MXPA01007076A - Integration of solvent deasphalting, gasification, and hydrotreating - Google Patents

Abstract

During the hydrotreating process, hydrogen sulfide and short chain hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane and pentane are formed. The separation of gas from hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbons is achieved using a stripper and a flash drum. High pressure steam or nitrogen is contacted with the hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbon material. This high pressure steam strips the volatiles, i.e., hydrogen, the volatile hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, and the like, from the oil. The gaseous streams is then separated and cooled to remove condensables, including primarily water, short chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide in the water. The condensables are advantageously sent to the gasifier, where the hydrocarbons are gasified, the water moderates the gasifier temperature and increases the yield of hydrogen, and where hydrogen sulfide is routed with the produced synthesis gas to the acid gas removal process.

Description

INTEGRATION OF UNLOCKING SOLVENTS. GASIFICATION. AND HIDROTRATA IENTO Priority of the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 115,418, filed on January 11, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many crude oils contain significant amounts of asphaltenes. It is convenient to remove the asphaltenes from the oil, because the asphaltenes tend to solidify and soil the subsequent processing equipment, and because the removal of asphaltenes decreases the viscosity of the oil. The solvent extraction of asphaltenes is used to process residual crude oil that produces deasphalted oil that subsequently decays catalytically and is predominantly made in diesel. The deasphalting process typically involves contacting a heavy oil with a solvent. The solvent is typically an alkane such as propane to pentanes. Solvent solubility in heavy oil decreases as the temperature increases. A temperature is selected where substantially all paraffinic hydrocarbons come into solution, but where a portion of the resins and asphaltenes precipitate. Because the solubility of asphaltenes is low in this solvent-oil mixture, the asphaltenes precipitate, and separate from the oil. High pressure steam or a flame heater is then typically used to heat the deasphalted-solvent oil mixture at a sufficient temperature. Then the portion of oil is separated from the solvent by vaporizing the solvent. The choice of solvent depends on the quality of the oil. As the molecular weight of the solvent increases, the amount of solvent needed decreases but the selectivity, for example, to resins and aromatics, decreases. Propane requires more solvent but also does not extract so many aromatics and resins. Solvent recovery costs are generally higher with lower molecular weight solvents. The extraction of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon material containing asphaltenes with a low boiling point solvent is known. See, for example, the US patent. No. 4,391, 701 and the patent of E.U.A. No. 3,617,481, the descriptions of which are incorporated herein by reference. The step of deasphalting involves contacting the solvent with the asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material in an asphaltene extractor. It is favorable to maintain the temperature and pressure such that the asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material and the low-boiling point solvent are fluid or fluid type. The contact can be made in batch mode, as a fluid-fluid countercurrent mode, or by another method known in the art. The asphaltenes form solids and can be separated from the deasphalted hydrocarbon material by gravity separation, filtration, centrifugation, or any other method known in the art. Most deasphalting solvents are recirculated, and therefore generally contain a mixture of light hydrocarbons. Preferred solvents are alkanes having between three and five carbon atoms. Deasphalted petroleum can easily be decomposed into high-value diesel in a fluidized catalytic disintegration unit. Deasphalted oil generally contains significant amounts of sulfur and nitrogen containing compounds. This deasphalted oil may also contain long-chain hydrocarbons. To comply with environmental regulations and product specifications, as well as to extend the life of the catalyst, the feed of the fluidized catalytic disintegration unit is hydrotreated first to remove the sulfur components. In hydrotreating hydrotreating operations, the hydrogen is contacted with hydrocarbons typically in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst facilitates the breaking of carbon-carbon, carbon-sulfur, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-oxygen bonds and the bond with hydrogen. The purpose of this operation is to increase the value of the hydrocarbon stream by removing the sulfur, reducing the acidity, and creating shorter hydrocarbon molecules.

An excessive amount of hydrogen is present during the reaction. When the gas stream leaves the reactor, it is still mainly hydrogen. The gas stream also contains vaporized hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons, such as methane and ethane, hydrogen sulfide, and other contaminants. This gas stream is treated to remove the condensable products and then recycled to the oxidation reactor. However, the byproducts of the hydrotreating reaction accumulate, and a purge stream must be drawn from the recycled gas stream to prevent impurities from accumulating at concentrations that would inhibit the hydrotreating reaction. The process and advantages of gasifying hydrocarbonaceous material in synthesis gas are generally known in the industry. The hydrocarbon materials that have been gasified include solids, liquids, and mixtures thereof. Gasification involves mixing a gas containing oxygen at amounts and under conditions sufficient to cause partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon material to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gasification process is very exothermic. Gas temperatures in the gasification reactor are often above 1100 ° C. The gasification of the hydrocarbonaceous material, that is, the asphaltenes and optionally another hydrocarbonaceous material, occurs in a gasification zone where the conditions are such that the oxygen- and hydrocarbonaceous material react to form a synthesis gas. The gasification thus produces synthetic gas which is a valuable product. The components of synthesis gas, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, can be recovered for sale or used within a refinery. The integration of these procedures has unexpected advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a process for producing a liquid hydrocarbon product and a hydrotreating gas from a hydrotreating effluent. The method includes introducing a hydrotreater gas and a liquid hydrocarbon stream to a hydrotreater and then reacting a portion of the hydrotreater gas with the hydrocarbon stream in the hydrotreater, thereby forming a reaction mixture. This reaction mixture is removed from the hydrotreater and sent to a removal device. The gas phase and the fluid phase are then separated. There, steam or nitrogen is introduced, and as the stream is contacted with the reaction mixture, the volatile components are removed from the reaction mixture. The hydrocarbon stream can be deasphalted oil. The oil deasphalting is carried out by contacting the oil with the light alkane solvent, and then recovering the solvent. Asphaltenes recovered during. The solvent is gasified in a favorable manner, producing a gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide The gaseous hydrogen coming from this gasification process is favorably used in the hydrotreating process. Hydrogen sulfide and short chain hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane and pentane When the gas stream leaves the hydrotreater, it is still mainly hydrogen.The gas stream and the hydrocarbon stream also contain vaporized hydrocarbons such as methane Pentane, hydrogen sulfide, and other contaminants This gas stream is separated from the hydrocarbon liquid, treated to remove condensable products, and then recycled favorably to the hydrotreating reactor. procedure mode, in this mode, the hydrotreating gas and the liquid hydrocarbon stream are mixed before entering the hydrotreator. Then, after hydrotreating, the vapor mixes. Some of the heat recovers, and then the gas and fluid phases separate. The gas is cooled and the condensable products are obtained. The gas remains at high pressure. Most of the gas is compressed and it is introduced into the hydrotreater.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a process for producing a liquid hydrocarbon product and a hydrotreater gas from a hydrotreating effluent. The hydrotreating takes place at pressures between about 5516 kPa and about 20684 kPa, and the contaminants dissolve in the hydrocarbon liquid. In conventional hydrotreating, the separation of pollutants from hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbons is achieved by subjecting them to instant vaporization and distilling the oil from the hydrotreater. The gas separation of the hydrocarbon liquid hydrocarbons in this invention is achieved by using a high pressure steam or nitrogen removal device or an instantaneous vaporization drum. The high pressure steam or nitrogen is contacted with the hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbon material. This high pressure steam removes volatile components, ie, hydrogen, volatile hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, and the like from petroleum. There is significant heat available in this high pressure steam that can be recovered. A favorable use of this heat is to heat the hydrogen-rich hydrotreater gas, the hydrocarbon stream, or both, before introducing the hydrotreater gas or the hydrocarbon stream "a1 hydrotreater.

The gaseous stream is then further cooled to remove the condensable components, including mainly water, short-chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide in the water. This current is sent favorably to the gasifier, where the hydrocarbons are gasified, the water moderates the gasifier temperature and increases the yield of hydrogen, and where the hydrogen sulfide is routed with the synthesis gas produced at! Acid gas removal procedure. As used herein, the term "precipitate" in the context of precipitation asphaltenes means that the material rich in asphaltenes forms a second phase, which may be and preferably is a fluid or fluid type phase. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the precipitated asphaltene rich material is pumped to the classifier. A phase rich in solid asphthalenes is not preferred due to handling problems. As used herein, the term "hydrotreater" refers to the reactor volume in the hydrotreater in which most of the reaction occurs between the hydrocarbon and hydrogen gas. As used herein, the terms "deasphalized hydrocarbon material", "deasphalted petroleum" and "paraffinic oil" are used interchangeably to refer to the soluble oil in the selected deasphalting solvents at the conditions selected for the operation of deasphalted As used herein, the terms "hydrotreatment", "hydrodesyntation", and "hydrogenation" are used interchangeably to mean reacting hydrogen gas with a hydrocarbon mixture, wherein the hydrocarbon mixture usually contains sulfur and Other undesirable compounds As used herein, the term "synthesis gas" refers to gases comprising both gaseous hydrogen and gaseous carbon monoxide in amounts greater than about 5 mole percent each.The molar ratio of hydrogen to monoxide Carbon can, but does not need, to be approximately one to one.Often there are some inert gases in this synthesis gas, in particular nitrogen and carbon dioxide.Often there are contaminants, such as hydrogen sulfide and COS. herein, the term "hydrocarbonaceous" describes various suitable gasifier supply materials and is intended to include hydrocarbons g aseosas, liquids, and solids, carbonaceous materials, and mixtures thereof. Asphaltenes are a component of the supply material to the gasifier. It is often favorable to mix feeds. In fact, substantially any organic material containing combustible carbon, or suspensions thereof, can be included within the definition of the term "hydrocarbonaceous". The solid, gaseous, and liquid feeds can be mixed and used simultaneously; and these may include paraffinic, olefinic, acetylenic, naphthenic, asphaltic, and aromatic compounds in any proportion.

Asphaltenes in petroleum also make transportation and processing of oil difficult. In order to maximize the value of heavy petroleum oils, separation of the asphalt components in oil has been practiced for years. The non-asphaltene components are recovered and sold as valuable products leaving the asphaltene component that has very little value. Asphaltenes are a suitable hydrocarbonaceous material for gasification. See, for example, the US patent. No. 4,391,701, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The process of this invention can be applied to a hydrocarbon material containing asphaltene. This material is usually a fluid such as a petroleum or a heavy oil. During the distillation of crude oil, as is used on a large scale in refineries for the production of light hydrocarbon petroleum distillates, a residual oil is often obtained. The procedure can also be applied for this residual oil. The asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material may still appear to be a solid, especially at ambient conditions. The asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material must be at least partially miscible with the solvent at extraction temperatures. The invention is the integration of a process for extracting asphaltene with a solvent, a gasification process by partial oxidation, and a method for hydrotreating liquid hydrocarbons. Combining gasification with solvent deasphalting, byproduct asphaltenes that often can not be traded can be converted into valuable synthesis gas. In the solvent deasphalting process the deasphalted hydrocarbon material separated from the asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material by liquid-liquid extraction is a valuable catalytic disintegrating material. The material rich in separated asphaltenes, on the other hand, is much less valuable and, therefore, is ideal for gasification supply material. The extraction of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon material containing asphaltene with a low boiling point solvent is known. See, for example, the US patent. No. 4,391, 701 and the patent of E.U.A. No. 3,617,481 whose descriptions are incorporated herein by reference. The step of deasphalting involves contacting the solvent with the asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material in an asphaltene extractor. It is favorable to maintain the temperature and pressure such that the asphaltene-containing hydrocarbon material and the low-boiling point solvent are fluid or fluid type. The contact can be made in batch mode, as a continuous fluid-fluid countercurrent mode, or by any other method known in the art. The asphaltenes form crystals and can be separated from the deasphalted hydrocarbon material by gravity separation, filtration, centrifugation, or any other method known in the art.

The process comprises contacting a hydrocarbon liquid containing asphaltene with an alkane solvent to create a mixture. The amount of solvent is typically from about 4 to about 8 parts per million on a weight basis. The temperature is typically between 204 ° C to about 427 ° C. The viscosity of the liquid is then reduced so that the entrained solids can be removed from the mixture by, for example, centrifugation, filtering, or sedimentation by gravity. A pressurized concreted metal filter is a preferred method of separation. Then, the asphaltenes are precipitated in a separate fluid phase. The precipitation can be started by adding additional solvent, and / or the mixture is heated, until the asphaltenes precipitate in a separate phase. Asphaltenes substantially free of solids, that is, less than about 150 parts per million by weight, are removed from the mixture. Asphaltenes free of recovered solids are subsequently gasified. The solvent can be any suitable deasphalting solvent. Typical solvents used for deasphalting are light aliphatic hydrocarbons, that is, compounds having between two and eight carbon atoms. Alkanes, particularly solvents containing propane, butanes, pentanes, or mixtures thereof, are useful in this invention. Particularly preferred solvents depend on the particular characteristics of the asphaltenes. Heavier solvents are used for higher asphalt Ring and Ball softening point asphaltenes. The solvents may contain a minor fraction, that is, less than about 20% of the higher boiling alkanes such as hexanes or heptanes. Then the solvent is recovered. Solvent recovery can be by supercritical separation or distillation. Most deasphalting solvents are recycled, and therefore, generally contain a mixture of light hydrocarbons. Preferred solvents are alkanes having between three and five carbon atoms, that is, a solvent containing at least 80% by weight of propane, butanes, pentanes, or mixtures thereof. Because relatively low temperatures are used in solvent extraction (vaporization) of the deasphalted hydrocarbon material, the most preferred solvent comprises at least 80% by weight of propane and butanes, or at least 80% by weight of butanes and pentanes. The precipitated asphaltenes are then gasified in a gasification zone to a synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is prepared by partially oxidizing a hydrocarbonaceous fuel and oxygen in a reactor in proportions that produce a mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the reactor. The gasification process is exothermic and the synthesis gas is hot when it leaves the gasification zone. The synthesis gas is often extinguished and cooled by heat exchangers, where it is favorable to generate steam. Steam at high pressure (or high quality) and steam at low pressure (or low quality) can be generated consecutively. This steam can be used in the deasphalting unit to remove the solvent from the deasphalted oil and the asphalt. The hydrocarbonaceous fuels are reacted with a gas containing reactive oxygen, such as air, substantially pure oxygen having more than about 90 mole% oxygen, or air enriched with oxygen having more than about 21 mole% oxygen. Substantially pure oxygen is preferred. The partial oxidation of the hydrocarbonaceous material is completed, favorably in the presence of a temperature control moderator such as steam, in a gasification zone to obtain the hot partial oxidation synthesis gas. Gasification procedures are known in the art. See, for example, the US patent. 4,099,382 and U.S. Patent No. 4,178,758, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the reaction zone, the content will commonly reach temperatures in the range of about 927 ° C to 1649 ° C, and more typically in the range of about 1093 ° C to 1538 ° C. The pressure will typically be in the range of about 101 kPa to about 25331 kPa, and more typically in the range of about 1520 kPa to about 15,199 kPa, and even more typically in the range of about 6080 kPa to about 8106 kPa. "- The Synthetic gas mixtures comprise carbon monoxide and hydrogen Hydrogen is a commercially important reagent for hydrogenation reactions Other materials frequently found in synthesis gas include hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, cyanides, and particulates in form of carbon and trace metals The degree of contaminants in the feed is determined by the type of feed and the particular gasification process used as well as the operating conditions., the removal of these pollutants is decisive to make gasification a viable process, and acid gas, that is, hydrogen sulfide, the removal is very favorable. As the gaseous product is discharged from the gasifier, it is usually subjected to a cooling and cleaning operation involving a scrubbing technique wherein the gas is introduced into a scrubber and contacted with a water spray that cools the gas and removes it. particles and ionic constituents of synthesis gas. The initially cooled gas is then treated to de-sulfurize the gas before using the synthesis gas. The acid gas removal facilities for the synthesis gas, with its amine solvents or physical solvents, remove acid gases, particularly hydrogen sulfide, from the mixed stream of synthesis gas / purge gas. Acid gas removal facilities typically operate at lower temperatures. After the synthesis gas is cooled to below about 130 ° C, preferably below about 90 ° C, the contaminants in the gas, especially sulfur compounds and acid gases, can be easily removed. Hydrogen sulfide, an acid gas, is easily removed from the synthesis gas. The type of fluid that reacts with the acid gas is not important. Conventional amine solvents, such as MDEA, can be used to remove the hydrogen sulfide. Physical solvents such as SELEXOL (TM) and RECTIXOL (TM) can also be used. The fluids can be solvents such as lower monohydric alcohols, such as methanol or polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol and the like. The fluid may contain an amine such as diethanolamine, methanol, N-methyl-pyrrolidone, or a polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether. Physical solvents are typically used because they work best at high pressure. The synthesis gas is contacted with the solvent in an acid gas removal contactor. Said contactor may be of any type known in the art, including trays or a packed column. The operation of said acid removal contactor is known in the art. It is preferred that the design and operation of the acid gas removal unit result in a minimum of pressure decrease. The pressure of the synthesis gas is preserved accordingly. The hydrogen sulfide from the acid gas removal unit is routed to a sulfur recovery process.

The synthesis gas composition of a gassing reaction is typically hydrogen gas at 25 to 45 mol%, carbon monoxide gas at 40 to 50 mol%, and gaseous carbon dioxide at 10 to 35 mol%, and trace contaminants. In a synthesis gas that is vapor reformed a typical composition is gaseous hydrogen at 35 to 65 mole%, carbon monoxide gas at 10 to 20 mole%, gaseous carbon dioxide at 30 to 60 mole%, and trace contaminants . These scales are not absolute, but rather change with the gasified fuel as well as with gasification parameters. A hydrotreating gas rich in hydrogen is extracted favorably from the synthesis gas. This hydrogen-rich hydrotreater gas must contain at least 80 mol%, preferably more than 90 mol%, and most preferably more than 95 mol% hydrogen gas. The synthesis gas enters a gas separation unit, such as a membrane designed to pass hydrogen molecules but block larger molecules such as carbon monoxide. The membrane can be any type that is preferred for the penetration of gaseous hydrogen over carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Many types of membrane materials are known in the art that are preferred for hydrogen diffusion as compared to nitrogen. Such membrane materials include those compounds of silicon rubber, butyl rubber, polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, nylon 6,6, polystyrenes, polysulfones, polyamides, polyimides, polyethers, polyarylene oxides, polyurethanes, polyesters, and the like. The membrane units can be of any conventional construction, and a hollow fiber type construction is preferred. A gas rich in hydrogen penetrates the gas through the membrane. Penetration undergoes a substantial pressure drop of between about 3447 kPa to about 4826 kPa as it passes through the membrane. This hydrogen-rich gas is then heated and compressed as necessary and at least a portion is sent to the hydrotreater as a hydrogen-rich hydrotreating gas. The deasphalted oil has previously been separated from a material containing asphaltene, that is, a heavy crude oil, through solvent extraction. The extraction sediments, the asphaltenes, were gasified to generate hydrogen, energy, steam, and synthesis gas for chemical production. The deasphalted oil can be processed in a high-value diesel source in a fluidized catalytic disintegration unit. Deasphalted oil generally contains significant amounts of sulfur and nitrogen containing compounds. This deasphalted oil may also contain long-chain hydrocarbons. To comply with environmental regulations and product specifications, as well as to extend the life of the catalyst, the feed of the fluidized catalytic disintegration unit is hydrotreated first to remove sulfur components. During hydrotreating, the hydrogen is contacted with a hydrocarbon mixture, optionally in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst facilitates the breaking of carbon-carbon, carbon-sulfur, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-oxygen bonds and the bond with hydrogen. The purpose of hydrotreating is to increase the value of the hydrocarbon stream by removing sulfur, reducing acidity, and creating shorter hydrocarbon molecules. The pressure, temperature, flow rates, and catalysts required to complete the hydrogenation reactions are known in the art. The following are typical conditions of thermal hydrodisintegration: the reaction temperature of about 300 ° C to about 480 ° C; the hydrogen partial pressure of about 30 kg per cm 2 to about 200 kg per cm 2; the liquid space velocity from about 0.1 per hour to 2.0 per hour. The catalysts can be added favorably, often at about 0.01 to 0.30% by weight per fluid weight. Hydrotreating is most effective when the hydrocarbon mixture is contacted with relatively pure hydrogen. Hydrotreating requires a hydrogen-rich gas comprising more than about 80 mole% of gaseous hydrogen. Hydrotreating creates volatile hydrocarbons, volatile hydrocarbons containing sulfur and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and other gaseous pollutants. However, the gas fraction of the fluid leaving the hydrotreater is predominantly hydrogen. This gas "recycles" favorably to the hydrotreater.

This gas stream is separated from the hydrocarbon liquid, treated to remove condensable products, and then recycled to the hydrotreating reactor. The hydrotreating takes place at pressures between about 5516 kPa and about 20684 kPa, and at least a fraction of the contaminants dissolves in the hydrocarbon liquid. In conventional hydrotreating, the separation of pollutants from hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbons is achieved by subjecting them to instant vaporization and distilling the oil from the hydrotreater. The gas separation of hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbons is favorably achieved by using a high pressure steam removal device and an instantaneous vaporization drum. The high pressure steam is contacted with the hydrotreated liquid hydrocarbon material. The contact is favorably countercurrent using a contact tower as is known in the art, ie, a packed tower, a tray tower, or any other contactor. This high pressure steam removes volatile compounds, ie, hydrogen, volatile hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, and the like, from petroleum. This steam at high temperature can be steam from 2758 kPa to about 10342 kPa. This is the pressure at which the steam saturates. The vapor should not be easily condensed in the hydrocarbon liquid. The vapor and entrained contaminants are separated after the hydrocarbon liquid by any conventional means, such as by gravity separation.

Nitrogen can also be used instead of steam. The advantage of nitrogen is that nitrogen is often mixed with gaseous fuel as a diluent in the combustion turbine. Because the end use of the overburden gas is fuel in the turbine, nitrogen can be used as the removal medium. An additional advantage is that nitrogen does not form undesirable byproducts as does the vapor that forms acidic water during condensation. The gaseous stream is then cooled to remove condensable products, including mainly water, short-chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide in the water. The cooling can also use the remaining heat in the steam. The cooling may also include being in contact with water, or cooling with air-blower, or both. The gaseous overload will condense to form two phases in the cooling. Removing the condensable products requires cooling the hydrotreatment effluent gas to between about 0 ° and about 100 ° C, preferably at about 0 ° C to about 30 ° C. The result is a liquid vapor comprising water, short-chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide. The gas stream comprises gaseous hydrogen, short chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide. The liquid stream is sent favorably to the gasifier, where the hydrocarbons are gasified, the water moderates the gasifier temperature and increases the yield of hydrogen, and where the hydrogen sulfide is routed with the synthesis gas produced to the removal process of acid gas. The current is heated favorably and mixed with the asphaltene stream, where due to its temperature and the presence of short chain hydrocarbons reduces the viscosity of the asphaltenes. This makes it easier to handle the asphaltene stream. Keeping the asphaltenes as a pumpable fluid or suspension in the desasfated hydrocarbon material will facilitate handling problems normally associated with asphaltenes. Other hydrocarbonaceous materials from other sources can be gasified with asphaltenes. For example, waste hydrocarbons, heavy oils, coal and tars can be gasified with asphaltenes. If these other materials can not be mixed with the asphaltene-rich material because the addition of these other materials does not result in a pumpable material, the additional feed would be injected in a beneficial way in the gasifier separately. The gas stream is heated favorably and sent back to the hydrotreater. However, the non-condensable byproducts of the hydrotreating reaction accumulate, and a purge stream must be drawn from the recycled gas stream to prevent impurities from accumulating at concentrations that would inhibit the hydrotreating reaction. This purge gas mixes favorably with the synthesis gas for further processing or uses. The water from the condenser sprays, and removal steam also contaminate the short chain hydrocarbons. These contaminants must be removed from the hydrotreated deasphalted oil before disintegrating in the fluidized catalytic disintegration unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing is a scheme of one embodiment of the invention. Hydrogen-rich gas from the gasifier is provided by line 10. This gas is compressed in the compressor 12, and is transported via line 14 to the point where it is mixed with the recycled gas from line 16. The mixed gas travels through the line 18 to a heat exchanger 20, and then to a point where it is mixed with deasphalted oil from line 24. Then the mixture passes through a heat exchanger 25 where it is heated by the outlet of the hydrotreater. The heated mixture then travels via line 28 to hydrotreater 30, and exits the hydrotreator via line 32. Then the mixture enters hydrotreater 34. This entire mixture travels via line 36 through heat exchanger 25 where it is lost some heat The mixture is then continued via line 38 to a high temperature separator 40. The sediments are a diesel-like oil that exits via line 62 and is removed in separate 64 using steam or nitrogen from line 70. The sediments of the separator 64 that come out through line 66 are product oil that may undergo further processing. The water in the upper gas of the separator 68 is cooled using the heat exchanger to condense the water. The material is separated in drainage 80 and can be used in the gasifier as a moderator. The gas in line 85 can have more treatment or can be used as fuel. The gas leaving the separator 40 enters the heat exchanger 20 where it is cooled. The water is then transported via line 44 to cooler 46 where it dilutes acids that could corrode the condenser, and then via line 48 to cooler 50. This results in two phases, which are transported via line 52 to separator 54. Sediments from this separator are transported via line 62 to the removal device 64 and then to the asphaltene material that is being sent to the gasifier (not shown). The gas leaving the separator 54 via the line 56 is divided, with a fraction described as a purge gas being transported to the synthesis gas treatment plants via the line 66. Another portion is transported by the line 60 to the compressor 72 where the gas is compressed and then transported via line 16 to the point where it is mixed with hydrogen rich gas from the gasifier in line 14. In view of the above description, one skilled in the art should appreciate and understand that the present invention includes a method for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon stream in a hydrotreater and then recovering the products. In said illustrative embodiment the method includes: a) introducing a hydrotreater gas and a hydrocarbon stream to a hydrotreater; b) reacting a portion of the hydrotreater gas with the hydrocarbon stream in the hydrotreater, thus forming a reaction mixture; c) withdrawing the reaction mixture from the hydrotreater; d) removing the reaction mixture with steam or nitrogen; and e) separating the reaction mixture in a gas phase and a fluid phase. The illustrative process of preference is carried out using a hydrocarbon stream which includes a deasphalting oil, a heavy deasphalted oil, a deasphalted residual oil, or a mixture thereof. In addition, it is preferred that the hydrotreater gas include at least about 80 mol% hydrogen gas. The reaction mixture is preferably at a pressure of about 5516 kPa to about 20684 kPa and at a temperature of about 300 ° C to about 480 ° C. The illustrative process of preference is carried out so that the steam is provided at a vapor saturation pressure of between about 2758 kPa to about 12342 kPa. The illustrative method may further include cooling the mixed vapor and a reaction mixture before separating the reaction mixture in a gas phase and a fluid phase., wherein at least a fraction of the recovered heat is used to heat the hydrocarbon stream, the hydrotreater gas, or both, before introducing the hydrotreater gas and the hydrocarbon stream to a hydrotreater. It is contemplated that the process may include cooling the gas stream to remove condensable products, wherein said cooling is carried out after the gas phase has been separated from the fluid phase. Preferably, the gas phase is cooled to a temperature between about 0 ° C and about 100 ° C and most preferably at a temperature between about 0 ° C and about 30 ° C. The condensable products may include water, short chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide. The illustrative method may further include gasifying the condensable products in a gasifier. In the illustrative embodiments of the present invention, a hydrocarbonaceous material including asphaltenes, heating the condensable products, mixing the condensable products with the asphaltenes, and gasifying the mixture in a gasifier can be provided. Although the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may be applied to the process described herein without departing from the concept and scope of the invention. Said substitutes and similar modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are considered within the scope and concept of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (15)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for hydrating a hydrocarbon stream in a hydrotreater and then recovering the products, said method comprising: a) introducing a hydrorotator gas and a hydrocarbon stream to a hydrotreater; b) reacting a portion of the hydrotreater gas with the hydrocarbon stream in the hydrotreater, thereby forming a reaction mixture; c) withdrawing the reaction mixture from the hydrotreater; d) removing the reaction mixture with steam or nitrogen; and e) separating the reaction mixture in a gas phase and a fluid phase.

2. The process according to claim 1, further characterized in that the hydrocarbon stream comprises a deasphalted oil, a heavy deasphalted oil, a deasphalted waste oil, or a mixture thereof.

3. The process according to claim 1, further characterized in that the hydrotreater gas comprises at least about 80 mol% hydrogen gas.

4. The process according to claim 1, further characterized in that the reaction mixture is at a pressure of about 5516 kPa to about 20684 kPa. ~

5. The process according to claim 1, further characterized in that the reaction mixture is at a temperature of about 300 ° C to about 480 ° C.

6. The process according to claim 1, characterized also because the vapor or nitrogen is supplied at a vapor saturation pressure of between about 2758 kPa to about 12342 kPa

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising cooling the mixed steam and reaction mixture after separating

8. The process according to claim 1, further comprising cooling the gaseous stream to remove the condensable products, further characterized in that said cooling is carried out after cooling. that the gaseous phase has been separated from the fluid phase

9. The method according to claim 8, further acted because the gas phase is cooled to between about 0 ° C and about 100 ° C.

10. The process according to claim 8, further characterized in that the gas stream is cooled to between about 0 ° C and about 30 ° C.

11. The process according to claim 8, further characterized in that the condensable products comprise water, short-chain hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide.

12. - The method according to claim 8, further comprising gasifying the condensable products in a gasifier.

13. The process according to claim 12, further comprising providing a hydrocarbonaceous material comprising asphaltenes, heating the condensable products, mixing the jta * -condensable products with the asphaltenes, and gasifying the mixture in a gasifier.

14. The process according to claim 8, further comprising mixing at least part of the gas phase as a hydrotreating gas. 10 15.- A procedure to hydrotreat a stream of . hydrocarbon in a hydrotreater and then recovering the products, said process comprising: a) introducing a hydrotreater gas and a hydrocarbon stream to a hydrotreater; wherein at least a portion of the hydrotreater gas is derived from synthesis gas produced in a 15 gasifier; b) reacting a portion of the hydrotreater gas with the hydrocarbon stream in the hydrotreater, thereby forming a reaction mixture; c) withdrawing the reaction mixture from the hydrotreater; d) removing the reaction mixture with steam or nitrogen; e) separating the reaction mixture in a gas phase and a fluid phase; f) cooling the gas phase to remove the 20 condensable products; and g) providing a hydrocarbonaceous material comprising asphaltenes, heating the condensable products, mixing the condensable products with the asphaltenes, and gasifying the mixture in the gasifier to produce the synthesis gas.