INTEGRATED PROCESS TO PRODUCE ASPHALT AND DESULFURIZED OIL

• US 20130026075A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: KOSEOGLU, Omer Refa, Bourane, Abdennour
• Granted Patent: US 10,125,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/309
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/202 Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4006 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4012 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/44 Solvents

Abstract

An integrated process is provided to produce asphalt and desulfurized oil. Sulfur molecules contained in heavy petroleum fractions, including organosulfur molecules, and in certain embodiments organonitrogen molecules are oxidized. The polar oxidized sulfur compounds shift from the oil phase to the asphalt phase.

Claims

1. An integrated process for separating oil and asphalt in a feedstock comprising:

charging the feedstock to an oxidizing unit along with an effective quantity of oxidant to produce an intermediate charge containing oxidized organosulfur compounds; and

passing the intermediate charge to a solvent deasphalting unit along with an effective quantity of solvent to produce a deasphalted/desulfurized oil phase and an asphalt phase containing oxidized organosulfur compounds.

2. The process as in claim 1 in which the oxidizing unit is an asphalt oxidizer.

3. The process as in claim 1 wherein the intermediate charge contains oxidized organosulfur compounds and oxidized organonitrogen compounds.

4. The process as in claim 3 wherein the oxidized organosulfur compounds and oxidized organonitrogen compounds are insoluble in the solvent used in the solvent deasphalting unit and thereby shift to the asphalt phase.

5. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at an inlet temperature in the range of from 100-300°

C.

6. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at an inlet temperature in the range of from 150-200°

C.

7. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at a temperature in the range of from 150-400°

C.

8. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at a temperature in the range of from 250-300°

C.

9. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at a pressure in the range of from ambient to 60 bars.

10. The process as in claim 1 wherein the oxidizing unit is operated at a pressure in the range of from ambient to 30 bars.