The invention relates to removing contaminants from oil using solid sorbents that are comprised primarily of carbon and preferably of coke particles. The coke particles have an affinity for contaminants in oil and are sized to be filtered from oil without plugging. Most contaminants have such a small size that they tend to plug up filters. As the contaminants agglomerate onto the solid sorbent, the resulting particles form a filter cake on conventional filter materials in such a way as to allow the oil to pass on through without significant pressure drop or delay.

Described herein are methods and systems for performing liquid-liquid extraction in bulk tankage. According to certain embodiments, the liquid-liquid extraction can occur in a bulk tank via a circulation loop, in which a solvent mixture is injected with the hydrocarbon ahead of mix valves on the circulation loop. According to other embodiments, a misting system is installed in the vapor or head space of bulk tankage. The misting system distributes small micro-drops of a solvent mixture so as to cause a uniform lay down over the entire top surface area of hydrocarbon. The solvent mixture migrates from the top surface of the hydrocarbon to the bottom of the bulk tank, reacting during migration to cause liquid-liquid extraction.

Method for characterizing a heavily biodegraded oil sand ore sample by microwave-assisted bitumen extraction. Vacuum-filtration of solvent-extracted bitumen and sediments provides a means to recover sediment fines down to a particle size of 0.8 μm, which is the analytical requirement for accurate mineralogical analysis of the clay mineral fraction. The method may be completed in hours, making it suitable for “just-in-time” analyzes at the mine site. The recovered sediment and sediment fines are suitable for characterization using traditional analytical techniques to understand mineralogy, petrology, and reservoir properties.

A process for the hydroprocessing of heavy oils and/or oil residues, the process comprising the steps of contacting a non-metallised carbonaceous material with an acid to form a non-metallised carbonaceous additive; and contacting the heavy oils and/or oil residues with the non-metallised carbonaceous additive in the presence of a hydrogen-containing gas at a temperature of from 250° C. to 600° C.

We disclose a process for purification of hydrocarbons, suitable for a wide range of contexts such as refining bunker fuels to yield low-sulphur fuels, cleaning of waste engine oil (etc) to yield a usable hydrocarbon product, recovery of hydrocarbons from used tyres, recovery of hydrocarbons from thermoplastics etc, as well as the treatment of crude oils, shale oils, and the tailings remaining after fractionation and like processes. The method comprises the steps of heating the hydrocarbon thereby to release a gas phase, contacting the gas with an aqueous persulphate electrolyte within a reaction chamber, and condensing the gas to a liquid or a liquid/gas mixture and removing its aqueous component. It also comprises subjecting the reaction product to an electrical field generated by at least two opposing electrode plates between which the reaction product flows; this electrolytic step regenerates the persulphate electrolyte which can be recirculated within the process. The process is ideally applied in an environment at lower than atmospheric pressure, such as less than 1500 Pa. A wide range of hydrocarbons can be treated in this way. Used hydrocarbons such as engine oils and sulphur-contaminated fuels are prime examples, but there are a wide range of others such as hydrocarbons derived from the pyrolysis of a material having a hydrocarbon content. One such example is a mix of used rubber (such as end-of-life tyres) and used oils (such as engine oils, waste marine oils), which can be pyrolysed together to yield a hydrocarbon liquid which can be treated as above, and a residue that provides a useful solid fuel.

A system (1; 101) and a method for purification of oil, said system comprising:—at least one feed tank (3) comprising oil to be purified;—a separation aid dosing device(13);—at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b) comprising at least one inlet (23a, 23b) connected to the feed tank (3) and to the separation aid dosing device (13) for receiving oil to be purified and separation aid, said at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b) further comprising at least one sludge phase outlet (41a, 41b) provided in a bottom part (37a, 37b) of the basic sedimentation tank and at least one oil phase outlet (39a, 39b);—at least one advanced sedimentation tank (121) comprising at least one sludge phase inlet (122) connected to the at least one sludge phase outlet (41a, 41b) of the at least one basic sedimentation tank (21a, 21b), said advanced sedimentation tank (121) further comprising at least one sludge phase outlet (141; 141a, 141b) connected to a sludge tank (143) and at least one oil phase outlet (139a, 139b; 39), wherein said advanced sedimentation tank (121) further comprises at least one sensor (55; 55a, 55b, 55c) for detecting the presence of an oil phase or a sludge phase.

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.

Marine diesel fuel/fuel blending component compositions and fuel oil/fuel blending component compositions are provided that are derived from crude oils having high naphthenes to aromatics volume and/or weight ratios and a low sulfur content. In addition to having a high naphthenes to aromatics ratio, a low sulfur content, and a low but substantial content of aromatics, such fuels and/or fuel blending components can have a reduced or minimized carbon intensity relative to fuels derived from conventional sources. The unexpected ratio of naphthenes to aromatics contributes to the fuels and/or fuel blending components further having additional unexpected properties, including low density, low kinematic viscosity, and/or high energy density.

A multi-stage process for reducing the environmental contaminants in an ISO8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core desulfurizing process and a ultrasound treatment process as either a pre-treating step or post-treating step to the core process. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 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 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a process for hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of hydrogen, at least one supported solid catalyst and at least one dispersed solid catalyst obtained from at least one salt of a heteropolyanion combining molybdenum and at least one metal selected from cobalt and nickel in a Strandberg, Keggin, lacunary Keggin or substituted lacunary Keggin structure.