Alkali Metal Hydroprocessing of Heavy Oils with Enhanced Removal of Coke Products

• Main Authors: RIGBY JAMES RONALD, WRIGHT CHRIS AARON, LETA DANIEL PAUL, FREUND HOWARD, DEMMIN RICHARD ALAN, STONE BRANDON THOMAS, RATERMAN MICHAEL FRANCIS, BAIRD, JR. WILLIAM C, MCCONNACHIE JONATHAN MARTIN, HISSONG DOUGLAS WAYNE, BEARDEN, JR. ROBY, VANN WALTER DAVID, BIELENBERG JAMES RONALD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.06.2013
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE

Hydrocarbon feedstreams are desulfurized using an alkali metal reagent, optionally in the presence of hydrogen. Improved control over reaction conditions can be achieved in part by controlling the particle size of the alkali metal salt and by using multiple desulfurization reactors. The processes herein allow a simple and effective method for removing the majority of coke formed in the alkali metal reagent reactions with the hydrocarbon feedstreams. This makes it cost effective to run such processes at higher severities (which result in higher coke production) thereby resulting in increased amounts of valuable converted hydrocarbon product yields. The process improvements herein may also be used to increase total throughput through a unit due to the ability to effectively manage higher coke content in the reaction products.