An integrated process that is operated to create both a higher value pipelineable crude and a higher value carbon fiber product from a lower value common heavy hydrocarbon feedstock where the feedstock is processed in a thermal reactor followed by a solvent deasphalting unit with the liquids being gathered and processed to reduce olefins for pipeline transport and the solids are processed to generate a marketable carbon fiber product with any gases generated throughout the entire process reused in the process or sold.

The present invention provides a catalytic cracking fractionation and absorption-stabilization system, and energy saving method thereof; the present invention is to arrange a waste heat refrigerator of the main fractionating tower, a waste heat refrigerator of rich gas and a waste heat refrigerator of stabilizer in a catalytic cracking fractionation and absorption-stabilization system so as to utilize low temperature waste heat at the top of a main fractionating tower, rich gas, stable gasoline, intermediate heat exchange flow of an absorber of the system as a refrigerator driving heat source; in order to cool naphtha and circulating gasoline to a low temperature lower than 40° C., control low temperature operations of the absorber and reduce the heat load of a desorber and a stabilizer, and the heat extracted by the refrigerators is cooled by cooling water with a higher temperature so as to reduce the consumption of the cooling water. In addition, developed residual pressure generating units and waste heat generating units coordinate to convert medium and low pressure of the dry gas and low-grade waste heat of other products in the system into electric energy that can be conveyed into a grid, therefore the electricity consumption of a dry gas compressor can be supplemented, and the operation cost of the system is reduced to the minimum.

The present invention provides a catalytic cracking fractionation and absorption-stabilization system, and energy saving method thereof; the present invention is to arrange a waste heat refrigerator of the main fractionating tower, a waste heat refrigerator of rich gas and a waste heat refrigerator of stabilizer in a catalytic cracking fractionation and absorption-stabilization system so as to utilize low temperature waste heat at the top of a main fractionating tower, rich gas, stable gasoline, intermediate heat exchange flow of an absorber of the system as a refrigerator driving heat source; in order to cool naphtha and circulating gasoline to a low temperature lower than 40° C., control low temperature operations of the absorber and reduce the heat load of a desorber and a stabilizer, and the heat extracted by the refrigerators is cooled by cooling water with a higher temperature so as to reduce the consumption of the cooling water. In addition, developed residual pressure generating units and waste heat generating units coordinate to convert medium and low pressure of the dry gas and low-grade waste heat of other products in the system into electric energy that can be conveyed into a grid, therefore the electricity consumption of a dry gas compressor can be supplemented, and the operation cost of the system is reduced to the minimum.

Embodiments of the disclosure produce a method and system for deasphalting a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a first solvent is combined using a Taylor-Couette mixer to form a mixed stream. The mixed stream and a second solvent are introduced to an extractor to produce a first deasphalted oil stream and a pitch stream. The first deasphalted oil stream is introduced to a solvent recovery unit to recover the first solvent and the second solvent via a recovered solvent stream and to produce a second deasphalted oil stream.

A process for upgrading heavy oil is provided, which integrates thermal cracking, hydrogenolysis, and catalytic aquathermolysis. A catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor receives a heavy oil feed, water and hydrogen. In addition catalytic materials and a viscosity reducing agent are introduced. The catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor is operated at conditions effective to produce an upgraded heavy oil product.

The invention relates to a process for converting a feedstock comprising pyrolysis oil and a heavy hydrocarbon-based feedstock, with: a) a step of hydroconversion in a reactor; b) a step of separating the liquid effluent obtained from step a) into a naphtha fraction, a gas oil fraction, a vacuum gas oil fraction and an unconverted residue fraction; c) a step of hydrocracking of the vacuum gas oil fraction; d) a step of fractionating the hydrocracked liquid effluent obtained from step c) into a naphtha fraction, a gas oil fraction and a vacuum gas oil fraction; e) a step of steam cracking of a portion of the naphtha fraction obtained from step d); f) a step of fractionating at least a portion of the steam-cracked effluent obtained from step e); g) a step in which the pyrolysis oil fraction obtained from step f) is sent into step a).

Process and apparatus for two-stage solvent extraction of hydrocarbon products is disclosed. The process comprises passing a heavy hydrocarbon feed stream and a first fresh solvent to a first extraction column to generate a first overhead stream and a first bottom stream. The first overhead stream is passed to a first stripping column to generate a first product stream and a first stripped solvent stream. The first bottom stream is passed to a second extraction column to generate a second overhead stream and a second bottom stream. A second fresh solvent stream is passed to a second extraction column. The second overhead stream is passed to a second stripping column to generate a second product stream and a second stripped solvent stream. Passing the first stripped solvent stream and the second stripped solvent stream to a solvent recovery column and passing the second bottom stream to a pitch stripper.

A process for producing olefins from the hydrocarbon feed includes introducing the hydrocarbon feed into a Solvent Deasphalting Unit (SDA) to remove asphaltene from the hydrocarbon feed producing a deasphalted oil stream, wherein the SDA comprises a solvent that reacts with the hydrocarbon feed, and the deasphalted oil stream comprises from 0.01 weight percent (wt. %) to 18 wt. % asphaltenes; introducing the deasphalted oil stream into a steam catalytic cracking system; steam catalytically cracking the deasphalted oil stream in the steam catalytic cracking system in the presence of steam and a nano zeolite cracking catalyst to produce a steam catalytic cracking effluent; and separating the olefins from the steam catalytic cracking effluent.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir that is penetrated by an injection well and a production well. The methods comprise operating the injection well under a set of injection parameters and operating the production well under a set of production parameters to produce a production fluid that has an API gravity that changes over time (ΔAPI) as the method is advanced towards an ultimate recovery factor (RF.sub.o,u) for the reservoir. The methods further comprises modulating the injection parameters, the production parameters, or a combination thereof to decrease or increase the API gravity of the production fluid depending on whether ΔAPI and RF.sub.o,u satisfy a set of requirements as disclosed herein.