Systems and processes for hydrocarbon upgrading

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022220396-A1
Application number	US-202117142746-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2021
Priority date	Jan 6, 2021
Publication date	Jul 14, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon-based composition that includes combining a supercritical water stream with a pressurized, heated hydrocarbon-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream. The combined feed stream is introduced into a supercritical upgrading reactor to at least partially convert the combined feed stream to an upgraded product. The process includes separating the upgraded product to produce a light fraction and a heavy fraction, and separating the light fraction in the gas/oil/water separator to produce a gas fraction, a liquid oil fraction, and a first water fraction; combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of one of the liquid oil fraction or the first water fraction to form a diluted heavy fraction; and passing the diluted heavy fraction from the flash drum to a demulsifier mixer to form a demulsified heavy fraction.

First claim

1 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon-based composition comprising:
combining a supercritical water stream with a pressurized, heated hydrocarbon-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream; introducing the combined feed stream into a supercritical upgrading reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water; at least partially converting the combined feed stream to an upgraded product; passing the upgraded product out of the supercritical upgrading reactor to a flash drum; separating the upgraded product in the flash drum to produce a light fraction and a heavy fraction; passing the light fraction to a gas/oil/water separator; separating the light fraction in the gas/oil/water separator to produce a gas fraction, a liquid oil fraction, and a first water fraction; combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of one of the liquid oil fraction or the first water fraction to form a diluted heavy fraction; and passing the diluted heavy fraction from the flash drum to a demulsifier mixer to form a demulsified heavy fraction.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of one of the liquid oil fraction or the first water fraction comprises combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of the first water fraction.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of one of the liquid oil fraction or the first water fraction comprises combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of the liquid oil fraction.

4 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising passing the upgraded product to a cooling device to form a cooled upgraded product after passing the upgraded product out of the supercritical upgrading reactor.

5 . The process of claim 4 , further comprising passing the cooled upgraded product to a depressurizing device.

6 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising depressurizing the light fraction before passing the light fraction to the gas/oil/water separator.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein depressurizing the light fraction comprises depressurizing the light fraction to less than 1 MPa.

8 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising passing the demulsified heavy fraction to an oil/water separator.

9 . The process of claim 8 , further comprising separating the demulsified heavy fraction in the oil/water separator to produce a heavy oil fraction and a second water fraction.

10 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising depressurizing the heavy fraction before forming the diluted heavy fraction.

11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein depressurizing the heavy fraction comprises depressurizing the heavy fraction to less than 1 MPa.

12 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising depressurizing the diluted heavy fraction before passing the diluted heavy fraction to the demulsifier mixer, wherein depressurizing the heavy fraction comprises depressurizing the heavy fraction to less than 1 MPa.

13 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising passing at least a portion of the liquid oil fraction to an oil storage tank.

14 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising passing the demulsified heavy fraction to an oil storage tank.

15 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon-based composition comprising:
combining a supercritical water stream with a pressurized, heated hydrocarbon-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream; introducing the combined feed stream into a supercritical upgrading reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water; at least partially converting the combined feed stream to an upgraded product; passing the upgraded product out of the supercritical upgrading reactor to a flash drum; separating the upgraded product in the flash drum to produce a light fraction and a heavy fraction; passing the light fraction to a gas/oil/water separator; separating the light fraction in the gas/oil/water separator to produce a gas fraction, a liquid oil fraction, and a first water fraction; passing the heavy fraction from the flash drum to a demulsifier mixer to form a demulsified heavy fraction; and combining the heavy fraction with at least a portion of the light oil to form a diluted demulsified heavy fraction.

16 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising passing the diluted demulsified heavy fraction to an oil/water separator.

17 . The process of claim 16 , further comprising separating the diluted demulsified heavy fraction in the oil/water separator to produce a heavy oil fraction and a second water fraction.

18 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising depressurizing the light fraction before passing the light fraction to the gas/oil/water separator.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein depressurizing the light fraction comprises depressurizing the light fraction to less than 1 MPa.

20 . The process of claim 15 , further comprising passing at least a portion of the liquid oil fraction to an oil storage tank and passing the demulsified heavy fraction to an oil storage tank.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Choi Ki-Hyouk
• Fathi Mazin M

Classifications

• C10G33/04

  with chemical means · CPC title

• C10G33/06

  with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration · CPC title

• C10G2300/805

  Water · CPC title

• C10G33/00 Primary

  Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils (by distillation C10G7/04) · CPC title

• C10G2300/4006

  Temperature · CPC title