US 12,473,504 B2
Apparatus and process for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons
Eric B. Shen, Basking Ridge, NJ (US); Anjaneya S. Kovvali, Herndon, VA (US); Aruna Ramkrishnan, Bridgewater, NJ (US); Samuel J. Cady, Morristown, NJ (US); Stephen H. Brown, Lebanon, NJ (US); Rustom M. Billimoria, Hellertown, PA (US); Brenda A. Raich, Annandale, NJ (US); Bryan A. Patel, Jersey City, NJ (US); Phillip K. Schoch, Bridgewater, NJ (US); John Della Mora, North York (CA); and Arun K. Sharma, Hellertown, PA (US)
Assigned to EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, Annandale, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 17/639,820
Filed by EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, Annandale, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 14, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/046266
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 2, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/045881, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/896,080, filed on Sep. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0275293 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C10G 65/12 (2006.01); C10G 67/04 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 65/12 (2013.01) [C10G 67/0454 (2013.01); C10G 67/049 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1074 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1077 (2013.01); C10G 2300/202 (2013.01); C10G 2300/301 (2013.01); C10G 2300/302 (2013.01); C10G 2300/308 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4081 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for upgrading a heavy hydrocarbon feed, comprising:
separating a heavy hydrocarbon feed to form a fraction comprising a 566° C.+ portion, and two or more additional fractions comprising a 177° C.+ portion, the heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising an API gravity of 15° or less;
wherein the two or more additional fractions comprise at least a vacuum gas oil fraction;
exposing at least a portion of the fraction comprising the 566° C.+ portion and a recycle portion of a pitch fraction comprising a 566° C.+ portion, without a prior particle removal step, to hydroconversion conditions in a hydroconversion stage to form a hydroconverted effluent, the hydroconversion conditions comprising a net conversion of less than 90 wt % relative to 524° C.;
separating at least the pitch fraction comprising a 566° C.+ portion and an olefin-containing fraction from the hydroconverted effluent;
hydrotreating the olefin-containing fraction to form a hydrotreated product, the olefin-containing fraction optionally comprising a 177° C.+ portion; and
blending at least the two or more additional fractions and at least a portion of the hydrotreated product to form a processed heavy hydrocarbon product having: a kinematic viscosity at 7.5° C. of 360 cSt or less and an API gravity of 18° or more, wherein the processed heavy hydrocarbon product comprises 20 wt % or less of a 177° C.− fraction and 50 wt % to 75 wt % of the vacuum gas oil fraction, each relative to a weight of the processed heavy hydrocarbon product;
wherein the exposing comprises:
exposing at least a portion of the fraction comprising the 566° C.+ portion, a recirculation portion of a liquid fraction comprising vacuum gas oil and pitch, and the recycle portion of the pitch fraction comprising a 566° C.+ portion, without a prior particle removal step, to hydroconversion conditions; and
wherein the separating the hydroconverted effluent comprises:
separating at least a liquid fraction comprising vacuum gas oil and pitch and the olefin containing fraction from the hydroconverted effluent; and
separating at least the pitch fraction comprising a 566° C.+ portion from the liquid fraction.