PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM OIL SANDS-DERIVED CRUDE

• US 20150090641A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epic Oil Extractors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Epic Oil Extractors, LLC
• Inventors: SCHLOSBERG, Richard H., JORDAN, Richard D., DIEFENTHAL, Edward L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,790,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/390
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/002 in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/045 Separation of insoluble materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/00 Catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils cracking in direct contact with molten metals or salts C10G9/34
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/05 Crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/202 Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/206 Asphaltenes
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/301 Boiling range
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/44 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/08 in combination with chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten metals, or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 69/04 including at least one step of catalytic cracking in the absence of hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/40 Ethylene production

Abstract

Disclosed are processes for extracting deasphalted crude oil from oil sand. Deasphalted crude oil can be extracted using a hydrocarbon recycle solvent stream having specified Hansen blend parameters, with the oil sand being contacted with the hydrocarbon recycle solvent stream in a contact zone of a vessel to separate not greater than 80 wt % of the bitumen present on the oil sand. The separated bitumen is considered a deasphalted crude oil stream, since it has an asphaltenes content substantially lower than that of the total bitumen initially present on the oil sand. The deasphalted crude oil stream can be treated using a hydrotreating catalyst or catalytic cracking catalyst to produce transportation fuel.

Claims

1. A process for treating deasphalted crude oil extracted from oil sand, comprising:

supplying a hydrocarbon recycle solvent stream to a contact zone of a vessel, wherein the recycle solvent has a Hansen dispersion blend of not greater than 16, a Hansen polarity blend of less than 1 and a Hansen polarity blend of less than 2;

supplying a feed stream of oil sand to the contact zone of the vessel, wherein the oil sand is comprised of at least 4 wt % total bitumen, based on total weight of the supplied oil sand;

contacting the oil sand with the hydrocarbon recycle solvent in the contact zone of the vessel to separate not greater than 80 wt % of the bitumen present on the oil sand;

removing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon solvent and the separated bitumen from the contact zone of the vessel;

separating the hydrocarbon solvent from the separated bitumen to produce the hydrocarbon recycle solvent stream and a deasphalted crude oil stream, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream has an ASTM D7169 5% distillation point of from 400°

F. to 700°

F., an asphaltenes content of not greater than 10 wt %, a Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) of not greater than 15 wt % and sulfur content of not greater than 4 wt %, and

treating the deasphalted crude oil stream with a hydrotreating catalyst or catalytic cracking catalyst.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon recycle stream is comprised of at least 90 wt % of one or more C₃-C₆ paraffin compounds.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the hydrocarbon recycle stream is comprised of at least 90 wt % of one or more of propane, butane and pentane.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the hydrocarbon recycle stream is comprised of at least 90 wt % of propane.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein total hydrocarbon solvent supplied to the contact zone of the vessel used to extract the deasphalted oil of the invention is comprised of at least 90 wt % of the recycle solvent stream.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream is treated with a hydrotreating catalyst comprised of at least one Group VIB metal and at least one non-noble Group VIII metal.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the treatment with the hydrotreating catalyst is carried out at a temperature of 260°

C. to 380°

C.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the treatment with the hydrotreating catalyst is carried out in a reactor at a pressure of 30-160 bar and a hydrogen partial pressure 5-100 bar.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the treatment with the hydrotreating catalyst is carried out in the reactor at a hydrogen consumption of from 0.05 wt % to 2 wt %.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream is treated with a catalytic cracking catalyst comprised of a crystalline tetrahedral framework oxide component, and the treatment with the catalytic cracking catalyst produces catalytically cracked product streams comprising a naphtha stream, wherein the naphtha stream is ≧

45 wt % of the total amount of cracked product streams produced.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the catalytically cracked product streams comprise a heavy cycle oil stream that is ≦

25 wt % of the total amount of cracked products produced.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein catalytically cracked product streams comprise the naphtha stream and the heavy cycle oil stream at a weight ratio of the naphtha stream to the heavy cycle oil stream of ≧

2;

1.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream is hydrotreated prior to a catalytic cracking step by treating the deasphalted crude oil stream with a hydrotreating catalyst comprised of at least one Group VIB metal and at least one non-noble Group VIII metal.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream has an aromatic hydrogen content of ≦

30%.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream has an aromatic carbon content of ≦

30%.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the deasphalted crude oil stream has an aromatic carbon to hydrogen ratio of ≧

1.5;

1.