Catalytic hydroprocessing of shale oil to produce distillate fuels

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:5387197

Sullivan, R F; Stangeland, B E

Results are presented of a Chevron Research Company study sponsored by the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) to demonstrate the feasibility of converting whole shale oil to a synthetic crude resembling a typical petroleum distillate. The synthetic crude thus produced can then be processed, in conventional petroleum-refining facilities, to transportation fuels such as high octane gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The raw shale oil feed used is a typical Colorado shale oil produced in a surface retort in the so-called indirectly heated mode. It is shown that whole shale oil can be catalytically hydrodenitrified to reduce the nitrogen to levels as low as one part per million in a single catalytic stage. However, for economic reasons, it appears preferable to denitrify to about 0.05 wt % nitrogen. The resulting synthetic crude resembles a petroleum distillate that can be fractionated and further processed as necessary in conventional petroleum refining facilities. Shale oil contains about 0.6% sulfur. Sulfur is more easily removed by hydrofining than is nitrogen; therefore, only a few parts per million of sulfur remain at a product nitrogen of 0.05 wt %. Oxygen contained in the shale oil is also reduced to low levels during hydrodenitrification. The shale oil contains appreciable quantities of iron and arsenic which are also potential catalyst poisons. These metals are removed by a guard bed placed upstream from the hydrofining catalyst. Based on correlations, the naphthas from the shale oil hydrofiner can readily be upgraded to high octane gasolines by catalytic reforming. The middle distillate fractions may require some additional hydrofining to produce salable diesel or jet fuel. The technology is available, and pilot plant studies are scheduled to verify diesel hydrofiner performance.

• Research Organization: Chevron Research Co., Richmond, Calif. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EX-76-C-01-2315
• OSTI ID: 5387197
• Report Number(s): CONF-770814-9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040404* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Purification
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CATALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLORADO
CRACKING
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DECOMPOSITION
DENITRIFICATION
DESULFURIZATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCRACKING
MINERAL OILS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
PYROLYSIS
REFINING
REMOVAL
SHALE OIL
SULFUR
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
USA