Hydrotreating Uinta Basin bitumen-derived heavy oils
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); and others
Heavy oils derived from Uinta Basin bitumens have been hydrotreated under varying conditions. The process variables investigated included total reactor pressure (11.0-16.9 MPa), reactor temperature (616-711 K), feed rate (0.29-1.38 WHSV), and catalyst composition. The extent of heteroatom removal and residuum conversion were determined by the feed molecular weight and catalyst selection. Catalytic activity for heteroatom conversion removal was primarily influenced by metal loading. The heteroatom removal activity of the catalysts studied were ranked HDN catalysts > HDM catalysts > HDN-support. Catalytic activity for residuum conversion was influenced by both metal loading and catalyst surface area. The residuum conversion activity of HDN catalysts were always higher than the activity of HDM catalysts and HDN supports. The residuum conversion activity of HDN-supports surpassed the activity of HDM catalyst at higher temperatures. The conversions achieved with HDN catalysts relative to the HDM catalysts indicated that the low metals contents of the Uinta Basin bitumens obviate the need for hydrodemetallation as an initial upgrading step with these bitumens. The upgrading of Uinta Basin bitumens for integration into refinery feed slates should emphasize molecular weight and boiling range reduction first, followed by hydrotreating of the total liquid product produced in the pyrolysis process. Kinetics of residuum conversion can be modeled by invoking a consecutive-parallel mechanism in which native residuum in the feed is rapidly converted to volatile products and to product residuum. Deep conversion of residuum is only achieved when the more refractory product residuum is converted to volatile products.
- OSTI ID:
- 229617
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9502114--Vol.2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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