A system for producing an American Petroleum Institute Standards Group III Base Stock from vacuum gas oil, by injecting hydrogen, heating, saturating the mixture through hydrogen reactors connected in series with a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV).sup.1 of from 0.5 to 2.5, forming a saturated heated base oil, and coproduct. The system fractionates the saturated heated base oil to while simultaneously refluxing a cooled fuel oil fraction forming an American Petroleum Institute Standards Group III Base Stock with less than 0.03% sulfur, with greater than 90% saturates and a viscosity index greater than 120 as defined by ASTM D-2270, a viscosity from 2 to 10 centistokes as defined by ASTM D-445 a boiling range from 600 degrees F. to 1050 degrees F., and a cold crank viscosity (CCS) between 1200 and 5000 centipoise at 25 degrees C. and as defined by ASTM D-5293.

A method for producing an American Petroleum Institute Standards Group III Base Stock from vacuum gas oil, by injecting hydrogen, heating, saturating the mixture through hydrogen reactors connected in series with a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV).sup.1 from 0.5 to 2.5, forming a saturated heated base oil, and coproduct. The method fractionates the saturated heated base oil while simultaneously refluxing a cooled light oil fraction forming an American Petroleum Institute Standards Group III Base Stock with less than 0.03% sulfur, with greater than 90% saturates and a viscosity index greater than 120 as defined by ASTM D-2270, a viscosity from 2 to 10 centistokes as defined by ASTM D-445 a boiling point range from 600 degrees F. to 1050 degrees F. as defined by ASTM D-86, and a cold crank viscosity (CCS) between 1200 and 5000 centipoise at minus 25 degrees C. and as defined by ASTM D-5293.

Methods of using sorbents to enhance the production of hydrogen from fuel, and related systems, are generally described. In some embodiments, the production of hydrogen from the fuel involves a reforming reaction and/or a gasification reaction combined with a water-gas shift reaction.

A process to produce at least carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from a feed gas containing carbon dioxide, hydrogen and carbon monoxide; comprises separating at least part of the carbon dioxide from the compressed feed gas by partial condensation and/or distillation producing a carbon dioxide product and a carbon dioxide depleted stream, treating the carbon dioxide depleted stream in a treatment unit to produce a feed stream containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, less rich in carbon dioxide than the carbon dioxide depleted stream and feeding at least part of the feed stream containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a separation unit operating at cryogenic temperatures to produce a carbon monoxide product.

A reactor configuration is proposed for selectively converting gaseous, liquid or solid fuels to a syngas specification which is flexible in terms of H.sub.2/CO ratio. This reactor and system configuration can be used with a specific oxygen carrier to hydro-carbon fuel molar ratio, a specific range of operating temperatures and pressures, and a co-current downward moving bed system. The concept of a CO.sub.2 stream injected in-conjunction with the specified operating parameters for a moving bed reducer is claimed, wherein the injection location in the reactor system is flexible for both steam and CO.sub.2 such that, carbon efficiency of the system is maximized.

A process of producing a distillate fuel from coal includes: preparing a biomass-derived coal solvent; dissolving the coal in the biomass-derived solvent; and separating undissolved coal and mineral matter to produce a syncrude. In certain embodiments, the process further includes subjecting the syncrude to a hydrotreatment/hydrogenation process to produce a distillate fuel. In certain embodiments, the biomass-derived solvent is a hydrogen-donor solvent. A method to improve direct coal liquefaction includes: using a non-hydrogenated lipid in a direct coal liquefaction process to facilitate coal depolymerization. In certain embodiments, the lipid is a polyunsaturated biobased oil. A method for using a biomass-derived feedstock as a hydrogen donor includes: providing a biomass-derived feedstock; modifying the feedstock to improve its usefulness as a hydrogen donor; and conducting a transfer hydrogenation process using the modified feedstock as a hydrogen donor. In certain embodiments, the transfer hydrogenation process is a direct coal liquefaction process.

Non-condensable gas is used as an alternate to steam at hydrocarbon processing facilities removing any steam requirements thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving profitability through capital and operating cost reductions. The non-condensable gas serves at least two functions sequentially in heavy hydrocarbon processing; firstly, providing the non-condensable gas as a stripping medium to evolve lighter hydrocarbons from the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock followed by secondly directing the same non-condensable gas and any evolved non-condensable gas at operating conditions for use as at least one of heat through combustion or power through electricity generation.

A process for forming a fuel or a fuel intermediate using three fermentations includes treating a feedstock to obtain a fermentable carbohydrate, conducting a first fermentation to ferment the fermentable carbohydrate to fermentation product, obtaining biogas produced from a second fermentation that includes anaerobic digestion, and conducting a third fermentation to ferment a gas to produce fermentation product, where the gas contains one or more components obtained or derived from the biogas. An aqueous stream containing fermentation product produced in the third fermentation is used within the process.

A process is provided for forming a fuel or a fuel intermediate from two fermentations that includes feeding an aqueous solution comprising a fermentation product from a first bioreactor to a second bioreactor and/or a stage upstream of the second bioreactor, which also produces the fermentation product. The aqueous solution may be added at any stage of the second fermentation and/or processing steps upstream from the second bioreactor that would otherwise require the addition of water. Accordingly, the product yield is increased while fresh/treated water usage is decreased.

A method of producing fuel from CO.sub.2 comprising introducing natural gas, steam, and recovered CO.sub.2 to a reformer to produce unshifted syngas characterized by a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide of from about 1.7:1 to about 2.5:1; introducing the unshifted syngas to a water gas shift unit to produce a shifted syngas, wherein an amount of CO.sub.2 in the shifted syngas is greater than in the unshifted syngas; separating the CO.sub.2 from the shifted syngas to produce recycle CO.sub.2 and a hydrogen-enriched syngas; recycling the recycle CO.sub.2 to the reformer; introducing the unshifted syngas to a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) unit to produce an FT product, FT water, and FT tail gas, wherein the FT product comprises FT liquids and FT wax; and separating the FT liquids from the FT product to produce a fuel.