Alternative to visbreaking or delayed coking of heavy crude oil through a short contact time, solid transported bed cracking process

• Published in: Catalysis science & technology Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 540 - 550
• Main Authors: Corma Canós, Avelino, Sauvanaud, Laurent, Mathieu, Yannick, Almanza Rubiano, Luis, Gonzalez Sanchez, Carlos, Chanaga Quiroz, Tania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 2018
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalytic activity; Coking; Contaminants; Cracking (chemical engineering); Crude oil; Dilution; Heavy petroleum; Heptanes; Synthetic crude oil
• ISSN: 2044-4753; 2044-4761
• DOI: 10.1039/C7CY01281K

An extra-heavy crude oil was treated at a short contact time in the 510–580 °C temperature range in a FCC-like process, first thermally and then in the presence of a solid with low catalytic activity. The treatment greatly improved the properties of the crude oil, reducing the density and viscosity to values that make the oil transportable without dilution in a pipeline. In addition, the upgraded oil was substantially free of contaminants such as metals and heptane insolubles. The use of the solid allowed upgrading all properties with a minimum coke penalty. The residual fraction of the upgraded oil had to be eliminated to obtain a syncrude stable in asphaltene proof, which could be obtained by recycling to extinction in a cracking reactor.