Partial upgrading process for heavy oil and bitumen

• US 9,266,730 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Expander Energy Inc.
• Original Assignee: Expander Energy Inc.
• Inventors: Kresnyak, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCAIG, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/801,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 518/700, 518702-704, 585/7, 585/240, 585/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0244 the reforming step being an autothermal reforming step, e.g. secondary reforming processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/025 containing a partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0485 the impurity being a sulfur compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/063 Refinery processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1052 Nickel or cobalt catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1058 Nickel catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1064 Platinum group metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/107 Platinum catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/045 Separation of insoluble materials
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/32 with the use of catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/203 Naphthenic acids, TAN
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/302 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/308 Gravity, density, e.g. API
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/02 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/04 : Diesel oil
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/02 : to eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the hydrocarbon involved and without cracking into lower boiling hydrocarbons; Hydrofinishing
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/58 : to change the structural skeleton of some of the hydrocarbon content without cracking the other hydrocarbons present, e.g. lowering pour point; Selective hydrocracking of normal paraffins C10G32/00 takes precedence; improving or increasing the octane number or aromatic content of naphtha C10G35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/00 : Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/00 : Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/007 : Visbreaking
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/08 : by washing with liquids; Reviving the used wash liquors gas washers B01D
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/32 : with selectively adsorptive solids, e.g. active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/04 : reducing the carbon monoxide content , e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/06 : by mixing with gases

Abstract

A bitumen and heavy oil upgrading process and system is disclosed for the synthesis of hydrocarbons, an example of which is synthetic crude oil (SCO). The process integrates Fischer-Tropsch technology with gasification and hydrogen rich gas stream generation. The hydrogen rich gas generation is conveniently effected using singly or in combination a hydrogen source, a hydrogen rich vapor from hydroprocessing and the Fischer-Tropsch process, a steam methane reformer (SMR) and autothermal reformer (ATR) or a combination of SMR/ATR. The feedstock for upgrading is distilled and the bottoms fraction is gasified and converted in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. A resultant hydrogen lean syngas is then exposed to the hydrogen rich gas stream to optimize the formation of, for example, the synthetic crude oil. Partial upgrading and the commensurate benefits is detailed as well. A system for effecting the processes is also characterized in the specification.

Claims

1. A process for upgrading heavy oil or bitumen to formulate partially upgraded synthetic crude oil, comprising:

(a) providing a source of heavy oil or bitumen feedstock;

(b) treating said feedstock to form one or more distilled fractions and a non-distilled bottom fraction;

(c) optionally treating said non-distilled bottom fraction to form a separated fraction and a separated bottom fraction;

(d) feeding said non-distilled bottom fraction or said separated bottom fraction to a syngas generating circuit for formulating a hydrogen lean syngas stream via a partial oxidation reaction, and reacting said syngas in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to formulate synthesized hydrocarbons;

(e) adding an external source of hydrogen to said hydrogen lean syngas wherein said external source of hydrogen comprises a hydrogen rich syngas stream produced from a hydrogen rich syngas generator; and

(f) blending at least a portion of said synthesized hydrocarbons with said one or more distilled fractions and/or said separated fraction to form the partially upgraded synthetic crude oil.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil includes external diluent.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil at least meets physical and chemical properties required for transport.

4. The process as set forth in claim 3, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil has a viscosity not greater than 350 centistokes (0.00035 m²s⁻

1) at 15°

C.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil is for conversion to at least one of fully upgraded synthetic crude oil, gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the upgrading of said heavy oil or bitumen is achieved absent coke formation, unconverted residuum and waste byproduct.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil is substantially devoid of bottoms material having a final distillation boiling point of 950°

F. (510°

C.) or greater.

8. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil has a specific gravity of less than 1 at 15°

C.

9. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil has a total acid number (TAN) of less than 3.

10. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil has an API gravity of between 15 and 24.

11. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hydrogen rich syngas generator is selected from the group consisting of a steam methane reformer (SMR), autothermal reformer (ATR) and combinations thereof.

12. The process as set forth in claim 11, wherein said hydrogen rich syngas generator includes at least one of an autothermal reformer, a steam methane reformer and a combination thereof for receiving as feedstock at least one of natural gas, refinery gas, LPG, Fischer-Tropsch vapours, Fischer Tropsch naphtha, refinery fuel gas and combinations thereof, to generate hydrogen rich syngas.

13. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hydrogen rich syngas generator uses hydrogen rich feed to generate said hydrogen rich syngas stream.

14. The process as set forth in claim 13, wherein said hydrogen rich feed is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, refinery fuel gas, LPG, Fischer-Tropsch vapours, Fischer-Tropsch naphtha, hydroprocessor vapours and combinations thereof.

15. The process as set forth in claim 1, further including purifying at least a portion of said hydrogen rich syngas.

16. The process as set forth in claim 15, wherein purification of said hydrogen rich syngas is performed by pressure swing adsorption, membrane or liquid absorption.

17. The process as set forth in claim 15, wherein said purifying step includes separating hydrogen from said at least a portion of said hydrogen rich syngas to generate hydrogen lean tail gas stream.

18. The process as set forth in claim 17, further comprising combining said hydrogen lean tail gas stream with said hydrogen rich syngas stream and said hydrogen lean syngas steam.

19. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said feedstock is bitumen which is provided as a bitumen froth or diluted bitumen (dilbit).

20. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said non-distilled bottoms fraction or said separated bottom fraction is fed to a gasifier within said syngas generating circuit.

21. The process as set forth in claim 20, wherein said non-distilled bottoms fraction or said separated bottom fraction is converted to a sour hydrogen lean syngas stream.

22. The process as set forth in claim 21, further including the step of treating said sour hydrogen lean syngas stream to a sour syngas treatment operation.

23. The process as set forth in claim 20, further including the step of treating said sour hydrogen lean syngas stream to a series of unit operations prior to reaction in said Fischer-Tropsch unit.

24. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said synthesized hydrocarbons include at least one of Fischer-Tropsch vapours, Fischer-Tropsch naphtha, light Fischer- Tropsch liquid and heavy Fischer-Tropsch liquid.

25. The process as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of processing said synthesized hydrocarbons in a hydroprocessing unit.

26. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said distilled or separated fractions comprise of any portion of straight run distillate (AGO), naphtha, vacuum gas oil (VGO) or deasphalted oil (DAO).

27. The process as set forth in claim 26, wherein said distilled or separated fractions are optionally further subjected to, separately or in combination, at least one operation selected from the group consisting of hydrotreating, isomerization, fractionation and combinations thereof.

28. The process as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of augmenting the process with an auxiliary source of hydrogen.

29. The process as set forth in claim 28, wherein said auxiliary source of hydrogen comprises hydroprocessing unit gas.

30. The process as set forth in claim 28, wherein said auxiliary source of hydrogen comprises hydrogen rich gas from a hydrocracker, a thermal cracker, a hydrotreater, an isomerization unit, a fractionator or combinations thereof.

31. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bitumen is an in situ source.

32. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bitumen is a mineable source.

33. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein step b) includes feeding said feedstock to an atmospheric distillation unit.

34. A process for converting heavy oil or bitumen to transportable partially upgraded synthetic crude oil, comprising:

(a) treating said heavy oil or bitumen in an atmospheric distillation/diluent recovery unit to create a first stream containing at least straight run naphtha, light gas oil and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), and a second atmospheric bottom stream;

(b) passing said second atmospheric bottoms stream into a solvent deasphalting unit to formulate a deasphalted oil stream and a residuum asphaltene stream;

(c) passing said residuum asphaltene stream from the deasphalting unit into a diesel producing circuit having a syngas generator and Fischer-Tropsch reactor to convert said stream to at least a synthetic diesel; and

(d) blending said first stream, deasphalted oil stream and said synthetic diesel to form said transportable partially upgraded synthetic crude oil.

35. The process as set forth in claim 34, further including the step of passing said second atmospheric bottoms stream to a vacuum distillation unit to create a vacuum gas oil stream and vacuum bottoms stream, feeding the vacuum bottoms stream to the solvent deasphalting unit in step (b) and blending the vacuum gas oil stream with step (d) to form partially upgraded synthetic crude oil.

36. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein the product of step c) further includes synthetic naphtha.

37. The process as set forth in claim 36, wherein step d) further includes blending said synthetic naphtha with said first stream, deasphalted oil stream and said synthetic diesel.

38. The process as set forth in claim 36, wherein at least a portion of said naphtha is recirculated to said solvent deasphalting unit for solvent make-up.

39. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein conversion of said bitumen or heavy oil to partially upgraded crude oil is at least 100 volume %.

40. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein conversion is achieved absent byproduct, unconverted residuum and coke formulation.

41. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein said synthetic crude oil is substantially devoid of heavy residuum bottoms with a final distillation boiling point of 950°

F. or greater.

42. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein said synthetic crude oil has a specific gravity of not greater than 1 at 15°

C.

43. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein said synthetic crude oil has an API gravity of 18 to 21.

44. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein said synthetic crude oil has an API gravity of 20.

45. The process as set forth in claim 34, wherein said partially upgraded synthetic crude oil has a diesel fraction with a cetane number of not less than 40.

46. The process as set forth in claim 34, further including the step of feeding a residuum asphaltene stream from said deasphalting unit into said diesel producing circuit.

47. The process as set forth in claim 34, further including the step of feeding natural gas into said diesel producing circuit.