The present invention reduces viscosity of highly viscous materials before entering a pump inlet by applying radio-frequency heating to the volume of material in a cage of rods that serve as electrodes surrounding a perforated inlet conduit. Applications include heavy hydrocarbonaceous materials such as tar and pitch in reservoirs, and sludge accumulating within oil storage tanks, ships, and barges. A mixer can be added to aid the process.

A multi-stage process for reducing the environmental contaminants in an ISO8217 Table 2 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core desulfurizing process and a Detrimental Solids Removal Unit as a pre-treating step or post-treating step to the core process. The product of the process is a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil compliant with ISO 8217 Table 2 for residual marine fuel including a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) less than 0.5 wt % and a Detrimental Solids content less than 60 mg/kg. A device for conducting the process and producing the product is disclosed.

The subject invention provides microbe-based products, as well as their use to improve oil production and refining efficiency by, for example, remediating the disposable layers in oil tanks and other oil storage units. In preferred embodiments, the microbe-based products comprise biochemical-producing yeast and growth by-products thereof, such as, e.g., biosurfactants. The subject invention can be used to remediate rag layer and/or other dissolved solid layers that form in water-oil emulsions. Furthermore, the subject invention can be used for remediating solid impurities, such as sand, scale, rust and clay, in produced water, flow-back, brine, and/or fracking fluids.

A Filter for the removal of water from oil, the filter includes a distillation element having an inlet pipe that in one end is to be fluidly connectable to a reservoir of oil to be filtered, and in the other end being fluidly connected to a distillation head, said distillation head including a plurality of compressing tubes for injecting under pressure said oil into an evaporation chamber, whereby eventual water within the oil droplet evaporates from said decompressed oil, the filter further including a tubular core with a plurality of apertures and a hollow interior, said core having an open end for fluid communication with the hollow interior, a length of yarn wound around an outer surface of the core, wherein the filter further includes a device for blowing air or an inert gas into the evaporation chamber for removal of the water vapor during use of the filter. A method of manufacturing such a filter, as well as a method of removing water of is also disclosed. The water removal unit is part of a modular system, which makes the whole filter unit scalable within fixed steps. When water removing block with attached start block and end block, are stacked upon each other, and connected to filter unit, it becomes scalable complete cleaning equipment. Pump and motor must be adapted to each configuration.

The invention relates to a process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least one hydrocarbon fraction having a sulphur content of at least 0.1% by weight, an initial boiling temperature of at least 340° C. and a final boiling temperature of at least 440° C., making it possible to obtain a heavy fraction having a sediment content after ageing of less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, said process comprising the following stages: a) a stage of hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed, b) a stage of separating the effluent obtained at the end of stage a), c) a stage of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from the separation stage b), d) a stage of separating the sediments from the heavy fraction originating from the maturation stage c) to obtain said heavy fraction.

A process for converting heavy petroleum feedstocks to produce fuel oils and fuel-oil bases with a low sediment content comprises: a) fixed-bed hydrotreatment, b) optional separation of the effluent originating from the hydrotreatment stage a), c) hydrocracking of at least a part of the effluent from a) or of at least a part of the heavy fraction originating from b), d) separation of the effluent originating from c), e) maturation of the heavy liquid fraction originating from the separation d), and f) separation of the sediments from the heavy liquid fraction originating from the maturation e).

Systems and methods for separation of hydrocarbon containing fluids are provided. More particularly, the disclosure is relevant to separating fluids having a gas phase, a hydrocarbon liquid phase, and an aqueous liquid phase using indirect heating. In general, the system uses a first three-phase gas separation followed by indirect heating and then a second three-phase gas separation. Pressure reduction of the hydrocarbon containing fluid occurs either before or after the indirect heating.

An apparatus is provided for processing reusable fuel comprising a first-type cyclone cooler having a first configuration. The apparatus also provides one or more second-type cyclone coolers, wherein each one or more second-type cyclone coolers has a substantially identical second configuration to respective other one or more second-type cyclone coolers, wherein the second configuration is different than the first configuration. The apparatus may also provide an air cooled heat exchanger, a coil condenser and one or more bubblers. The first-type cyclone cooler and the one or more second-type cyclone coolers are connected. One of the one or more second-type cyclone coolers is connected to the air cooled heat exchanger. The air cooled heat exchanger is connected to the coil condenser. The coil condenser is connected to the one or more bubblers.

A process and device for reducing the environmental contaminants in a ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the process involving: mixing a quantity of the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil with a quantity of Activating Gas mixture to give a feedstock mixture; contacting the feedstock mixture with one or more catalysts to form a Process Mixture from the feedstock mixture; separating the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil liquid components of the Process Mixture from the gaseous components and by-product hydrocarbon components of the Process Mixture and, discharging the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil is compliant with ISO 821 7 for residual marine fuel oils and has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05% wt. to 0.5% wt. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil can be used as or as a blending stock for an ISO 8217 compliant, IMO MARPOL Annex VI (revised) compliant low sulfur or ultralow sulfur heavy marine fuel oil.

A process for the treatment of thick fine tailings that include constituents of concern (CoCs) and suspended solids is provided. The process includes subjecting the thick fine tailings to treatments including chemical immobilization of the CoCs, polymer flocculation of the suspended solids, and dewatering. The chemical immobilization can include the addition of compounds enabling the insolubilization of the CoCs. Subjecting the thick fine tailings to chemical immobilization and polymer flocculation can facilitate production of a reclamation-ready material, which can enable disposing of the material as part of a permanent aquatic storage structure (PASS).