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Title: Refining and upgrading of synfuels from coal and oil shales by advanced catalytic processes. Quarterly report, October--December 1977

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7045620· OSTI ID:7045620

Pilot plant studies have now been completed for the processing of Paraho shale oil. Three processing routes are being evaluated: (1) whole shale oil hydrotreating followed by fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) as the major downstream processing step, (2) whole shale oil hydrotreating followed by hydrocracking as the major processing step, (3) coking of the shale oil followed by hydrotreating of the coker distillate as the major downstream processing step. Pilot plant studies show that all three routes are technically feasible. Analyses of the results and process design studies are being completed. The relative merits and economics of each route will be discussed in the final report. SRC is difficult to process compared to most petroleum feeds and to shale oil. Because of its high melting point, it is necessary to dissolve it in an appropriate solvent before it can be hydrotreated in existing fixed bed pilot plant equipment. The first solvent for SRC in these tests was creosote oil; a 50/50 blend was tested. In the first test, ICR 106 catalyst showed little fouling in 330 hours. About half of the 850/sup 0/F + SRC was converted to 850/sup 0/F - distillate; and the nitrogen content was reduced from 1.5% in the SRC/creosote oil blend to 0.2--0.3% in the product. However, after 330 hours on stream, plugging occurred in the catalyst bed. In a second run, 100 hours of operation were achieved without plugging. However, the catalyst deactivation rate was relatively high. Another solvent being tested is the 350--850/sup 0/F product from the SRC/creosote oil hydroprocessing runs. Plugging problems were again encountered using this solvent.

Research Organization:
Chevron Research Co., Richmond, Calif. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EX-76-C-01-2315
OSTI ID:
7045620
Report Number(s):
FE-2315-22
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English