WO2015143039A2 - Système et procédé pour commander et optimiser la valorisation hydrothermique du brut lourd et du bitume - Google Patents

Système et procédé pour commander et optimiser la valorisation hydrothermique du brut lourd et du bitume Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2015143039A2
WO2015143039A2 PCT/US2015/021258 US2015021258W WO2015143039A2 WO 2015143039 A2 WO2015143039 A2 WO 2015143039A2 US 2015021258 W US2015021258 W US 2015021258W WO 2015143039 A2 WO2015143039 A2 WO 2015143039A2
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Prior art keywords
process stream
reactor
hco
lhc
max
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PCT/US2015/021258
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English (en)
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WO2015143039A3 (fr
Inventor
W. Marcus Trygstad
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Aduro Energy, Inc.
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Publication date
Priority claimed from US14/218,619 external-priority patent/US9644455B2/en
Application filed by Aduro Energy, Inc. filed Critical Aduro Energy, Inc.
Priority to EP15765080.5A priority Critical patent/EP3119858B1/fr
Priority to RU2016140701A priority patent/RU2687072C2/ru
Priority to CA2943078A priority patent/CA2943078C/fr
Publication of WO2015143039A2 publication Critical patent/WO2015143039A2/fr
Publication of WO2015143039A3 publication Critical patent/WO2015143039A3/fr

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Classifications

    • 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
    • C10G9/00—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
    • C10G9/34—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils by direct contact with inert preheated fluids, e.g. with molten metals or salts
    • C10G9/36—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils by direct contact with inert preheated fluids, e.g. with molten metals or salts with heated gases or vapours
    • 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
    • C10G9/00—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
    • C10G9/14—Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils in pipes or coils with or without auxiliary means, e.g. digesters, soaking drums, expansion means
    • 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
    • C10G31/00—Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, by methods not otherwise provided for
    • C10G31/08—Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, by methods not otherwise provided for by treating with water
    • 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
    • C10G47/00—Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions
    • C10G47/36—Controlling or regulating

Definitions

  • This invention relates to hydrocarbon processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for efficiently upgrading heavy crude oil.
  • the average weight or density of crude oils extracted from oil fields globally has been increasing very gradually over time, a trend expected to continue indefinitely.
  • the existence of large reserves of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils in some countries means that the as-produced weight of crude oil can increase much more rapidly on a regional basis.
  • the tar oils in the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela and oil sand bitumen in Alberta, Canada which in aggregate are currently estimated as being 2-3 times the size of the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia.
  • the density of Saudi Arabian crude oils, expressed as API gravity or °API may typically fall in the range of about 27 - 34 °API, in the center of which falls the current global average.
  • the deposits in Venezuela and Alberta are generally characterized as being heavy crude oils (HCO) or extra-heavy crude oils (EHCO) for which the corresponding densities may be regarded generally as being below about 22.3 °API and about 10 °API, respectively.
  • HCO heavy crude oils
  • EHCO extra-heavy crude oils
  • UHCO ultra-heavy crude oil
  • HCO heavy crude oils
  • EHCO EHCO
  • UHCO UHCO
  • asphaltenes are a class of diverse compounds known to affect density and viscosity directly and to have concentrations in HCO that are generally higher than in medium and light crudes. Having molecular weights that are high relative to other compounds in crude oils generally, increasing asphaltene concentration is generally accompanied by an increase in both density and viscosity.
  • HCO is generally not amenable to the methods of transportation and storage commonly applied to medium crude oils (about 22.3 °API to about
  • smaller-scale upgrading facilities may be located in or near numerous production fields.
  • Producers therefore rely on another, simpler strategy whereby the bitumen and heavy oil o are mixed with higher-value, lighter petroleum products at the wellhead to produce diluted
  • bitumen that can be easily transported through pipelines.
  • bitumen bitumen
  • the diluent must be transported by rail or pipeline to production fields from distant refineries or gas processing plants where it is produced.
  • dilbit in pipelines may typically contain about 20% to 40% diluent, effectively reducing the net5 capacity of pipelines to carry unrefined crude. Compounding these issues, the net cost for diluent in terms of both the material itself and the facilities required to handle it adds $10 - $16 per barrel of dilbit.
  • beyond infrastructure and cost considerations looms a broader problem, namely, that diluent-based upgrading may not be a practical way to meet future growth of Canadian HCO production.
  • a system for upgrading a continuously flowing process stream including heavy crude oil (HCO).
  • the system includes a fluid flow path configured to convey the process stream continuously therethrough in a downstream direction.
  • the flow path includes a reactor configured to receive the process stream in combination with water, at an inlet temperature within a range of about 60 °C to about 200 °C.
  • the reactor includes one or more process flow tubes defining an aggregated interior cross-sectional dimension transverse to the downstream direction, the flow tubes having a combined length of at least about 30 times the aggregated interior cross-sectional dimension.
  • the reactor applies heat to progressively heat the process stream to an outlet temperature T(max)l within a range of between about 260 °C to about 400 °C.
  • the reactor is also configured to maintain the process stream at a pressure sufficient to ensure that it remains a single phase at T(max)l.
  • a controller is configured to selectively adjust the rate of flow of the process stream through the reactor to maintain a total residence time in the reactor of greater than about 1 minute and less than about 25 minutes. This rate of flow, in combination with the flow tube length and cross-sectional area, and the progressive application of heat, are configured to minimize or prevent coke formation.
  • a method for upgrading a continuously flowing process stream including heavy crude oil (HCO) includes supplying the process stream to the aforementioned system.
  • HCO heavy crude oil
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a representative embodiment of a hydro thermal heavy crude oil (HCO) upgrading system of the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 1, with various optional features;
  • Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 2, with further optional features
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 3, with additional optional features;
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 4, with an additional optional feature;
  • Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 3, with an additional optional feature;
  • Fig. 6B is a view similar to that of Fig. 6 A, with other optional features;
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reactor suitable for use in one or more of the embodiments of Figs. 1-6B, with temperature represented graphically thereon;
  • Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 7, of an alternate reactor
  • Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of another alternate reactor portion usable with embodiments of the present invention.
  • Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of still other reactor portions usable with embodiments of the present invention.
  • Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of still other reactor portions usable with embodiments of the present invention.
  • Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of a hydro thermal heavy crude oil (HCO) upgrading system of the present invention
  • Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of yet another alternate embodiment of a hydro thermal o heavy crude oil (HCO) upgrading system of the present invention
  • Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a hydro thermal heavy crude oil (HCO) upgrading system of the present invention.
  • HCO hydro thermal heavy crude oil
  • Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a hydro thermal heavy crude oil (HCO) upgrading system of the present invention.
  • HCO hydro thermal heavy crude oil
  • Fig. 16 is a graphical representation of aspects of the embodiments of Figs. 12-15;
  • Fig. 17 is a graphical representation of additional aspects of the present invention.
  • Fig. 18 is a graphical representation of additional aspects of the present invention.
  • Fig. 19 is a graphical representation of still further aspects of the present invention. 0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
  • embodiments of the present invention relate to upgrading a continuously flowing stream including heavy crude oils, extra-heavy crude oils, ultra-heavy crude oils, bitumen, and the like without limitation in regard to exact composition or geologic or geographic origin, which hereinafter are referred to inclusively as heavy crude oils or simply HCO.
  • heavy crude oils and/or “HCO” refers to substantially any crude oil or hydrocarbon-containing material measuring at or below about 22.3 °API, with lower °API values corresponding to higher densities.
  • a system 20 is provided for the hydrothermal upgrading of a process stream (reaction mixture) 22 (HCO and water) by a reactor portion (section) 24 configured to progressively heat the process stream 22 as a function of the reaction coordinate (R.C.) 26.
  • the R.C. 26 may be calculated as (a) the relative distance between an inlet 28 and outlet 30 traversed by the process stream 22 within the reactor section 24, or (b) the time elapsed after the reaction mixture 22 enters the reactor section at 28, times flow rate divided by the total volume of the fluid flow path within the reactor section 24.
  • the rate of heat applied (rate of heat transfer or thermal flux) to the reaction mixture 22 is shown graphically as temperature (T) of the process mixture 22 (on the y-axis), as a function of the R.C. 26 (on the x-axis.)
  • the thermal flux or temperature applied at the reactor 24 is increased progressively along the downstream direction a. This progressively increasing thermal flux may be provided, for example, by an otherwise conventional counter-flow heat exchanger such as the shell-and- tube heat exchanger shown and described hereinbelow with respect to Figs. 7, 8 and 11.
  • the reactor section 24 includes one or more process flow tubes each having an interior cross-sectional dimension (e.g., diameter) in a plane extending transversely to the downstream direction a therethrough.
  • process flow tubes may be disposed in series, such as shown and
  • the flow tubes are provided with a combined length of at least about 30 times the aggregated interior cross- sectional dimension.
  • flow tubes disposed in series are treated as a single tube. o Therefore, for example, a reactor having one or more flow tubes in series, each with a
  • diameter of 5 cm would have an aggregated cross-sectional dimension of 5 cm and a total length of at least 30 x 5 cm or about 150 cm.
  • a reactor having three parallel flow tubes each having a diameter of 5 cm would have an aggregated cross-sectional dimension of 15 cm and a length of at least about 450 cm.
  • these examples contemplate5 flow tubes of circular cross-section, one skilled in the art will recognize that tubes of
  • substantially any shape cross-section such as square, oblong, etc., may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
  • the reactor 24 is configured to apply heat to the reaction mixture flowing therethrough, to progressively heat the reaction mixture 22 so that the reaction mixture is o disposed at a lower temperature at an upstream or inlet portion of the reactor, e.g., at 28, than at a downstream or outlet portion of the reactor, e.g., at 30.
  • the reactor 24 is configured to progressively heat the reaction mixture 22 from an inlet 28 temperature of about 60 °C to 200 °C, to an outlet 30 temperature (T(max)l) of between about 260 °C and 400 °C. It should be noted that this progressive heating may be accomplished either
  • reactor 24 is configured to maintain the reaction mixture 22 at a pressure sufficient to ensure that the reaction mixture remains a single phase at T(max)l, i.e., to substantially prevent formation of a gas phase separate from the liquid phase of the reaction mixture 22.
  • pressure within reactor 24 may be maintained within a range of about 1500 to about 3000 psia, with particular embodiments being maintained within a range of 1500 to 2000 psia, and other embodiments being maintained within a range of about 2000 to 3000 psia.
  • system 20 may also include a controller 32, e.g., in the form of a conventional closed-loop programmable logic controller (PLC) or process automation controller (PAC) such as the model T2750 commercially available from Foxboro (Invensys 5 Systems, Inc., Foxborough, MA, USA), optionally augmented with model predictive control (MPC) capability, communicably coupled to reactor 24, including a flowmeter and
  • PLC closed-loop programmable logic controller
  • PAC process automation controller
  • MPC model predictive control
  • the controller 32 is configured to adjust both the rate of flow of reaction mixture 22 into the reactor 24, and/or the rate of heat applied o (rate of heat transfer or thermal flux) to the reaction mixture 22 in the reactor 24 (e.g., by
  • controller 32 is configured to ensure that the flow rate is sufficiently high and the rate of heat transfer is sufficiently low to minimize or substantially prevent coke formation, while maintaining a total residence time of5 the reaction mixture 22 within the reactor 24 of greater than about 1 minute and less than
  • both the flow rate and the thermal flux from the inside surface of the tube or tubes in the reactor section may be optimized to minimize or prevent coke formation while achieving the o desired level of upgrading and maximizing throughput, while taking into consideration the
  • system 20 includes a recovery portion (section) 38 configured to receive the process stream, which has now been transformed into product mixture 34, exiting the reactor section at 30.
  • Recovery section 38 is configured to reduce the temperature of the product mixture 5 34, e.g., to between 60 °C and 200 °C, and to also effect a corresponding reduction in the vapor pressure of the mixture 34.
  • recovery section 38 includes a water separator 40 configured to separate water from the upgraded crude oil, which exit the recovery section 38 at 42 and 44, respectively.
  • An aspect of the present invention is thus the gradual heating of reaction mixture 22, 0 including an HCO stream and water, flowing through reactor section 24, on a time scale
  • tube reactors in petrochemical processing to effect chemical transformations is commonplace. For example, it is the standard approach for cracking of gas-phase naphtha at temperatures in excess of 800 °C to produce ethylene. It is noted, however, that the use of tube 5 reactors to effect the chemical transformation of liquids at the relatively lower temperatures is rather uncommon or absent in commercially relevant processes used in either in refining or petrochemical operations.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is that instead of the reactor having a substantially uniform temperature distribution, the flowing mixture 22 instead experiences a o deliberately non-uniform application of heat (thermal flux) between the inlet 28 and the outlet
  • disaggregation reaction The process of disaggregation, disintegration, or destructuring of assemblages of HCO components and the dispersing and/or dissolution of the same will be inclusively referred to o hereinafter as the disaggregation reaction or simply disaggregation.
  • disaggregation asphaltenes and other heavy compounds that are generally associated in HCO are thought to be dispersed and nominally separated from one other, predisposing them to undergo upgrading reactions involving water and minimizing the possibility that they thereafter will undergo retrograde reactions with each other that lead to the formation of more and larger asphaltenes 5 molecules and possibly coke.
  • product qualities such as density and
  • an aspect of embodiments 5 of the present invention is the fostering of the disaggregation of HCO components prior to their being subjected to conditions of elevated temperature at which upgrading reactions occur, maximizing the efficiency and extent of upgrading at the highest temperatures while minimizing undesirable side reactions that lead to coke formation.
  • the controlled, progressive increase in the temperature of the o reaction mixture between the reactor section inlet and outlet is but one aspect of the present invention that preferentially promotes, first, the disaggregation reaction and then the upgrading reaction.
  • An additional approach for promoting disaggregation and upgrading reactions associated with various embodiments of the present invention involves the selection and contacting of the HCO stream in a premix section with materials selected to promote one or both5 of those reactions.
  • HCO flowing through a premix section 50 is contacted with a material including either water or steam at a temperature at or below the desired predetermined inlet 28 temperature of the process stream 22, e.g., at a temperature at or below about 200 °C.
  • the temperature of the water or steam contacting HCO flowing through the premix section may be as high as about T(max)l or about 350 °C, o whichever is lower so as to avoid the promotion of localized cracking of HCO components at or near the point of contacting, which is thought to lead to coke formation.
  • the mixture of HCO and this water or steam becomes the process stream 22 that is fed to the reactor section 24 at inlet 28.
  • system 220 of Fig. 2 is substantially similar to system 20 of Fig. 1, while also including an optional premix section 50 for contacting the HCO with water or steam to form 5 the process stream 22.
  • the recovery section of system 220 includes an optional energy recovery subsection (e.g., heat exchanger) 52, which is configured to recover thermal energy from the product mixture 34 and to distribute the recovered energy to the reactor section 24 as shown at 56.
  • the energy removed from the mixture 34 is shown graphically as a reduction in temperature (T) as a function of R.C. 26.
  • system 220 may include an optional o water recycling loop 58 configured to recirculate the water 42 recovered at water separator 40, to the premix section 50, although it will be understood that other embodiments water used in contacting HCO in the premix section and/or the reaction mixture in the reactor section
  • a system 320 is substantially similar to system 220, with the addition to the recovery section of an optional light hydrocarbon removal device 62.
  • An example of a suitable device 62 may include a conventional flash drum configured for recovering light hydrocarbons (e.g., naphtha, distillates, condensates and the like, hereinafter referred to simply as LHC) from the product mixture 34.
  • LHC light hydrocarbons
  • the recovered LHC may o then be recirculated via hydrocarbon recycling loop 64 back to the premix section 50, to help promote the disaggregation reaction.
  • a system 420 is substantially similar to system 320, with the optional injection of water or steam (e.g., from recycling loop 58) at one or more points in reactor section 24 instead of the premix section 5 50. This effectively provides for contacting the HCO stream with the hydrocarbons, and
  • a system 520 is substantially similar to system 420, with the optional injection of light hydrocarbon from recycling loop 64 into the reactor section 24 as well as premix section 50. It is noted that in particular embodiments, the injection of light hydrocarbon occurs at one or more points 68 prior to where the reaction mixture 22 has reached a temperature T 8 5 of between about 80% to 90% of the temperature T(max)l. In other embodiments, the injection of light hydrocarbon occurs at one or more points 68 prior to where the reaction mixture 22 has reached a temperature ⁇ 65 of between about 60% to 70% of the temperature T(max) 1.
  • system 620 is substantially similar to system 520, with the injection of light hydrocarbon and water/steam into reactor 24 without any injection into premix section 50.
  • the premix section 50 is thus not required, although shown
  • the HCO may contain water and/or LHC as the result of the steam assisted gravity drainage (S AGD) process in widespread use in Alberta for extracting and producing HCO from oil sands deposits, which HCO may be upgraded by embodiments of the present invention.
  • water or steam are injected at one or more points in the reactor section 24 prior to the T 8 5 or T 65 points as discussed hereinabove.
  • the temperatures of the water or steam supplied by loop 58 may be equal to or less than about 80% to 90% of the predetermined maximum temperature in the reactor section T(max) 1.
  • the temperature of the water injected into the reactor section may have temperatures greater than T(max)l but less than about 350 °C.
  • System 620' of Fig. 6B is substantially similar to system 620, but with the additional injection of water/steam and hydrocarbon via loops 58 and 64, respectively, into premix section 50.
  • the contacting of water/steam and/or hydrocarbon with the HCO may be facilitated by a variety of conventional means including but not limited to mechanical stirring, inline mixing, static mixing, a mixing eductor, a radial (vortex) premixer, and/or a pump that continuously drives the reaction mixture 22 from the premix section 50 into the reactor section 24.
  • conventional means including but not limited to mechanical stirring, inline mixing, static mixing, a mixing eductor, a radial (vortex) premixer, and/or a pump that continuously drives the reaction mixture 22 from the premix section 50 into the reactor section 24.
  • the examples shown and described herein are not intended to be limiting, with other combinations of injecting
  • the amount of water/steam and hydrocarbon supplied to the HCO in process stream 22 is configured to provide a final ratio of
  • HCO to water ranges from about 1: 1 and 20: 1
  • the ratio of native HCO to LHC not native to the HCO ranges from about 1:2 and 20: 1.
  • the non- native LHC may be present in the HCO stream flowing into the premix section 50 or may be that which is introduced in either the premix section 50 or the reactor section 24.
  • HCO:water may be based on the balancing of two opposing factors. Higher relative concentrations of water may be beneficial in that they 5 foster improved heat transfer from the walls of tube in the reactor section 24, suppress coke formation by quenching or preventing reactions between HCO components, and improve the kinetics of upgrading reactions involving water.
  • Some disadvantages of relatively high water concentrations relate to the fact that displacement of HCO by water reduces the effective throughput of HCO while increasing operating costs due to the need to invest thermal energy to o heat not only HCO but also water. Given that the heat capacity of the latter is approximately twice that of HCO and other hydrocarbons, each incremental increase in the water content of the reaction mixture requires proportionately more thermal energy to heat the reaction mixture to T(max)l.
  • the reactor section 24 is a 5 conventional shell-and-tube heat exchanger in which the reaction mixture 22 flowing through a central tube is heated by a heating fluid 70 flowing in the direction opposite that of the reaction mixture 22.
  • the heating fluid 70 flowing into the shell has a temperature sufficient to ensure that the temperature of the reaction mixture 22 at the outlet 30 of the reactor section 24 is at about the predetermined maximum temperature T(max)l.
  • the flow rate and temperature of the heating 0 fluid are adjusted to create a continuously- varying temperature profile along the length of the reactor section 24 as shown and described hereinabove with respect to the graphical components of the Figures.
  • the temperatures of the reaction mixture 22 and the heating fluid 70 are shown graphically as a function of the reaction coordinate 26.
  • the graphical component of Fig. 7 also indicates that the occurrence of the disaggregation reactions predominates at the inlet/low temperature end 28 of the reaction section 24, while the upgrading reactions predominate at the outlet/high temperature end 30 of the reaction section 24.
  • reactor section 24 may take the form of a single-tube heat exchanger, the skilled artisan will recognize that reactor section 24 may alternatively include a heat exchanger having a plurality of parallel tubes within the shell, wherein the inlets of all the tubes are communicably coupled by a common inlet chamber and the outlets are communicably coupled by a common outlet chamber, such as shown in Fig. 11.
  • an alternate reactor section shown at 24' may take the form of a series of shell-and-tube subsections 72, where T(hf)i is the temperature of the heating fluid 70 at the inlet to each subsection.
  • Reactor section 24 is otherwise substantially similar to reactor section 24, such as described with respect to Fig. 7.
  • an optional reactor section 24" is substantially similar to reactor section 24', but with the interposition of thermal-soak chambers 74 disposed serially between the subsections 72.
  • the thermal-soak chambers 74 are configured as insulated, unheated flow-through chambers that effectively lengthen the residence time of the reaction mixture 22 at various temperatures as the mixture 22 flows through the reactor section 24".
  • the thermal-soak chambers 74 effectively provide a substantially step-wise increase in temperature as a function of the R.C. 26, e.g., along the length of the reactor section
  • the particular temperatures and the resulting residence time at those temperatures may be selected to facilitate kinetics related to the disaggregation and upgrading reactions.
  • the thermal-soak chambers 74 will be unheated, it should be recognized that in particular applications, it may be appropriate to apply some amount of heat to the thermal-soak chambers, such as may be desired to maintain the reaction mixture flowing therethrough at an approximately uniform temperature.
  • the graphical component indicates that the occurrence of the disaggregation reactions predominates at the inlet/low temperature end 28 of the reaction section 24", while the upgrading reactions predominate at the outlet/high temperature end 30 of the reaction section 24' ' . It should be recognized that any number of the reactor subsections 72 of
  • Figs. 8 and 9 may be used, depending on the particular application. It should also be recognized that in various embodiments, pressure within the various components of reactors 24, 24', 24", is maintained at levels sufficient to prevent the formation of a phase separate from the liquid phase of reaction mixture 22, as discussed hereinabove.
  • any of the aforementioned reactor portions 24, 24', 24" may be further modified to include a supplemental reactor section 80 serially disposed at outlet 30 thereof.
  • supplemental reactor section 80 may be substantially similar to reactor section 24, 24', 24" and/or one or more reactor subsections 72. As shown, reactor section 24, 24', 24" effectively brings the reaction mixture 22 to T(max)l as described hereinabove, while the supplemental reactor section 80 is configured so that the reaction mixture flowing
  • T(max)2 is within a range of approximately 1.0 to 1.1 times T(max)l, and in other embodiments, is within a range of approximately 1.1 to 1.4 times T(max)l, as will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow.
  • reactor sections 24, 24', 24" and energy recovery sections 52 which include multiple parallel process flow paths as discussed hereinabove, disposed in series, are shown in Fig. 11.
  • the temperature and rate of heating fluid flow through each shell may be individually controlled to control the temperature and rate of heat applied to the reactions mixture 22.
  • the reaction mixture is maintained at pressure sufficient to maintain the reaction mixture as a single phase throughout the reactor section. Doing so is important from the viewpoint of process energetics because in general, liquid-to-gas phase changes consume significant energy as a function of the heat of vaporization, ⁇ ⁇ . The importance of this issue is particularly acute given that ⁇ ⁇ for water may be 5-9 times higher than for many lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. Therefore, in a particular embodiment of the present invention, the reactor section is operated at pressures in excess of those required to maintain the reaction mixture in liquid phase when the reaction mixture experiences the maximum temperature in the reactor section.
  • the reactor section is maintained at an operating pressure that is approximately 5% to 10% in excess of that required to maintain the reaction mixture as a liquid phase. That pressure varies as a function of the predetermined maximum temperature in the reactor section; the amount and chemical composition of LHC in the reaction mixture, whether they are native to the HCO, added to enhance disaggregation reactions, or generated through upgrading reactions; and the amount of water in the reaction mixture.
  • Various embodiments use pressures within a range of from about 1500 to about 3000 psia.
  • the required operating pressure may be approximately 2000 psia, while under other conditions the required pressure may be from about 1500 psia to about 2000 psi, while under yet other conditions the required pressure may be from about 2000 psi to
  • the predetermined maximum is the predetermined maximum
  • the shell-and-tube configuration of the reactor section provides two important benefits, one stated and one implied.
  • the former relates to the possibility for creating a deliberately non-isothermal temperature regime to preferentially promote disaggregation before applying maximum thermal energy to achieve predetermined maximum temperatures and drive upgrading reactions involving water.
  • the implied benefit is the well-known enhancement of heat transfer by means of the high ratio of surface area to volume (surface: volume) available in tubular reactors.
  • the latter benefit is achieved at the price of pressure drop between the inlet and outlet as a function of increasing tube length and decreasing tube cross-sectional dimension, both of which increase surface: volume. Therefore, the idea of increasing the total time spent by the reaction mixture in the reactor section by increasing the tubing length seems dubious.
  • the present inventor's solution to the problem resides in an approach that reduces pressure drop by effectively increasing the diameters of tubes in the reactor section, which at first seems counterintuitive and even contrary to a key benefit noted for tubular reactors, namely, that they offer a high ratio of surface area to volume.
  • one or more flow-through chambers (thermal soak chambers) 74 that are only insulated and not heated will be interposed between individual reactor subsections, where the volume of the flow-through chambers 74 is equal to about the desired increase in residence time multiplied by the flow rate through the reactor section.
  • the throughput of the upgrading system may be increased without o significantly increasing the pressure drop across the reactor section by increasing the size of the flow-through chamber 74 installed at the outlet from the last shell-and-tube subsection, the size and number of flow-through chambers 74 interposed between the inlet and outlet, and the number of tubes contained in the shell-and-tube subsections 72. More than one shell-and-tube subsection 72 may be installed between the chambers 74.
  • FCC fluidized catalytic cracking
  • FCC catalysts are fine powders that function as a substrate onto which hydrocarbons adsorb in order o for catalysis to occur.
  • Other catalysts may be molecules that promote reactions by participating in them, in some cases being chemically integrated into reaction intermediates, but always being regenerated.
  • the reaction mixture in the reactor section is heated to a final predetermined temperature T(max)l of about 260 °C to about 325 °C (or about 260 °C to5 about 400 °C in some embodiments) such that the upgrading rates due to water-catalyzed Type I reactions are thought to become significant when the reaction mixture reaches a temperature of about 80% to about 90% of T(max)l, where significant levels of homolytic cracking do not occur.
  • reaction mixture flows through a primary reactor section 24,
  • Type I reactions are thought to occur without Type II reactions occurring at an appreciable rate, and then flows into a supplemental reactor section 80 (Fig. 10) appended to the primary reactor section where heating of the reaction mixture continues to a second
  • the flow rate of, and the thermal flux into the reaction mixture are controlled to minimize or prevent coke formation in the reaction mixture as it is heated progressively while flowing through both the primary and the supplemental reactor sections.
  • the predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2 of the 0 supplemental reactor section 80 is between about 1.0 and 1.1 times T(max)l, the principal
  • the supplemental reactor section raises the reaction mixture to a predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2 of between about 1.1 and 1.4 times T(max)l to promote further upgrading by means of Type II reactions in addition to Type I reactions.
  • the recovery section 38 reduces the temperature of the product mixture to between about 60 °C and 200 °C.
  • the reduction in temperature results in a corresponding reduction in the vapor pressure of the product mixture and5 an increase in viscosity.
  • the product mixture 34 (Fig. 3) may flow under pressure through water separator 40, which may take the form of one or more liquid-liquid separators for the purpose of removing water.
  • recovered water can then be recycled in the process at 58 or used elsewhere, for example, it may be combined with water that is converted to steam for downhole injection in the context of the SAGD process for extracting HCO form oil o sands.
  • the product mixture from which water has been substantially removed flows into flash drum 62, having had its temperature reduced to a level appropriate to remove desired quantities of LHC at 64, e.g., by flash distillation of vapors, which LHC are referred to as condensate.
  • the flash drum 62 may be appropriately configured to recover other volatile components in the product mixture that are lighter than condensate, which 5 may include methane ethane, propane, hydrogen sulfide, C0 2 , COS, CS 2 , SO x , and possibly nitrogenous compounds.
  • the recovered condensate is used to facilitate the disaggregation reaction by contacting with HCO in the premix section 50 or injection into the reactor section 24, 24', 24".
  • Scalability is another among the many aspects of the present invention that have already 0 been identified, and which are believed to be novel, non-obvious and beneficial.
  • embodiments of the invention may be scaled without substantially changing the basic design to permit the construction of upgrading systems with capacities ranging from ⁇ lbarrel per day (bpd) to > 10,000 bpd.
  • This feature means that the present invention combines the best features of the two upgrading methodologies that enjoy broad use in Canada today.
  • First like the large, expensive technology used to produce synthetic crude oil, it offers the possibility to upgrade HCO to meet pipeline specifications without relying on dilution.
  • Second, like diluent-based upgrading, the system and method described herein is suitable for distributed implementation on a smaller scale at or near wellheads and remote production fields.
  • the recovery section 38 captures and recycles thermal energy and also water for reuse in the system and method described herein for upgrading HCO.
  • Particularly beneficial is the ability to substantially minimize the thermal energy required to heat the reaction mixture to T(max)l, or to T(max)2, by substantially maximizing the ratio HCO:water.
  • the reaction mixture comprises only HCO and water, relatively large amounts of the latter are required because, apart from being involved in upgrading reactions, it is thought to be important for facilitating the dissociation and dispersal of HCO components in a water-dominated matrix.
  • Additional aspects of the invention concern the specific, deliberate design of the reactor section(s) to effect the gradual heating of the reaction mixture for the explicit purpose of a) avoiding levels of thermal flux into reaction mixture from the inside walls of the reactor to minimize or prevent coking; b) promoting disaggregation reactions by means of optionally contacting of HCO with LHC in the premix section and/or the reactor section; c) promoting disaggregation reactions prior to the reaction mixture reaching a temperature slightly below (e.g., between about 80% and about 90% of) the predetermined maximum temperature T(max)l; d) promoting upgrading reactions in a reactor section at temperatures between that point (e.g., about 80% to 90% of T(max)l) and about T(max)l where Type I upgrading reactions are thought to occur; e) avoiding subjecting the HCO to localized heating at the point of injection of and contacting by water that has been heated to supercritical or near- supercritical temperatures when the HCO has not already undergone disaggregation, under which conditions the localized rate of heating exceed
  • the underlying concept of the instant invention has been to introduce the HCO feed to an upgrading process that is more or less linear: the feed flows continuously into a reactor or a series of reactor subsections after optionally flowing through a premix section; a reaction mixture is generated by contacting the HCO with LHC and/or water/steam at one or a plurality of 5 points in the premix and/or reactor sections; the mixture is progressively heated in the reactor or plurality of reactor subsections to a predetermined maximum temperature T(max)l; it optionally flows through a supplemental reactor section where it is heated progressively to a second predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2; and the product mixture flowing therefrom is processed through a recovery section designed to remove water from the upgraded HCO product, o recover thermal energy, and optionally recover LHC to be recycled to one or more upstream
  • the reaction mixture flows through the reactor section 24, 24', 24" such as shown and described hereinabove, including one or more subsections and optional thermal soak chambers interposed in the flow path.
  • the product mixture then flows from the outlet 30 of the primary reactor section 24, etc., into a flash distillation column 90, also
  • the light fraction 92 includes water and light hydrocarbons (LHC), the latter being designated LHC1 and having boiling points at atmospheric pressure below a predetermined maximum value of
  • the heavy fraction 94 which may be referred to as the predominantly heavy hydrocarbon (HHC) product stream, the HHC residue, or simply HHC1, includes components in the product mixture 34 whose boiling points are higher than BP(LHCl).
  • Components in light fraction 92 from FDCl 90 are cooled in a condenser (not shown) to yield liquid mixture that is separated into an aqueous phase and a hydrocarbon phase.
  • the 5 HHC1 94 flows without having been cooled from the bottom of the distillation column 90 into an optional premix section 50' configured in the flow path between FDCl 90 and a supplemental reactor section 80 such as shown and described hereinabove.
  • LHC in the light fraction 92 includes compounds generated through upgrading reactions in the primary o reactor 24, etc., in addition to LHC compounds that may be native to the HCO and any that may have been added in the premix 50, 50' and/or reactor 24, 24', 24" sections to promote disaggregation reactions.
  • HHC1 94 flowing from FDCl 90 includes compounds that either have undergone varying degrees of upgrading upstream from FDCl 90 but which on the whole may be susceptible to further upgrading. As such, they are the5 appropriate object of further upgrading in the supplemental reactor section 80. Due to their
  • the viscosity of HHC1 94 will vary directly as a function of LHCs removed by FDCl 90. Therefore, the operation of FDCl 90 should be optimized to ensure facile flow of HHC1 94 in a downstream manner from FDCl 90 and prevent HHCs from becoming so concentrated and highly associated as to reduce their o proclivity to undergo further upgrading reactions in the supplemental reactor section 80.
  • HHC1 94 flowing downstream through premixer 50' to the supplemental reactor section 80 is heated progressively in a particular embodiment to a predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2 before reaching the outlet of the same, which temperature is between about 1.0 and 1.1 times T(max)l, the predetermined maximum
  • HHC1 94 may be contacted with water or steam (such as recycled from light fraction 92) at one point or a plurality of points downstream of FDCl 94, e.g. in the supplemental reactor section 80 and/or the optional premix section 50' as shown.
  • the supplemental reactor section progressively raises the reaction mixture to a predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2 of between about 1.1 5 and 1.4 times T(max)l where Type II reactions are believed to occur.
  • T(max)2 a predetermined maximum temperature
  • the contacting of the HHC1 by water and/or steam in the premix section 50' and/or the supplemental reactor section 80 is optional. Nevertheless, said contacting may offer benefits aside from the possibility to promote further upgrading by Type I mechanisms.
  • the thermal conductivity of o water may be about 3-4 times higher than that of hydrocarbons including bitumen
  • the presence of just 5% to 10% water in the reaction mixture may increase the efficiency of thermal energy transfer from the walls of the shell- and- tube reactor to the HHC residue flowing therethrough, which is believed to minimize or prevent coke formation that would otherwise occur, for example at the walls of the shell-and-tube reactor.
  • the addition of water in controlled amounts may serve helpfully to prevent HHC components from becoming so concentrated and highly associated as to reduce their proclivity to undergo further upgrading reactions in the supplemental reactor section 80.
  • the heat capacity of water is approximately twice that of hydrocarbons.
  • the o economics of HHC residue upgrading in the supplemental reactor section may be optimized by taking into consideration the quality and quantity of HHC residue fed thereinto; the quality and quantity of the upgraded hydrocarbon product flowing therefrom; and the amount of thermal energy applied, where the latter depends on 1) controlling the amount of LHC removed in FDCl 90 and the amount of water or steam mixed with the HHC residue flowing through the
  • the product mixture 34' exiting the outlet of the supplemental reactor section 80 may flow into a recovery section 38, 52, etc., such as described hereinabove with respect to Figs. 1-6B and 11.
  • the product mixture flows optionally into a second flash distillation column 96, also5 designated as FDC2.
  • FDC2 obtains two fractions from the product mixture
  • a light fraction 98 including water and light hydrocarbons the latter being designated LHC2; and a heavy fraction 100, designated HHC2.
  • these two fractions are differentiated from each other on the basis of the boiling point of the light fraction, in this case being designated BP(LHC2), which in o one embodiment is below about 280 °C, while in yet another particular embodiment BP(LHC2) may be below about 220 °C, and in yet another particular embodiment, it may be less than about 160 °C.
  • LHC1 and LHC2 may be combined to obtain a single LHC product stream (not shown).
  • a portion of HHC2 100 may be optionally recycled, e.g., at 102, to an upstream point in the supplemental reactor section, e.g. to 5 the premix section 50', where it is combined with HHC1 94.
  • a portion of the light hydrocarbons from 92 and/or 98 may in particular embodiments be optionally recycled and mixed with HCO feed 22 at points in the primary reactor section 24, 24', 24" before the reaction mixture reaches a temperature of about 60% to 70% of T(max)l, and/or in the premix section 50.
  • HHC1 in the premix section 50 may beneficially permit reduction in the amount of water required to ensure that heavy components in the reaction mixture flowing through the supplemental reactor section 80 are sufficiently disaggregated, the benefit including a corresponding reduction in the energy required to heat the reaction mixture to T(max)2.
  • components in HHC2 100 may undergo further upgrading if again subjected to the upgrading conditions in the supplemental reactor section 80 by recycling at 102.
  • this approach enables the additional, selective upgrading of heavy components while minimizing or avoiding the subjecting of lighter components 98, removed in FDC2 96, to higher- severity conditions in the supplemental reactor section. This helps to minimize the risk of undesirable decomposition of LHCs that might reduce overall upgrading yield and provides the means to promote further upgrading without increasing the predetermined maximum temperature T(max)2 in the supplemental reactor section.
  • product mixture outputs from the primary reactor subsection 24, 24', 24" and supplemental reactor subsection 80 feed into a single flash distillation column 96, while a portion of the HHC residue 100' is recycled at 102 to serves as a feed to the supplemental reactor section 80, e.g., via premix 50' as shown.
  • the flash distillation column 96 is operated in such a way that the HHC residue includes components whose boiling points are greater than about 280 °C, and that the LHC 98' and HHC residue 100' each represents about 50% of the combined product mixture flowing into the flash distillation column 96.
  • the supplemental reactor has the capacity to process up to about 80% of the HHC residue, and therefore would have a throughput of about 40% that of the primary reactor section.
  • this processing scheme provides the possibility to optimize the economics of upgrading through the control of multiple process variables, including but not limited to the maximum predetermined temperatures T(max)l and T(max)2; the operation of the flash distillation column to determine the maximum boiling point of components in the LHC fraction, BP(LHC); and the residue recycle rate (the fraction of the residue that is processed through the supplemental reactor section).
  • reaction mixture proceeds in a linear sequence from the premix section 50 and then through the primary reactor section 24, 24', 24", the optional supplemental reactor section 80, including optional thermal soak chambers 74.
  • the product mixture flows into a flash distillation column 96, which, as in the cases of FDC1 and FDC2 described previously, yields LHC 98' and HHC residue 100' products streams whose components are differentiated on the basis of boiling point.
  • a portion of the HHC residue 100' from the flash distillation column is recycled at 102' to the premix section 50 disposed upstream from the primary reactor section where it combines with HCO feed 22 and with LHC (e.g., recycled from 98') and/or water.
  • the residue recycle 102 instead flows into an optional premix section 5 disposed between the primary reactor section 24, 24', 24" and supplemental reactor section 80 where it combines with the reaction mixture flowing from the primary reactor section, and optionally with LHC and/or water supplied to premix section 50.
  • the capacity of the supplemental reactor section 80 corresponding to the embodiment shown in Figure 14 is substantially the same as that of the primary reactor section 24, 24', 24", whereas the capacity of the supplemental reactor section used in Figure 15 would be larger in order to handle the recycled residue 100'.
  • flash distillation columns yield two fractions: a light fraction including water and light hydrocarbons (LHCs), and a HHC fraction referred to alternatively as HHC residue or simply as residue, which includes hydrocarbons that are differentiated from the LHCs on the basis of boiling point: LHC components have boiling points below about BP(LHC) while HHC components have boiling points that are higher than about BP(LHC).
  • LHC components have boiling points below about BP(LHC) while HHC components have boiling points that are higher than about BP(LHC).
  • the flash distillation columns serve to separate LHCs from HHC residue on the basis of boiling point, that separation is not absolute. Rather, some compounds with boiling points below BP(LHC) remain in the HHC residue and some with boiling points above BP(LHC) distill with the LHC.
  • the value of BP(LHC) and the extent of overlap between the two curves are determined by (i) the design of the distillation column, including the number of theoretical plates; (ii) the flow rate of the product mixture into the column; and (iii) the temperature of the product mixture flowing into the column; and (iv) the operating pressure inside of the column.
  • BP(LHC) effectively represents a temperature range in which compounds contained in both LHC and HHC residue distill
  • the nominal value of BP(LHC) corresponding to the intersection 110 of the distillation yield curves for LHC and HHC residue shown at 112 and 114, respectively.
  • the process optimization objectives may consider among other things the yield and quality of LHC desired and the composition of the HHC residue.
  • the flash distillation may consider among other things the yield and quality of LHC desired and the composition of the HHC residue.
  • flash distillation columns provide a high-throughput, coarse separation between components in a mixture on the basis of their boiling points, in contrast with distillation columns that provide sharper resolution in regard to boiling point by dint of having more theoretical plates.
  • the repeated reference in this specification to the use of flash distillation columns is not intended to limit the optional use of higher-resolution5 columns to serve a process optimization goal such as minimizing the range of the boiling point overlap between heavy and light fractions.
  • water/LHC and HHC residue are not meant to preclude the optional configuration of a distillation column to have three or more cutpoints to obtain from a product mixture two or o more LHC fractions in addition to the HHC residue.
  • An additional feature of the process whose importance would be understood by those skilled in the art, and therefore not detailed in the present specification, is the removal from LHC of any relatively high-volatility compounds that might accompany LHC and water in the light fraction obtained by the flash distillation column, which removal may be desirable to make the LHC suitable for purposes described herein.
  • Figures 12 and 13 the embodiments depicted in Figures 12-15 afford possibilities to optimize the upgrading process.
  • Figure 17 in a particular embodiment of the present invention all LHC and HHC residue outputs are combined to produce a type of synthetic crude whose °API, distillation yield, and other properties resemble those of conventional crude and 0 make it pipelineable and suitable as a refinery feedstock.
  • the objective of optimization is to maximize efficiency, a circumscribed view of which, by this embodiment, considers only the quantity and value of process outputs obtained from a given quantity and value of inputs that principally include energy and HCO.
  • the upgrading process is designed and operated at a severity such that substantially all LHC and HHC residue products obtained from HCO feed of a given quality are consumed to produce a synthetic crude oil whose properties meet but do not exceed the minimum values that define pipelineability.
  • this definition of efficiency is the concept of yield, which is understood in terms of the amount of high- value, pipelineable material produced relative to HCO and thermal energy input into the process.
  • This efficiency objective may be achieved by a number of means including but not limited to controlling (i) values for the predetermined maximum temperatures T(max)l and T(max)2 to minimize the net energy applied per-barrel for upgrading and/or (ii) the residue o recycle ratio (the fraction of HHC residue exiting the bottom of a flash distillation column that is directed to a point upstream from the flash distillation column where it is combined with the reaction mixture) and/or (iii) the number and size of thermal soak chambers interposed in the flow path.
  • the constrained view of efficiency just described may be useful to a point, but it is also5 incomplete.
  • Another particular embodiment takes a holistic view of efficiency that includes all aspects of the constrained view, but also gives consideration to additional negative-value inputs and outputs, examples of which include coke (also referred to as petroleum coke, pet coke, or petcoke when derived from petroleum) and light gases such as methane, ethane, and propane, all of which are generated in significant quantities by the HCO upgrading processes discussed o hereinabove.
  • coke also referred to as petroleum coke, pet coke, or petcoke when derived from petroleum
  • light gases such as methane, ethane, and propane
  • methane, ethane, and propane all of which are generated in significant quantities by the HCO upgrading processes discussed o hereinabove.
  • These by-products have value as fuel that may be used to generate thermal energy required to drive the upgrading process.
  • greenhouse gas emissions per unit energy produced by petcoke is similar to that for coal.
  • the unconstrained definition of HCO upgrading efficiency expands to include production of LHC in excess of that required to produce pipelineable synthetic crude oil as described above in relation to Figure 17.
  • processes depicted in Figures 12-15 are 0 designed and operated so as produce said excess quantities of LHC by, for example, designing and controlling the upgrading process to operate at higher severity while also minimizing coke formation, the designing and controlling being accomplished through means including but not limited to (i) increasing values for the predetermined maximum temperatures T(max)l and T(max)2 in the primary and supplemental reactor sections, respectively; and/or (ii) interposing a plurality of thermal soak chambers in the flow path upstream from flash distillation columns; and/or (iii) increasing the size of said chambers to increase the residence time that the reaction 5 mixture experiences upgrading conditions; and/or (iv) increasing the residue recycle ratio.
  • Excess LHC also may be generated by designing and operating flash distillation columns so as to increase the amount of LHC recovered from the reaction mixture while respecting previously discussed cautions against removing too much LHC in flash distillation columns.
  • excess LHC obtained by such means is, in a particular o embodiment, blended with HCO that has not been upgraded to produce diluted bitumen (dilbit), which is another type of upgraded HCO that is pipelineable.
  • dilbit diluted bitumen
  • This dilbit production can be performed by means of blending operations that are either proximate to or distant from the location of the hydrothermal upgrader, the LHC being transported in the latter case by truck, rail, or pipeline.
  • substantially all of the excess LHC is mixed with all HHC residue generated by the upgrading process and with an amount of HCO corresponding to the maximum that can be o combined with the other blending components to produce synthetic crude oil that meets the
  • excess LHC not consumed in the production of synthetic crude oil may be used for dilbit production, whether in proximity to or at a location remote from the point of LHC production.
  • embodiments of the present invention corresponding to depictions in Figures 12-15 may be provided with a recovery section wherein some portion of the thermal energy invested into the process may be captured from the product mixture stream or 0 from the LHC/water and HHC residue product streams and used to facilitate the heating of the reaction mixture upstream from the flash distillation column, such as shown and described hereinabove with respect to Figs. 1-6B and 11.
  • the embodiments of Figures 12-15 may supply water, e.g., which is separated from LHC after removal from the flash distillation column, to the HHC residue product stream 94, 100, to remove undesirable water-soluble materials therefrom, which may include compounds of vanadium and nickel.
  • a controller 32 may be used to control operation, including optimizing the blending of HHC residue and LHC, or of HHC residue, LHC, and HCO, or of LHC and HCO to produce synthetic crude oil or dilbit that meets the minimum requirements of pipelineability as described herein. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
  • hydrocarbons employed to recover HCO by means of SAGD/SE are
  • SAGD/SE that uses light, three- and four-carbon solvents actually may have a lower yield than conventional SAGD, yield being defined in terms of the amount of HCO removed from oil sand deposits relative to the total available HCO that is resident in those deposits.
  • the higher °API values for the HCO obtained by it are consistent with the fact that compounds in crude oils whose polarity, MW, and aromaticity are high, e.g. asphaltenes, have relatively low solubility in low-MW alkanes such as n-pentane, much less propane and butanes, compared with hydrocarbons that have both higher MW and diverse chemical functionality.5 Accordingly, SAGD/SE employing low-MW alkanes may be selective against compounds that otherwise have fuel value and may readily form emulsions with water to enable their recovery.
  • the relatively lower level of heavy components in the HCO recovered by SAGD/SE is an advantage when no convenient, economical means exists to upgrade those components, such as that afforded by the present invention.
  • the purported advantage of conventional o SAGD/SE comes at the expense of reduced overall recovery from oil sands deposits of
  • excess LHC produced as described hereinabove is injected with steam into oil sand deposits.
  • SAGD/LHC LHC-enhanced SAGD process
  • SAGD/SE propane, butanes, or pentanes.
  • the chemical composition LHC is thought to include compounds whose molecular weights and molecular weight ranges are higher, and which have diverse chemical structures including but not limited hydrocarbons containing various straight-chain, branched, and aromatic moieties.
  • cess LHC generated by means of the ins afford higher yields than SAGD/SE that relies on
  • LHC used in SAGD/LHC and recovered with HCO is compatible with pipelineable crude oil and therefore does not need to be removed, e.g. when dilbit is produced from HCO.
  • LHC used in SAGD/LHC does not need to be purchased on the open market and transported to the wellhead, but instead can be produced by means of the instant invention when installed and operating in relatively close proximity to the wellhead.
  • excess LHC generated by means of the instant invention may be transported by truck, rail, or pipeline to a site where SAGD/SE is being used to extract HCO from oil sand deposits, the purpose being to supplement the low-MW hydrocarbons conventionally used in SAGD/SE, or to replace the same in the event that supplies thereof are limited, or if market value of the same, relative to that of LHC, fluctuates in a manner that warrants such a hybridized strategy.
  • this particular embodiment serves to mitigate market- based risks associated with a one-dimensional SAGD/SE approach.

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  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système et un procédé de valorisation d'un liquide à traiter s'écoulant en continu comprenant du pétrole brut lourd (HCO). Un réacteur reçoit le liquide à traiter combiné à de l'eau, à une température d'entrée qui se situe dans une plage d'environ 60 °C à environ 200 °C; le réacteur comprend un ou plusieurs tubes pour le liquide à traiter présentant une longueur combinée d'environ 30 fois la dimension de leurs sections transversales combinées, et chauffe progressivement le liquide à traiter à une température de sortie T(max)1 comprise dans une plage qui s'étend entre environ 260 °C et environ 400 °C; le réacteur maintient le liquide à traiter à une pression suffisante pour assurer qu'il reste en phase unique à T(max)1. Un dispositif de commande ajuste sélectivement le débit du liquide à traiter dans le réacteur afin de maintenir un temps de séjour total supérieur à environ 1 minute et inférieur à environ 25 minutes.
PCT/US2015/021258 2014-03-18 2015-03-18 Système et procédé pour commander et optimiser la valorisation hydrothermique du brut lourd et du bitume WO2015143039A2 (fr)

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US4840725A (en) * 1987-06-19 1989-06-20 The Standard Oil Company Conversion of high boiling liquid organic materials to lower boiling materials
US6048448A (en) * 1997-07-01 2000-04-11 The Coastal Corporation Delayed coking process and method of formulating delayed coking feed charge
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US20080099378A1 (en) * 2006-10-31 2008-05-01 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Process and reactor for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon oils
US20080272030A1 (en) * 2007-05-04 2008-11-06 Boykin Jack W Method for the production of synthetic fuels
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EP3119858A2 (fr) 2017-01-25
CA2943078C (fr) 2023-09-19
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