TWO-ZONE, CLOSE-COUPLED, DUAL-CATALYTIC HEAVY OIL HYDROCONVERSION PROCESS UTILIZING IMPROVED HYDROTREATING

摘要

A process for hydroconversion of heavy oil feedstocks that effectively controls asphaltene condensation by utilization of a combination of dispersed coal, dispersed catalyst using a two- zone close-coupled thermo-catalytic reactor/catalytic-hydrotreating reactor configuration. The process converts heavy hydrocarbonaceous feed-stocks, a significant portion of which boils above 540°C, to high yields of high quality products boiling below 540°C. The first zone of the process is a thermo-catalytic zone, in which the feedstock is substantially converted to lower boiling products. The product of the thermo-catalytic zone is cooled somewhat and passed directly, without substantial loss of hydrogen partial pressure, into a catalytic-hydrotreating zone, where the thermo- catalytic zone effluent is hydrotreated to produce hydrotreated products suitable for further treatment into transportation fuels and other products. The catalytic-hydrotreating zone is comprised of two sub-zones, one before and one after a hot separator. The first treating sub-zone accomplishes the immediate hydrogenation of unstable molecules. The hot separator removes light products and gases providing a heavy product stream that can be more efficiently treated with higher purity recycle and make-up hydrogen-rich streams.