EP0143626B1 - Thermochemical reforming process and plant for ultra heavy crude and tar - Google Patents

Thermochemical reforming process and plant for ultra heavy crude and tar Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0143626B1
EP0143626B1 EP19840308155 EP84308155A EP0143626B1 EP 0143626 B1 EP0143626 B1 EP 0143626B1 EP 19840308155 EP19840308155 EP 19840308155 EP 84308155 A EP84308155 A EP 84308155A EP 0143626 B1 EP0143626 B1 EP 0143626B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
reforming
crude
combustion gases
solvent
water
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Expired
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EP19840308155
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0143626A2 (en
EP0143626A3 (en
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Bohdan M. Dr. Zakiewicz
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
    • C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
    • C10G1/002—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the reforming of ultra heavy petroleum crudes and tars extracted from subterranean or surface formations or from the sand run from mines.
  • Ultra heavy tars generally constitute a feed stock for asphalt production plants only. None of the existing refinery technologies can perform the conversion (reforming) of crude at the mining site into pipeline quality light products.
  • Ultra heavy crude has a unique specification and requires unique storing and transporting facilities.
  • the only practical approach to the storing and transporting of ultra heavy crude has been to keep it under high temperature and/or dilute it with refined solvent which is recoverable at the refinery and can be transported back to the mining/extraction field.
  • a lot of energy is thus consumed merely to deliver the product to the refinery where, despite the amount of energy consumed, such heavy crude remains a degraded low priced product, hardly saleable in the world market.
  • Particularly to be treated are crudes having a gravity below 15° API (at 16°C) extracted in situ from the crude-bearing formation or the sand run excavated from a surface mine.
  • the European Patent Application EP-A-0144203 discloses a process for the recovery of heavy and ultra heavy hydrocarbons from formations containing petroleum deposits which comprises the steps of injection into the formation a hot flue gas, obtained from the combustion of fuel at high temperature and pressure, and a hydrogen donor solvent liquid, and then raising the hydrocarbons thereby mobilised and liquefied by gas lift.
  • the hot flue gas of the process is produced in a similar thermochemical reforming plant adjacent to the well head (see figures).
  • a process for the extraction and reforming of heavy and ultra-heavy petroleum crudes and tars comprising an extraction stage in which hydrocarbon crude from a crude-bearing medium is extracted by the action of hot flue gases and solvent, and characterised in that the solvent is a hydrogen donor solvent, and after the extraction stage further processing of the extracted hydrocarbon crude takes place in a reforming stage employing high temperature combustion gases, the combustion gases employed in this reforming stage subsequently providing the flue gases employed in the extraction stage.
  • the extracted crude is subjected to a hydrogenation treatment in which it is reacted with hydrogen and a reformed hydrocarbon stream, and the hydrogenated crude then undergoes multi-stage fractionation, the liquid phase of the last stage of fractionation being taken off as product while the liquid phase or phases of one or more stages of fractionation preceding the last are recycled to provide a stream for thermal reforming at high temperature by the heat of the combustion gases which stream after reforming provides said reformed hydrocarbon stream for the hydrogenation treatment.
  • the hydrogen for the hydrogenation treatment may be principally obtained by a water gas reaction in which steam is decomposed by passage over coke at a high temperature maintained by the combustion gases, the coke having been deposited from the reformed hydrocarbon stream during the high temperature reforming.
  • the solvent employed in the extraction of the crude may be obtained from the condensed vapour phase of the last stage of fractionation.
  • thermochemical reforming reactor comprising, in sequence, a high temperature high pressure furnace section for generating combustion gases, a thermochemical reforming section containing reforming coils surrounded by the combustion gases and through which a stream of hydrogenated crude hydrocarbons flows for reforming, and a quencher-hydrogenator section in which the extracted crude is hydrogenated by reaction with hydrogen and the reformed stream of hydrocarbons from the reforming section.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic of plant for processing ultra heavy hydrocarbons recovered from a well
  • Figure 2 shows the plant adapted to process feedstock from the sand run excavated in an open cast mine.
  • Ultraheavy crudes and tars require a high temperature, approximately 700°C, for thermocracking.
  • the recovered ultra heavy crude will commonly have properties as follows:
  • high sulphur content usually not less than 3%
  • the feed stock for the plant is obtained from a 'daisy' well 10 with a central solvent injection and production bore 12 surrounded by six slanting gas injection bores 13.
  • the feed stock from the annular casing 14 of the production bore 12 which will typically be an emulsion of crude, solvent, water and gas, enters a main separator 11 at elevated temperature and pressure, for example, 450°F (232°C) and 460 PSIG (3151 x 103 N /m2).
  • Vaporized hydrocarbons are condensed in a condenser 15 which is an inlet stage of gas scrubber 16 from which carbon dioxide and nitrogen are vented.
  • the condenser has a coil which is cooled by raw water pumped from a well or reservoir by a pump 17.
  • the water, after passing through the condenser 15, is introduced into the cooling coil system 18 of the desander-desalter separator 19 from where it passes into a furnace water jacket 20 of a high pressure thermochemical reformer 21 and thence as steam into the coil of a steam superheater 22 at about 450°F (232°C).
  • thermochemical reforming coils 23 Between the water jacket 20 and the steam superheater 22, a by-pass stream is withdrawn at a process control valve 24 and injected continuously, or cyclically, into thermochemical reforming coils 23 through process control valves 25, 26.
  • Superheated steam from the steam superheater 22 is injected into a sand jet-washing system 27 in the main separator 11 where it condenses, and whence it carries entrained sand into the desanding-desalting separator 19.
  • the water is cooled somewhat in the separator 19, and the settling sand is discharged, at 28, by a screw feeder 32.
  • a quencher-hydrogenator 29 Separated, largely de-emulsified crude in solvent, under the internal pressure of the main separator 11, is introduced at a temperature of about 420°F (216°C) into a quencher-hydrogenator 29 in which it is reacted with superheated thermally cracked hydrocarbon, and hydrogen generated principally in the coil system 23 of the thermochemical reformer 21 from which it enters the quencher-hydrogenator usually at a temperature not less than 1300°F (704°C).
  • Quenched and hydrogenated crude under the internal pressure of the quencher-hydrogenator 29 leaves at about 850°F (454°C) and is introduced into a first stage fractionator 30 at an inlet temperature of, for example, 800°F (427°C).
  • the heavy liquid fraction separated in the fractionator 30 is recycled by a pump 33 to the process control valves 26, 25 and through the coils 23 of the thermochemical reformer into the quencher-hydrogenator 29.
  • the light vapour fraction from the fractionator 30 is condensed in an air-cooled condenser 34 and pumped by a pump 36 at about 550°F (288°C) into a second stage fractionator 35, from where the liquid fraction, which is a heavy distillate, is pumped off by a pump 37 and recycled, via a process control valve 44 and the valves 25, 26, through the coils 23 in the thermochemical reformer to the quencher-hydrogenator 29.
  • the lighter vapour fraction from the fractionator 35 is condensed in an air-cooled condenser 38 and pumped by a pump 39 at about 300°F (149°C) to a third stage fractionator 40.
  • the liquid fraction from the third stage fractionator is a final pipeline quality commercial product, up to 40° API gravity, and is pumped away by a pump 41 via process control valves 42, 43 to a final reformed product pipeline 45.
  • the vapour fraction from the fractionator 40 is condensed in an air-cooled condenser 46 and injected by a pump 47 via a process control valve 48, at a temperature of about 200°F (93°C), down the central pipe 49 of the production bore 12 to act as hydrogen donor solvent to dissolve and partially reform the in situ crude by hydrogenation in the presence of flue gas components and in reaction with them.
  • this vapour fraction or a part of it can be utilised for the same purpose in a vessel serving as an ultra heavy crude extractor.
  • the hydrogen donor solvent is a highly hydrogenated naphthene fraction having a boiling range usually between 150° and 250°F (66° - 121°C).
  • the amount of solvent needed for crude extraction is usually approximately 25% by weight of the recovered crude. Further portions of it can be blended with the final product or employed to dilute the hydrocarbon liquids returning to the thermochemical reformer from the first and second stage fractionators.
  • the core of the entire plant is the high pressure, high temperature thermochemical reforming reactor 21, which produces high temperature combustion gases and which performs the following functions:
  • the superheated flue gases leaving the thermochemical reformer at about 900°F (482°C) and 900 PSI (6165 x 103 N /m2) are fed to the outer casing 50 of the production well and thence into the gas injection bores 13 to react with the hydrogen donor solvent and the in situ crude.
  • Hot water at about 200°F (93°C) is also supplied into the outer casing 50 from the desander-desalter 19 by a pump 51.
  • the flue gases can be utilised similarly in a vessel serving as a mined crude extractor-reformer.
  • the thermochemical reforming reactor 21 has a water-jacketed high pressure refractory furnace 52 with a burner system fed by high pressure fuel pumps 53 and a compressor 54 into which the gaseous fraction from the condenser 46 is introduced for use as fuel.
  • the main fuel for the furnace may be gas or liquid hydrocarbon or pulverised coal, but is preferably obtained from the crude being treated in the process. It is injected at high pressure, together with compressed air which can, if desired, be oxygen enriched.
  • the furnace 52 opens into the section of the reactor containing the reforming coils 23, which is followed by the section containing the steam super-heater 22.
  • the system is designed to restrict the decompression and flow of the combustion gases from the furnace so that a high intensity condensed flame is obtained and a very high combustion gas temperature is reached, not less than 3000°F (1649°C).
  • the coil system 23 of the thermochemical reformer has dual interconnected passageways 55, 56 controlled by the process control valves 24, 25, 26. While one pass is charged with heavy hydrocarbons from the fractionators 30, 35 for thermal cracking and coke deposition, the other pass is fed with steam from the by-pass valve 24 to provide a water gas reaction with the deposited coke and generate hydrogen.
  • the hydrogen mixes with the crude and partially refined hydrocarbons and provides the hydrogenation reaction in the quencher-hydrogenator 29.
  • the process control valves 24, 25, 26 are operated to switch the flows of hydrocarbons and steam cyclically between the coil passages 55 and 56 so as to maintain the water gas reaction, but the hydrogen flow into the quencher hydrogenator, and hence the hydrogenation reaction, is substantially continuous. Additional hydrogen is generated in the quencher hydrogenator by reaction of the flue gases with residual steam from the coils 23.
  • the function of the water jacket 20 around the furnace 52 is to raise the water temperature to generate steam for the water gas reaction with the deposited coke.
  • Provision for a large amount of coke deposition is made by enlargement of the diameter of the tubing of each coil to form a coke deposition chamber in which the hydrocarbon flow velocity is decreased, these chambers being situated toward the furnace end of the reforming section where combustion is still continuing around the coils 23 so that the coke deposition chambers are exposed to a very high heat intensity.
  • the coke deposition chambers are constructed from high quality metal alloy resistant to high temperature and high external pressure.
  • the process valves 24, 25, 26 have controllers designed to provide manual or automatic control of the entire water gas reaction in the thermochemical reformer.
  • the plant can also be adapted to extract and reform ultra heavy crude and tar from the sand run excavated in an open cast mine as shown in Figure 2.
  • the main components of the plant and their functions remain unchanged when operating on sand run.
  • the feed stock is a heated mixture of partially reformed crude obtained by extraction of the sand run in a silo or retort 60 by means of the hydrogen donor solvent and flue gas components.
  • the silo has an internal screw-conveyor system 61 extending horizontally beyond the silo to a length sufficient to obtain extraction of the crude from the sand run by countercurrent flow of the superheated flue gases and solvent.
  • the flights of the screw-conveyor are of an open type with openings between the core-shaft 63 and the main screw band of the conveyor.
  • the core-shaft is a tube with openings 62 along it that are fitted with hard metal jet nozzles through which the flue gases from the thermochemical reformer 21 and solvent from the condenser 46 are injected into the constantly rotating and conveyed sand run.
  • the crude in the conveyed sand is liquefied, partially reformed and extracted from the sand through bottom filters 64.
  • the extracted crude at an outlet temperature of, for example, 200°F (93°C) can be further processed in a hydrocyclone-desilter, to remove mineral particles, or can be pumped, as shown, by a pump 65 directly into the regular main separator 11.
  • Sand from which the crude has been extracted is delivered from a terminal compacting section 66 of the screw- conveyor which is maintained at the hottest temperature by the incoming superheated flue gases.
  • the incoming hydrogen donor solvent is introduced through a feed tube 67 that extends axially through the compacting section of the screw-conveyor, within the tubular shaft 63 of the conveyor, to the middle section of the screw-conveyor beyond the compacting section 66.
  • the flue gases in their flow countercurrent to the direction of conveyance of the sand run, assist in retaining the vapour of the hydrogen donor solvent in contact with the crude-bearing sand and promote its reaction with the crude.
  • the final pollution control is achieved in the condenser/gas scrubber 16 where two streams of gases, one from the main separator 11 and the other from the silo or retort 60, are mixed together and, after having been stripped of condensate, if any, are scrubbed free of traces of SO2.
  • a single stream of high temperature combustion gases serves both to promote non-catalytic reforming of the crude hydrocarbons after extraction and partakes in the actual extraction process.
  • the hydrogen donor solvent used in the extraction process is obtained as a by-product of the reforming process.
  • the plant is readily capable of being set up and operated in the field at the well-head or mining site, and can indeed be mobile, and it will produce a regular light pipe-line quality product from heavy crude materials that were hitherto barely saleable.
  • the main thermochemical reformer and reactor together with the quencher hydrogenator can be constructed as a long tubular vessel in three or possibly four segments each of which can be individually detached for maintenance or replacement.
  • the first segment will be the furnace section
  • the second will be the section containing the reforming coils and the steam superheater
  • the third section will be the quencher hydrogenator; or alternatively, the reforming coils and the steam superheater can be in two separable sections instead of the same section.
  • the tubular segments need not exceed 5 ft. (1.52 m) in diameter and they will all be heavily thermally insulated internally and can also be externally surrounded by cold water jackets, if desired.
  • the length of the tubular segments will be sufficient to ensure proper mixing, heat exchange and reaction amongst the various components partaking in the process.
  • the train of tubular segments can, if convenient, be assembled at the factory.
  • thermochemical reforming rector In addition to the main train of segments forming the thermochemical reforming rector, there will be a second train consisting of the fractionators and their coolers and a third train consisting of the main separator with its gas scrubber and the desander-desalter. Each of these two further trains can also, if convenient, be factory assembles.
  • thermochemical reforming reactor it would, of course, also be possible, as an alternative to add the main separator or extraction vessel to the train forming the thermochemical reforming reactor as an additional tubular segment.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
EP19840308155 1983-11-25 1984-11-23 Thermochemical reforming process and plant for ultra heavy crude and tar Expired EP0143626B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB838331535A GB8331535D0 (en) 1983-11-25 1983-11-25 Thermochemical reforming process
GB8331535 1983-11-25

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0143626A2 EP0143626A2 (en) 1985-06-05
EP0143626A3 EP0143626A3 (en) 1986-11-20
EP0143626B1 true EP0143626B1 (en) 1991-02-27

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EP19840308155 Expired EP0143626B1 (en) 1983-11-25 1984-11-23 Thermochemical reforming process and plant for ultra heavy crude and tar

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EP (1) EP0143626B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPS60120789A (ja)
DE (1) DE3484176D1 (ja)
GB (1) GB8331535D0 (ja)

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3200061A (en) * 1960-05-19 1965-08-10 Frank J Jenny Method for hydrocracking high molecular weight hydrocarbons
US4008764A (en) * 1974-03-07 1977-02-22 Texaco Inc. Carrier gas vaporized solvent oil recovery method
US4042344A (en) * 1975-05-09 1977-08-16 The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited Process for the production of gaseous mixtures
GB2009779B (en) * 1977-12-07 1982-04-21 Occidental Petroleum Corp Production of hydrogenated hydrocarbons
JPS54146805A (en) * 1978-05-09 1979-11-16 Shieiru Oiru Saiensu Ando Shis Treatment of solid material containing recoverable hydrocarbons
JPS5916589B2 (ja) * 1978-06-27 1984-04-16 呉羽化学工業株式会社 オイルサンドビチユ−メンの処理方法
JPS5939476B2 (ja) * 1981-02-04 1984-09-22 株式会社日本製鋼所 ガス状溶媒でオイルシエ−ル、オイルサンドの油分を抽出する方法
JPS587483A (ja) * 1981-07-03 1983-01-17 Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd オイルシエ−ル又はオイルサンドの熱分解方法及びその装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8331535D0 (en) 1984-01-04
DE3484176D1 (de) 1991-04-04
EP0143626A2 (en) 1985-06-05
JPS60120789A (ja) 1985-06-28
EP0143626A3 (en) 1986-11-20

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