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Hydrotreating the native bitumen from the Whiterocks tar sand deposit

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10137417· OSTI ID:10137417

The bitumen from the Whiterocks oil sand deposit in the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah was hydrotreated in a fixed-bed reactor to determine the extent of upgrading as a function of process operating variables. The process variables investigated included reactor pressure (11.2--16.7 MPa); reactor temperature (641--712 K) and liquid hourly space velocity (0.19--0.77 h{sup {minus}1}). The hydrogen/oil ratio, 890 m{sup 3} m{sup {minus}3} was fixed in all experiments. A sulphided Ni-Mo on alumina hydrodenitrogenation catalyst was used in these studies. The deactivation of the catalyst, 0.2 {degree}C/day, was monitored by thedecline in the API gravity of the total liquid product with time on-stream at a standard set of conditions. The effect of temperature, WHSV, and pressure on denitrogenation, desulphurization, and metals removalwere studied and apparent kinetic parameters determined. The effect of process variables on residue conversion and Conradson carbon residue reduction were also investigated.

Research Organization:
Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Fuels Engineering
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC21-89MC26268
OSTI ID:
10137417
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/26268--93/C0180; CONF-921142--6; ON: DE93008871
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English