisted process, or a concurrent or sequential combination thereof). The bitumen included in the hydrocarbon feedstock can also come from any other suitable source.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[00122] As mentioned above, the hydrocarbon feedstock can be the diluent- or solvent-depleted bitumen stream from a diluent recovery unit. In addition, the hydrocarbon feedstock can be substantially whole bitumen that has not undergone fractionation or distillation to remove light hydrocarbon components. The hydrocarbon feedstock can include or be a bitumen stream that is produced by a diluent recovery unit (DRU or NRU) that recovers diluent (e.g., naphthenic diluent) from dilbit produced by a secondary extraction operation or an in situ recovery operation. The hydrocarbon feedstock can include or be a bitumen stream that is produced by a solvent recovery unit (SRU) that recovers paraffinic solvent from a solvent diluted bitumen overflow stream that is part of a paraffinic froth treatment operation. The bitumen stream produced by the DRU
or SRU
can be supplied as the hydrocarbon feedstock directly to the thermal treatment without any additional separation steps. The hydrocarbon feedstock can be a blend of two or more hydrocarbon streams.
General overview of an example implementation of a partial upgrading process

[00123] An example of a partial upgrading process 10 for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock 12 in accordance with an implementation is shown in Fig 1.

[00124] The partial upgrading process 10 includes subjecting a hydrocarbon feedstock 12, which can include bitumen, to a thermal treatment 18 to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream 21. Alternatively, in some implementations and as will be described in further detail below, the thermal treatment 18 can also be configured to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction. The thermal treatment 18 can be conducted in a thermal treatment reactor that includes immersion heating elements, although other types of heating system for the thermal treatment reactor can be used.

[00125] As shown in Fig 1, an asphaltene dispersant 40 can be used as an additive to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 to prevent asphaltenes from agglomerating and adhering to the immersion heating elements of the thermal treatment reactor (or reduce asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence to the immersion heating elements or another heated surface of the thermal treatment reactor), and thus prevent or reduce fouling.
It is to be understood that in scenarios where the thermal treatment reactor does not include immersion heating elements to provide heating to the thermal treatment reactor, the Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 asphaltene dispersant 40 can be added to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 to prevent or reduce fouling on other components of the thermal reactor, such as on the thermal reactor walls, or on other surfaces of other downstream equipment. Thus, irrespective of the type of thermal treatment reactor used to perform the thermal treatment 18, there can be benefits to the addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40 to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12.

[00126] The addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40, i.e., the asphaltene dispersant addition 42, can be done directly to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12, upstream of the thermal treatment 18, to produce an asphaltene dispersant-containing hydrocarbon feedstock 41.
Alternatively, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be supplied to the thermal treatment reactor used to perform the thermal treatment 18.

[00127] In some implementations, the thermally treated hydrocarbon stream 21 can be further treated to produce a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product that meets pipeline specifications, or the characteristics of the thermally treated hydrocarbon stream 21 can be such that it can be suitable as a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product that meets pipeline specifications without further treatments.

[00128] With reference to Fig 2, another implementation of a partial upgrading process 100 for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock 12 is shown. The hydrocarbon feedstock 12 can include bitumen, and can by any type of hydrocarbon feedstock described herein or other types of hydrocarbon feedstocks. The partial upgrading process 100 includes an optional first step of pre-heating 14 the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 to produce a pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16. The pre-heating 14 can be operated to a desired temperature suitable for subsequent processing steps.

[00129] The pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 is then subjected to a thermal treatment 18 to produce a thermally treated light fraction 20 and a thermally treated heavy fraction 22. In some implementations, a sweep gas 38 can be supplied to the thermal treatment 18 to assist in mixing the liquid pool of the hydrocarbon feedstock and in removing vapours from the hydrocarbon feedstock. The sweep gas 38 can be any type of non-condensable gas such as natural gas, nitrogen or hydrogen, for example.
The thermally treated light fraction 20 can be subjected to an olefin treatment 24 to stabilize the cracked products and saturate the olefins present in the thermally treated light fraction 20 and produce an olefin-reduced product 26 that can meet pipeline specifications. The Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 olefin treatment 24 also produces non-condensable vapour 28 that can optionally be subjected to further treatments. The thermally treated heavy fraction 22 is subjected to solvent deasphalting 30 to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream 32, and an asphaltene-reduced stream 34 as a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product. When the hydrocarbon feedstock includes bitumen, the asphaltene-reduced stream 34 can correspond to pipelinable bitumen. The asphaltene-reduced stream 34 can also be referred to as deasphalted oil. Furthermore, the asphaltene-reduced stream 34 can optionally be blended with the olefin-reduced product 26 to produce a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product 36 that meets pipeline specifications. Alternatively, the asphaltene-reduced stream 34 can correspond to the partially upgraded hydrocarbon product without further blending with the olefin-reduced product 26.

[00130] As described with reference to Fig 1, an asphaltene dispersant 40 can be used as an additive to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12, or to the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16, to prevent asphaltenes from agglomerating and adhering to the immersion heating elements of the thermal treatment reactor (or reduce asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence to the immersion heating elements or another heated surface of the thermal treatment reactor), and thus prevent or reduce fouling. It is to be understood that in scenarios where the thermal treatment reactor does not include immersion heating elements to provide heating to the thermal treatment reactor, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be added to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12, or to the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16, to prevent or reduce fouling on other components of the thermal treatment reactor such as on the internal surface of the thermal reactor walls, or on other internal surfaces of other downstream equipment. Thus, irrespective of the type of thermal treatment reactor used to perform the thermal treatment 18, there can be benefits to the addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40 to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or to the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16.

[00131] The addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40, i.e., asphaltene dispersant addition 42, can be done directly to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or to the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16, upstream of the thermal treatment 18 to produce an asphaltene dispersant-containing hydrocarbon feedstock 41. Alternatively, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be supplied to the thermal treatment reactor used to perform the thermal treatment 18.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[00132] It is to be understood that the partial upgrading processes 10, 100 illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 are shown as examples only, and should not be interpreted in a restrictive sense, as various other processes of partial upgrading processes are known in the art.
For instance, Canadian patent No. 3,000,430, and Canadian patent applications Nos.
2,963,436 and 3,139,456 each describes partial upgrading processes that can include a thermal treatment that can benefit from the addition of an asphaltene dispersant as described herein. Furthermore, U.S. patent Nos. U.S. 9,020,211, U.S.
9,944,864, and U.S.
11,007,760 also describe partial upgrading processes that can include a thermal treatment that can benefit from the addition of an asphaltene dispersantas described herein. In addition, U.S. patent No. U.S. 9,045,699 describes an example of a thermal treatment reactor and associated process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock that can benefit from the addition of an asphaltene dispersant as described herein.

[00133] It is also to be noted that the operating conditions and the streams produced as part of the partial upgrading processes described herein are provided as examples only and should not be interpreted as being !imitative.

[00134] Additional details regarding the partial upgrading processes 10, 100 will now be provided.
Thermal treatment

[00135] Still referring to Fig 2, the thermal treatment 18 can be conducted in a thermal treatment reactor under conditions that enable producing the thermally treated light fraction 20 and the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 according to desired characteristics.
The thermal treatment reactor can include sidewalls, a top wall and a bottom wall defining a reaction chamber, and the immersion heating elements mentioned above can be provided within the reaction chamber to heat the hydrocarbon feedstock present in the thermal treatment reactor. The immersion heating elements can be for instance electrically-heated immersion heating elements, although other types of immersion heating elements can also be suitable. In some implementations, the immersion heating elements can be those of a fired heater. Alternatively, the immersion heating elements Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 can be omitted, and the thermal treatment reactor can be heated by any other suitable means.

[00136] In some implementations, the thermal treatment can be operated at temperatures of at least about 315 C, or at least about 370 C, or at temperatures ranging from about 370 C to about 410 C, or from about 395 C to about 405 C, for instance.
However, operating the thermal treatment reactor at such temperatures can result in asphaltenes particles agglomerating to each other to form asphaltene precipitates, or asphaltene agglomerates, and asphaltene agglomerates adhering to a heated surface such as the surface of components of the thermal treatment reactor such as the immersion heating elements within the thermal treatment reactor, instead of the asphaltenes being substantially dispersed in the bulk of the hydrocarbon feedstock. Once the asphaltene agglomerates adhere onto components of the thermal treatment reactor such as on the heating elements, contact heating of agglomerates can cause coke formation on the immersion heating elements, which in turn can impair subsequent heat transfer and can reduce the heating efficiency of the immersion heating elements. This aspect will be discussed in further detail below. In the context of the present description, the term "adherence" is intended to mean the collection, or accumulation, and adherence of asphaltenes precipitates or agglomerates onto a solid surface, such as the surface of the immersion heating elements, the walls of the reaction chamber of the thermal treatment reactor, the inner surface of piping, and/or on other surfaces of other downstream equipment.

[00137] Additional operating parameters for the thermal treatment 18 can include the operating pressure, the residence time, and the rate of introduction of the sweep gas 38 into the thermal treatment reactor, among others. In some implementations, the operating pressure can vary from about 3 psig to about 6 psig. In some implementations, the residence time of the hydrocarbon feedstock in the thermal treatment reactor can vary between about 40 minutes to about 90 minutes. In some implementations, the sweep gas 38 can be introduced in the thermal treatment reactor at a rate of about 20 scf/bbl to about 120 scf/bbl. It is to be understood that the above operating parameters for the thermal treatment 18 provided in the context of the partial upgrading process 100 described with reference to Fig 2, are provided as examples only. Other operating parameters for the Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 thermal treatment 18 can be suitable depending on the configuration of the overall partial upgrading process.

[00138] In some implementations, the thermal treatment 18 can be configured such that the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 corresponds to the partially upgraded hydrocarbon product, i.e., without the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 being further subjected to solvent deasphalting 30.
Solvent deasphaltinq

[00139] As mentioned above, the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 can undergo solvent deasphalting 30. The solvent deasphalting 30 can include the addition of a deasphalting solvent 44 (e.g., an alkane-based solvent such as propane, butane, pentane, hexane and heptane, or a combination thereof; branched hydrocarbons, such as isopentane; and hydrocarbons that include cyclic structures, such as cyclopentane and cyclohexane) from a deasphalting solvent supply 46, to encourage precipitation of asphaltenes present in the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 while a lighter portion of the thermally treated heavy fraction 22 can dissolve therein, and allow for a selective separation of the components according to their solubility properties in order to reject heavier components such as asphaltenes. Various solvent deasphalting (SDA) methods can be used for deasphalting the thermally treated heavy fraction and produce the asphaltene-reduced stream 34 and the asphaltene-enriched stream 32.
Addition of an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock

[00140] As mentioned above, subjecting a hydrocarbon feedstock that includes asphaltenes to a thermal treatment can result in asphaltenes agglomerating and adhering to the immersion heating elements present within the reaction chamber of the thermal treatment reactor, or on other internal surfaces or components of the thermal treatment reactor or downstream equipment, depending on operating conditions of the thermal treatment. Coking reactions occurring during the thermal treatment can also result in asphaltenes agglomerates to travel downstream in other pieces of equipment, which can also result in fouling of such equipment.

[00141] In order to mitigate this challenge, an asphaltene dispersant 40 can be used as a chemical additive to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 to inhibit or reduce asphaltenes from Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 agglomerating and adhering to the immersion heating elements, or on other internal surfaces or components of the thermal treatment reactor or downstream equipment, and thus prevent or reduce fouling. The addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40, i.e., asphaltene dispersant addition 42, can be done directly to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12, or to the pre-heated bitumen feedstock 16 if pre-heating 14 is performed, upstream of the thermal treatment 18 to produce an asphaltene dispersant-containing hydrocarbon feedstock 41. Alternatively or additionally, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be supplied directly into the thermal treatment reactor used to perform the thermal treatment 18, as a separate stream from the feedstock 12.

[00142] In some implementations, the addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock can enable operating the reactor at higher temperatures and/or with longer residence time, which can result in an increase in overall product yield, increase the reliability of the reactor and lower operating costs, among other benefits. In other words, the addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the thermal treatment can delay the onset of coking that can occur in the thermal treatment reactor. Indeed, in some implementations, the addition of the asphaltene dispersant can enable operating the thermal treatment reactor at about 5 C to about 15 C higher temperatures prior to coking starting to reduce the performance of the heater elements and of the thermal treatment reactor. In turn, this higher temperature can translate to higher residue conversion, for nstance in the order of about 4 wt% to 6 wt%, and improved yield, for instance in the order of about 1 wt% to about 2 wt%. Alternatively, when the thermal treatment is operated at operating conditions that include a temperature that would be considered as a "normal"
temperature when no asphaltene dispersant is added, the thermal treatment can be performed longer and more reliably between shutdowns, which in turn can save shutdown cost during a given period of time.

[00143] Various types of chemical additives can be suitable for use as the asphaltene dispersant. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant can include an overbased additive, i.e., a dispersing agent dissolved in a diluent, in combination with substantial quantities of a basic compound, typically inorganic, in the form of a colloidal dispersion.
The dispersing agent can exist in the form of micelles, in which the colloidal particles of the basic compound can be incorporated. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant can include an overbased sulfonate. The overbased sulfonate can be obtained Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 from a metal salt (e.g., transition metal or alkaline-earth metal) or a semi-metal salt of an oil soluble sulfonic acid, and a metal oxide (e.g., transition metal oxide or alkaline-earth metal oxide) or a semi-metal oxide.

[00144] In some implementations, the transition metal can be selected from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn, particularly Cr. In some implementations, the alkaline-earth metal oxide can be selected from Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, or Ba, particularly Mg or Ca.
In some implementations, the semi-metal can be selected from B, Si, or Ge, particularly Si.

[00145] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can include inverse micelles including a transition metal such as manganese or chromium, an alkaline-earth metal such as magnesium or calcium, or a semi-metal such as silicon.

[00146] In some implementations, the salt of the oil soluble sulfonic acid can be a sulfonate salt including one or more saturated or partially unsaturated linear hydrocarbon moieties, optionally including aromatic rings. For instance, the sulfonate salt can include saturated or partially unsaturated linear hydrocarbon moieties including from 10 to 20 carbon atoms optionally attached to an aryl group.

[00147] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be an oil soluble metal organic magnesium sulfonate additive. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can include inverse micelles formed from a magnesium sulfonate and magnesium oxide (MgO). In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant can include from 20 wt% to 40 wt% magnesium sulfonate, and for example 30 wt% magnesium sulfonate. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be LMG-30S .
LMG-305 is typically used to prevent high-temperature vanadium corrosion in industrial engines designed to operate on heavy fuels.

[00148] Other types of asphaltene dispersants can also be suitable to reduce formation of asphaltene agglomerates and fouling of immersion heating elements or other components of the thermal treatment reactor or of downstream equipment.

[00149] In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be added to the bitumen feedstock at a dosage ranging from about 25 ppm to about 500 ppm, or from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm. In some implementations, the dosage of the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be determined following the addition of the asphaltene dispersant 40 to Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 at an initial dose ranging from about 25 ppm to about 50 ppm to first evaluate the interaction between the asphaltene dispersant 40 and the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 for a given period of time. Then, if asphaltene precipitation and/or adherence is beginning to be noted after the thermal reactor has been operated for a given number of minutes, hours or days, the dosage of the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be increased, for example up to about 100 ppm to about 150 ppm, and the thermal treatment can be continued for another period of time until further asphaltene precipitation and/or adherence is noted. The dosage of the asphaltene dispersant 40 can then be increased once again, for instance by increments ranging between 50 ppm to 200 ppm, and the thermal treatment can be resumed, with the increment being chosen such that a desired outcome is achieved such as the reduction of asphaltene precipitation and/or adherence.

[00150] The dosage of the asphaltene dispersant can vary, for instance depending on the characteristics of the asphaltene dispersant used, and the intended objective for using the asphaltene dispersant, such as increasing the overall conversion and/or prolonging operation time of the thermal treatment reactor. In addition, the asphaltene dispersant can be used to "clean" equipment in which fouling has occurred. In such implementations, the asphaltene dispersant can be supplied as a bolus, or as a succession of boluses, to solubilize, disperse, and/or dislodge asphaltene agglomerates that have adhered onto a given surface, and the dosage of the asphaltene dispersant can be adjusted in accordance with the extent of asphaltene agglomeration and/or the extent of the adherence of the asphaltene agglomerates onto the given surface.

[00151] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the asphaltene dispersant can be used as a preventative measure to reduce asphaltene agglomeration and adhere to immersion heating elements or other surfaces, but can also be used to dislodge agglomerated asphaltenes that were previously adhered onto immersion heating elements or other surfaces, and redisperse asphaltenes in the bulk of the hydrocarbon feedstock.
In turn, the redispersion of the asphaltene and dislodging from the immersion heating elements or other surfaces can enable cleaning equipment and recovering performance from the immersion heating elements previously impacted by the adherence of the asphaltene agglomerates thereon.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

[00152] The asphaltene dispersant 40 can be provided as a nano-sized asphaltene dispersant or a micro-sized asphaltene dispersant to increase its effectiveness due to the increased surface activity and increased number of reactive particles. In some implementations, providing the asphaltene dispersant as a nano-sized asphaltene dispersant or a micro-sized asphaltene dispersant can enable the asphaltene dispersant to penetrate deeper into the asphaltene agglomerates to more effectively disrupt the asphaltene agglomerates and/or adherence of the asphaltene agglomerates onto a given surface.

[00153] The asphaltene dispersant addition 42 to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 can be achieved via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant addition unit can include a process feed pump, such as a metering pump, to facilitate controlling the dosage of the asphaltene dispersant 40 added to the hydrocarbon feedstock. Examples of metering pumps can include for instance piston pumps, diaphragm and peristaltic pumps, and gear pumps. In some implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be supplied to the process feed pump under suction inlet conditions to facilitate mixing of the asphaltene dispersant 40 with the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated bitumen hydrocarbon feedstock 16. The action of the impeller of the process feed pump can also facilitate mixing of the asphaltene dispersant 40 with the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated bitumen hydrocarbon feedstock 16. When the asphaltene dispersant 40 is added upstream of the thermal treatment 18, the location of the asphaltene dispersant addition unit along the transport line, e.g., pipeline, transporting the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 to the thermal treatment 18 can be chosen such that sufficient mixing between the asphaltene dispersant 40 and the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 occurs prior the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 being supplied to the thermal treatment 18. Accordingly, it may be desirable to choose a pump and operating parameters of the pump that can impart turbulence to the combined flow of asphaltene dispersant 40 and the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 such that sufficient mixing occurs prior to the thermal treatment 18.

[00154] In other implementations, the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be added to the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16 via a T-mixer, a Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 static mixer, an impeller tank mixer, or any other type of device or configuration that enables combining the asphaltene dispersant 40 with the hydrocarbon feedstock 12 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 16.

[00155] In other implementations and as mentioned above, the asphaltene dispersant addition 42 can be configured such that the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be introduced in the thermal treatment reactor. In such implementations, the asphaltene dispersant addition 42 can be configured such that the asphaltene dispersant 40 can be introduced in the thermal treatment reactor via a pipeline in fluid communication with the reaction chamber via the top wall of the thermal treatment reactor, or via a pipeline in fluid communication with the reaction chamber via one of the sidewalls of the thermal treatment reactor.

[00156] With reference to Fig 3, an example of a system 200 for performing the partial upgrading process 100 illustrated in Fig 2 is shown. The system 200 includes a thermal treatment reactor 218 configured to receive a hydrocarbon feedstock 12.
Optionally, a heater 214 can be provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor 218 to produce a pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 216. The pre-heater 214 can be configured to be operated to a desired temperature suitable for subsequent processing steps.
The thermal treatment reactor 218 can be configured to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction 222 and a thermally treated light fraction 220.

[00157] The system 200 can further include a gas-liquid separator 224 configured and operated to stabilize the cracked products and saturate the olefins present in the thermally treated light fraction 220 and produce an olefin-reduced product 226 that can meet pipeline specifications. The gas-liquid separator 224 is also configured and operated to produce non-condensable vapour 228 that can optionally be subjected to further treatments.

[00158] The system 200 can further include a solvent deasphalting unit 230. A
deasphalted solvent supply unit 246 is provided in fluid communication with the solvent deasphalting unit 230 to supply a deasphalting solvent 244 thereto. The solvent deasphalting unit 230 is configured to receive the thermally treated heavy fraction 222, and operated to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream 232 and an asphaltene-reduced stream 234 following the addition of a deasphalting solvent 244 thereto. The asphaltene-reduced stream 234 can optionally be blended with the olefin-reduced product 226 to Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 produce a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product 236 that meets pipeline specifications.
Alternatively, the asphaltene-reduced stream 234 can correspond to a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product 236 without further blending with the olefin-reduced product 226.

[00159] The system 200 further includes one or more asphaltene dispersant addition units 242 to combine the hydrocarbon feedstock 212 or the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock 216 with an asphalted dispersant 240 as described herein. The asphaltene dispersant addition unit 242 can be provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor 218, and can be configured to introduce the asphaltene dispersant to an in-line flow of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an in-line flow of asphaltene dispersant-containing hydrocarbon feedstock 241 that is subsequently supplied to the thermal treatment reactor 218. Alternatively or in addition to the asphaltene dispersant addition unit 242 provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor 218, an asphaltene dispersant addition unit 242 can be configured to introduce the asphaltene dispersant 240 directly to the thermal treatment reactor 218. Thus, the asphaltene dispersant unit 242 is in fluid communication with the thermal treatment reactor 218, either directly or via an additional transport line if the asphaltene dispersant addition unit 242 is located upstream of the thermal treatment reactor 218. As mentioned above, the asphaltene dispersant unit 242 can include for instance a metering pump to facilitate controlling the dosage of the asphaltene dispersant 240 added to the hydrocarbon feedstock. Examples of metering pumps can include for instance piston pumps, diaphragm and peristaltic pumps, and gear pumps.
Method for selecting a chemical additive for use as an asphaltene dispersant

[00160] As mentioned above, various types of asphaltene dispersants can be suitable to reduce formation of asphaltene agglomerates and fouling of immersion heating elements or another heated surface of the thermal treatment reactor or another downstream equipment.

[00161] In some implementations, a method of selecting a chemical additive for use as an asphaltene dispersant for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock can be useful to determine a suitable chemical additive among candidates chemical additives.
The method can include providing candidate chemical additives. The candidate chemical additives can be chosen according to their composition or known properties in other contexts, among other criteria. Then, for each candidate chemical additive, a given one of the candidate Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 chemical additive can be added to a sample of a hydrocarbon feedstock, which can be any type of hydrocarbon feedstock as described herein. The given one of the candidate chemical additive can then be subjected to heating to a target temperature and for a target residence time using a sample immersion heater. The extent of asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence on the sample immersion heater can be evaluated, during the heating and/or after the heating, to assess the performance of the given one of the candidate chemical additive on reducing asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence on the sample immersion heater. Based on this performance, it can be determined whether the given one of the candidate chemical additive can be suitable as an asphaltene dispersant, and the chemical additive can be selected or not accordingly. In some implementations, the performance of the candidate chemical additive can be compared to a scenario when the sample of the hydrocarbon feedstock is heated using the immersion heater without the addition of the candidate chemical additive. Alternatively, the performance of the candidate chemical additive can be compared to a scenario when the sample of the hydrocarbon feedstock is heated using the immersion heater with the addition of a distinct candidate chemical additive having a known performance on reducing asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence on the sample immersion heater.

[00162] The above-described method can also be implemented to select an effective dosage of the selected chemical additive for use as an asphaltene dispersant, by testing different dosages of the given one of the selected chemical additive to determine which ones provide desired effects on the asphaltene agglomeration and/or adherence on the sample immersion heater, and thus which one or more dosage may be suitable for use in the context of partial upgrading operations.
Alternative implementations

[00163] Although the use of the asphaltene dispersant has been described herein in the context of addition to a hydrocarbon feedstock subjected to partial upgrading in a thermal treatment reactor, it is to be understood that the asphaltene dispersant can also be suitable for use in any context that involves subjecting a hydrocarbon feedstock to processing steps that can typically result in the formation of coke in associated pieces of equipment.
For instance, reboilers used in distillation columns may be operated at elevated temperatures near hydrocarbon cracking temperatures, and therefore may benefit from Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 the addition of the asphaltene dispersant as described herein to reduce asphaltene fouling from coking reactions. Other examples of heaters that can benefit from the addition of the asphaltene dispersant as described herein can include any heater that process heavy hydrocarbon feedstock or bitumen, including but not limited to pre-heaters, vacuum units, coker units, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) heaters, etc.

[00164] Several alternative implementations and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The implementations of the technology described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual implementations, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the implementations could be provided in any combination with the other implementations disclosed herein. It is understood that the technology may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the central characteristics thereof. The present implementations and examples, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the technology is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific implementations have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind.
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

[00165] Various experiments were conducted to illustrate some aspects of the processes and systems described herein.

[00166] A first experiment was aimed at evaluating the effect of the addition of an asphaltene dispersant to a hydrocarbon feedstock subjected to a thermal treatment for partially upgrading the hydrocarbon feedstock. In order to do so, this first experiment included a first part (Experiment 1.A), a second part (Experiment 1.B), and a third part (Experiment 1.C), as well as a reference experiment (Experiment 1.R).
Experiment 1.A
was conducted with the addition of the asphaltene dispersant at a concentration of 50 ppm to the hydrocarbon feedstock, and the thermal treatment was operated at predetermined operating conditions for a residence time of 60 minutes. Experiment 1.B was conducted with the addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 100 ppm, and the thermal treatment was operated at the same predetermined operating conditions as Experiment 1.A, including the residence time of 60 Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 minutes. For Experiment 1.C, the temperature of the thermal treatment was increased up to a timepoint when asphaltene agglomeration and adherence was starting to be noted, and subsequent testing enabled determining that an addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 150 ppm permitted to operate the thermal treatment at a temperature of 415 C without significant asphaltene agglomeration and adherence. Increased yields were observed for Experiments 1.A, 1.B and 1.C, given the higher operating temperatures of the thermal treatment enabled by use of the asphaltene dispersant. Experiment 1.R was used as a reference thermal treatment operated at the same operating conditions as Experiments 1.A, 1.B, and 1.0 except for the temperature and without the addition of an asphaltene dispersant, and for a residence time of 60 minutes. The results of Experiment 1.A, Experiment 1.B and Experiment 1.0 were compared to each other, as well as with the results of Experiment 1.R.

[00167] In this first experiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock was whole Athabasca bitumen from Suncor's Firebag bitumen reservoir, and the asphaltene dispersant was LMG-30S .

[00168] The operating conditions of the thermal treatment for each of Experiment 1.A, Experiment 1.B, Experiment 1.C, and Experiment 1.R are presented in Table 1 below.
Table 1 Experiment Experiment Experiment Experiment Operating Conditions 1.R 1.A 1.B 1.0 Temperature ( C) 400 405 410 415 Pressure (psig) 5 5 5 5 Residence time 60 60 60 60 (minutes) Sweep gas (scf/bbl) 20 20 20 20 Dosage of asphaltene 0 50 100 150 dispersant

[00169] In the results presented in Table 1, the item "Temperature" for Experiment 1.A, Experiment 1.B and Experiment 1.0 refers to the operating temperature under "pushed conditions", and corresponds to the upper operating temperature reached before the immersion heating elements started to foul, whereas the item "Temperature" for Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 Experiment 1.R refers to an upper operating temperature for a thermal treatment that leads to the onset of substantial asphaltene fouling occurring.

[00170] In the results presented in Table 1, the item "Residence time" for Experiment 1.A, Experiment 1.B, Experiment 1.0 and Experiment 1.R refers to the residence time of the hydrocarbon feedstock in the thermal treatment reactor while the process operated continuously for about 8 days.

[00171] A parameter that can be evaluated to determine extent of asphaltene precipitation and thus tendency to fouling can be the concentration of toluene insolubles present in the resulting thermally treated stream that has been subjected to the thermal treatment. In some implementations, it may be desirable to keep the toluene insolubles below 8 wt%.

[00172] Another parameter that can be evaluated to determine extent of asphaltene precipitation and tendency to fouling can be the temperature of the hydrocarbon feedstock being subjected to the thermal treatment. This temperature can be monitored, and if it is noted that at a substantially constant heat input, the monitored temperature decreases, it can be an indicator that asphaltene agglomerates have adhered to the immersion heating elements, such that an insulation layer now at least partially surrounds the immersion heating elements and reduces the heat supplied to the hydrocarbon feedstock.
Thus, monitoring the temperature of the hydrocarbon feedstock being subjected to the thermal treatment, or a stream derived therefrom, can help determining the onset of asphaltene fouling, and extent of asphaltene precipitation and fouling.

[00173] A second experiment was also aimed at evaluating the effect of the addition of an asphaltene dispersant on a hydrocarbon feedstock subjected to a thermal treatment for partially upgrading the hydrocarbon feedstock. In order to do so, this second experiment included a first part (Experiment 2.A), a second part (Experiment 2.B) and a reference experiment (Experiment 2.R). Experiment 2.A was conducted with the addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 100 ppm, and the thermal treatment was operated at predetermined operating conditions for a residence time of 60 minutes. Experiment 2.B was conducted with the addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 150 ppm, and the thermal treatment was operated at the same predetermined operating conditions as Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 Experiment 2.A, including the residence time of 60 minutes. For Experiment 2.B, the temperature of the thermal treatment was increased up to a timepoint when asphaltene agglomeration and adherence was noted, and subsequent testing enabled determining that an addition of the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 150 ppm permitted to operate the thermal treatment at a temperature of 405 C without significant asphaltene agglomeration and adherence. Increased yields were observed for Experiments 2.A and 2.B given the higher operating temperatures of the thermal treatment enabled by use of the asphaltene dispersant. Experiment 2.R
was used as a reference thermal treatment operated at the same operating conditions as Experiments 2.A, and 2.B except for the temperature and without the addition of an asphaltene dispersant, and for a residence time of 60 minutes. The results of Experiment 2.A and Experiment 2.B were compared to each other, as well as with the results of Experiment 2.R.

[00174] In this second experiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock was vacuum tower bottoms of Athabasca bitumen from a mix of Suncor's Firebag bitumen reservoir and Millennium mine, and the asphaltene dispersant was also LMG-30S .

[00175] The operating conditions of the thermal treatment are presented in Table 2 below.
Table 2 Experiment Experiment Experiment Operating Conditions 2.R 2.A 2.6 Temperature ( C) 390 400 405 Pressure (psig) 5 5 5 Residence time (minutes) 60 60 60 Sweep gas (scf/bbl) 20 20 20 Dosage of asphaltene 0 100 150 dispersant

[00176] As for the first experiment, in the results presented in Table 2, the item "Temperature" for Experiment 2.A and Experiment 2.B refers to the operating temperature under "pushed conditions" and corresponds to the upper operating temperature reached before the immersion heating elements started to foul, whereas the item "Temperature"
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 for Experiment 2.R refers to an upper operating temperature for a thermal treatment that leads to the onset of substantial asphaltene fouling occurring.

[00177] In the results presented in Table 2, the item "Residence time" for Experiment 2.A, Experiment 2.B, and Experiment 2.R refers to the residence time of the hydrocarbon feedstock in the thermal treatment reactor while the process operated continuously for about 8 days.

[00178] According to the results obtained from the first experiment, it can be observed that when the asphaltene dispersant was added to the hydrocarbon feedstock and the thermal treatment was conducted for a residence time of 60 minutes, the thermal treatment can be performed at a temperature that is at least 5 C higher than if no asphaltene dispersant was added to the hydrocarbon feedstock. Regarding the second experiment, it can be observed that when the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock and the thermal treatment is conducted for 60 minutes, the thermal treatment can be performed at a temperature that is at least 10 C higher than if no asphaltene dispersant was added to the hydrocarbon feedstock.

[00179] A third experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of the asphaltene dispersant addition on the hours of operation of the thermal treatment reactor over time, without operating the thermal treatment at "pushed conditions" but rather under a normal operating temperature. For this third experiment, the thermal treatment reactor was initially operated at a temperature of about 400 C (corresponding to about 755 F) for about 30 hours, and subsequently at about 405 C (corresponding to about 762 F) for about 10 hours, with successive thermal treatments being performed during this 40 hours until steady state was reached. After 40 hours of operation, steady state was obtained, and the operation of the thermal treatment reactor was continued while the temperature was increased to trigger asphaltene precipitation and fouling. The performance of the immersion heating elements of the thermal treatment reactor then started to be reduced significantly, reaching a minimum at about 65 hours of operation. At this given timepoint, a bolus of an asphaltene dispersant, LMG-30S , was added to the thermal treatment reactor at a concentration of 300 ppm to test whether the addition of the asphaltene dispersant could "clean" the immersion heating elements once asphaltene agglomerates had adhere to them. The addition of the asphaltene dispersant enabled recovering the Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 performance of the immersion heating elements even above what it was prior to the addition of the asphaltene dispersant. The thermal treatment reactor was subsequently operated at a temperature of about 408 C (corresponding to about 765 F) for an additional 55 hours without occurrence of another event characterized by a reduced performance of the immersion heating elements. These results can be seen in Fig 4.

[00180] These results show that while the asphaltene dispersant can be used as a preventative measure to reduce asphaltene agglomeration and adhere to immersion heating elements or other surfaces, the asphaltene dispersant can also be used to dislodge agglomerated asphaltenes that were previously adhere onto immersion heating elements or other surfaces, and redisperse asphaltenes in the bulk of the hydrocarbon feedstock, which in turn can enable to clean equipment and recover performance from the immersion heating elements.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

Claims (97)

35

1. A process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream, the thermal treatment comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

5. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the transition metal comprises manganese.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein the transition metal comprises chromium.

8. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

11. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

12. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .

13. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the semi-metal comprises silicon.

15. The process of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

16. The process of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.

17. The process of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

19. The process of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock is performed upstream of the thermal treatment reactor.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises adding the asphaltene dispersant to an in-line flow of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an in-line flow of asphaltene dispersant added hydrocarbon feedstock that is subsequently subjected to the thermal treatment.

21. The process of claim 19 or 20, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

22. The process of claim 18 or 21, wherein the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

23. The process of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 25 ppm to about 300 ppm.

24. The process of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

25. The process of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 200 ppm.

26. The process of any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the operating temperature is at least 370 C.

27. The process of any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the operating temperature ranges from about 370 C to about 415 C.

28. The process of any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein the operating temperature ranges from about 395 C to about 415 C.

29. The process of any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the thermal treatment is performed at an operating pressure ranging from about 3 psig to 6 psig.

30. The process of any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein the thermal treatment is performed for a residence time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 80 minutes.

31. The process of any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the components of the thermal treatment reactor comprises immersion heating elements.

32. A process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction, the thermal treatment comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor; and deasphalting the thermally treated heavy fraction, comprising:
contacting the thermally treated heavy fraction with a deasphalting solvent to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream and an asphaltene-reduced stream as a partially upgraded hydrocarbon product.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.

34. The process of claim 33, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

35. The process of claim 33, wherein the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

36. The process of any one of claims 32 to 35, further comprising subjecting the thermally treated light fraction to a gas-liquid separation to produce a liquid phase comprising an olefin-reduced product, and a gas phase.

37. The process of claim 36, wherein the asphaltene-reduced stream is combined with the liquid phase from the gas-liquid separation to produce the partially upgraded hydrocarbon product.

38. The process of any one of claims 32 to 37, wherein the thermal treatment further comprises contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with a sweep gas to contribute to separating the thermally treated light fraction from the thermally treated heavy fraction.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

39. The process of claim 38, wherein the sweep comprises a non-condensable gas.

40. The process of any one of claims 32 to 39, further comprising pre-heating the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to introducing the hydrocarbon feedstock into the thermal treatment reactor.

41. The process of any one of claims 32 to 40, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

42. The process of claim 41, wherein the transition metal comprises manganese.

43. The process of claim 41, wherein the transition metal comprises chromium.

44. The process of any one of claims 32 to 40, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

45. The process of claim 44, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

46. The process of claim 44, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.

47. The process of any one of claims 32 to 40, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

48. The process of any one of claims 32 to 40, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .

49. The process of any one of claims 32 to 40, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

50. The process of claim 49, wherein the semi-metal comprises silicon.

51. The process of any one of claims 32 to 50, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

52. The process of any one of claims 32 to 50, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

53. The process of any one of claims 32 to 52, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.

54. The process of claim 53, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

55. The process of any one of claims 32 to 52, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock is performed upstream of the thermal treatment reactor.

56. The process of claim 55, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises adding the asphaltene dispersant to an in-line flow of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an in-line flow of asphaltene dispersant added hydrocarbon feedstock that is subsequently subjected to the thermal treatment.

57. The process of claim 55 or 56, wherein adding the asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of the thermal treatment reactor is performed via an asphaltene dispersant addition unit.

58. The process of claim 54 or 57, wherein the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

59. The process of any one of claims 32 to 58, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 25 ppm to about 300 ppm.

60. The process of any one of claims 32 to 58, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

61. The process of any one of claims 32 to 58, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is added to the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration ranging from about 100 ppm to about 200 ppm.

62. The process of any one of claims 32 to 61, wherein the operating temperature is at least 370 C.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

63. The process of any one of claims 32 to 62, wherein the operating temperature ranges from about 370 C to about 415 C.

64. The process of any one of claims 32 to 63, wherein the operating temperature ranges from about 395 C to about 415 C.

65. The process of any one of claims 32 to 64, wherein the thermal treatment is performed at an operating pressure ranging from about 3 psig to 6 psig.

66. The process of any one of claims 32 to 65, wherein the thermal treatment is performed for a residence time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 80 minutes.

67. The process of any one of claims 32 to 66, wherein the deasphalting solvent comprises an alkane-based solvent.

68. The process of claim 67, wherein the alkane-based solvent comprises propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane or a mixture thereof.

69. The process of any one of claims 32 to 68, wherein the deasphalting solvent comprises branched hydrocarbons.

70. The process of claim 69, wherein the branched hydrocarbons comprises isopentane.

71. The process of any one of claims 32 to 68, wherein the deasphalting solvent comprises hydrocarbons that include cyclic structures.

72. The process of claim 71, wherein the deasphalting solvent comprises one or more of cyclopentane and cyclohexane.

73. The process of any one of claims 32 to 72, wherein the components of the thermal treatment reactor comprises immersion heating elements.

74. A system for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the system comprising:
a thermal treatment reactor configured to receive the hydrocarbon feedstock and operable to produce a thermally treated heavy fraction and a thermally treated light fraction, the thermal treatment reactor comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14 a reaction chamber defined by sidewalls, a bottom wall and a top wall;
heating elements to heat the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature;
a transport line to supply the hydrocarbon feedstock to the thermal treatment reactor;
and an asphaltene dispersant unit in fluid communication with the thermal treatment reactor, the asphaltene dispersant unit being configured for introducing an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to prevent to reduce at least one of asphaltene agglomeration and asphaltene agglomerates adherence onto components of the thermal treatment reactor.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the asphaltene dispersant unit is provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor, along the transport line supplying the hydrocarbon feedstock to the thermal treatment reactor.

76. The system of claim 74, wherein the asphaltene dispersant unit is configured for introducing the asphaltene dispersant into the thermal treatment reactor.

77. The system of any one of claims 74 to 76, further comprising a solvent deasphalting unit configured to receive the thermally treated heavy fraction or a portion thereof and operable to produce an asphaltene-enriched stream and an asphaltene-reduced stream.

78. The system of any one of claims 74 to 77, further comprising a heater provided upstream of the thermal treatment reactor to heat the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to introduction of the hydrocarbon feedstock into the thermal treatment reactor.

79. The system of any one of claims 74 to 78, further comprising a gas-liquid separation unit configured to receive the thermally treated light fraction to produce a gas phase and a liquid phase comprising an olefin-reduced product.

80. The system of any one of claims 74 to 79, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises bitumen.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

81. The system of claim 80, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is a diluent-depleted hydrocarbon stream from a diluent-recovery unit of a bitumen froth treatment operation.

82. The system of claim 80, wherein the bitumen is obtained from an in situ recovery operation.

83. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a transition metal.

84. The system of claim 83, wherein the transition metal comprises manganese.

85. The system of claim 83, wherein the transition metal comprises chromium.

86. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising an alkaline-earth metal.

87. The system of claim 86, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises calcium.

88. The system of claim 86, wherein the alkaline-earth metal comprises magnesium.

89. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles formed from magnesium oxide (MgO) and a magnesium sulfonate.

90. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant is LMG-30S .

91. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises inverse micelles comprising a semi-metal.

92. The process of claim 89, wherein the semi-metal comprises silicon.

93. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises nano-sized inverse micelles.

94. The system of any one of claims 74 to 82, wherein the asphaltene dispersant comprises micro-sized inverse micelles.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14

95. The system of any one of claims 74 to 94, wherein the asphaltene dispersant unit includes a metering pump.

96. A method for selecting an asphaltene dispersant for use in partial upgrading of a hydrocarbon feedstock, the method comprising:
providing candidate chemical additives;
for each of the candidate chemical additives, adding a given one of the candidate chemical additives to a hydrocarbon feedstock sample;
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock sample to heating to a target temperature for a target residence time using a sample immersion heater;
determining asphaltene adhesion on the sample immersion heater during or after the heating; and selecting at least one of the candidate chemical additives according to the asphaltene adhesion on the sample immersion heater.

97. A process for partially upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal treatment to produce a thermally treated hydrocarbon stream, the thermal treatment comprising:
heating the hydrocarbon feedstock to an operating temperature in a thermal treatment reactor;
operating the thermal treatment reactor for a given period of time until formation of asphaltene agglomerates and adherence of the asphaltene agglomerates onto components of the thermal treatment reactor; and adding an asphaltene dispersant to the hydrocarbon feedstock to redisperse asphaltene agglomerates in the hydrocarbon feedstock.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-14