A process for creating higher quality and lower quality base oils from used lubricating oils and crude oils, wherein the higher quality base oils may be either Group III or Group II and the lower quality base oils may be either Group II or Group I. Vacuum gas oils produced from used lubricating oils and from crude oils are processed via two or more process steps, including solvent extraction, solvent or catalytic or iso dewaxing, and hydrotreating. Such process enables efficient conversion and operation of refineries formerly capable only of making Group I base oils, even as their ability to make heavier base oils, waxes, and bright stocks is preserved, substantially to the same extent as such products had been made prior to undertaking the conversion.

A process for creating higher quality and lower quality base oils from used lubricating oils and crude oils, wherein the higher quality base oils may be either Group III or Group II and the lower quality base oils may be either Group II or Group I. Vacuum gas oils produced from used lubricating oils and from crude oils are processed via two or more process steps, including solvent extraction, solvent or catalytic or iso dewaxing, and hydrotreating. Such process enables efficient conversion and operation of refineries formerly capable only of making Group I base oils, even as their ability to make heavier base oils, waxes, and bright stocks is preserved, substantially to the same extent as such products had been made prior to undertaking the conversion.

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for recovering components from a hydrocarbon feedstock. According to at least one embodiment, the method includes supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock to an oxidation reactor, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds present in the hydrocarbon feedstock, separating the hydrocarbons, the oxidized sulfur compounds, and the oxidized nitrogen compounds by solvent extraction, collecting a residue stream that includes the oxidized sulfur compounds and the oxidized nitrogen compound, and supplying the first residue stream to a fluid catalytic cracking unit. The first residue stream is further supplied through a hydrotreater prior to supplying the first residue stream to the fluid catalytic cracking unit.

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for recovering components from a hydrocarbon feedstock. According to at least one embodiment, the method includes supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock to an oxidation reactor, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds present in the hydrocarbon feedstock, separating the hydrocarbons, the oxidized sulfur compounds, and the oxidized nitrogen compounds by solvent extraction, collecting a residue stream that includes the oxidized sulfur compounds and the oxidized nitrogen compound, supplying the residue stream to a fluid catalytic cracking unit, and recycling liquid products produced by the fluid catalytic cracking unit to the oxidation reactor to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds in the liquid products, the portion of the liquids products including at least one of light cycle oils and heavy cycle oils.

The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of refinery purge streams, containing a hydrocarbon component in slurry phase having a boiling point higher than or equal to 140? C., characterized by the presence of quantities of asphaltenes higher than or equal to 5% by weight and characterized by the presence of a solid content higher than or equal to 5% by weight. The process provides that said purge be mixed with a suitable fluxing agent according to appropriate ratios and under certain conditions, forming a suspension with a content higher than or equal to 10% by weight of compounds having a boiling point TbP lower than or equal to 350? C. After mixing, the suspension is sent to a liquid/solid separation step which operates under suitable conditions, separating a solid phase containing a residual organic component and a solid component, called cake, and a liquid phase containing residual solids. The solid phase obtained is cooled to below 60? C., including the upper extreme, forming a granular solid which is stored and maintained at a temperature lower than or equal to 60? C.

The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of refinery purge streams, containing a hydrocarbon component in slurry phase having a boiling point higher than or equal to 140? C., characterized by the presence of quantities of asphaltenes higher than or equal to 5% by weight and characterized by the presence of a solid content higher than or equal to 5% by weight. The process provides that said purge be mixed with a suitable fluxing agent according to appropriate ratios and under certain conditions, forming a suspension with a content higher than or equal to 10% by weight of compounds having a boiling point TbP lower than or equal to 350? C. After mixing, the suspension is sent to a liquid/solid separation step which operates under suitable conditions, separating a solid phase containing a residual organic component and a solid component, called cake, and a liquid phase containing residual solids. The solid phase obtained is cooled to below 60? C., including the upper extreme, forming a granular solid which is stored and maintained at a temperature lower than or equal to 60? C.

A method and apparatus for continuously treating acid gases including recovering absorbent chemicals by introducing streams leaving a regenerator and/or leaving an absorber into a static mixing zone wherein supplemental washing water is added to recover absorbent chemicals. Improvements to the prior art methods are provided where one or more absorbent chemical recovery units are included to increase the amount of recovered absorbent chemicals exiting the regenerator and/or exiting the absorber are increased and/or maximized. Absorbent chemical recovery units can include mixing units where liquid is added to the stream of sour gas and absorbent chemical to mix with and absorb the absorbent chemical from the stream.

A method and apparatus for continuously treating acid gases including recovering absorbent chemicals by introducing streams leaving a regenerator and/or leaving an absorber into a static mixing zone wherein supplemental washing water is added to recover absorbent chemicals. Improvements to the prior art methods are provided where one or more absorbent chemical recovery units are included to increase the amount of recovered absorbent chemicals exiting the regenerator and/or exiting the absorber are increased and/or maximized. Absorbent chemical recovery units can include mixing units where liquid is added to the stream of sour gas and absorbent chemical to mix with and absorb the absorbent chemical from the stream.

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock. According to at least one embodiment, the method includes the steps of (a) supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock to an oxidation reactor, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to selectively oxidize sulfur and nitrogen compounds present in the hydrocarbon feedstock; (b) separating the hydrocarbons and the oxidized sulfur and nitrogen compounds by solvent extraction; (c) collecting a first residue stream that includes the oxidized sulfur and oxidized nitrogen compounds; (d) supplying the first residue stream to a deasphalting unit; (e) supplying the hydrocarbons to an adsorption column to produce a high purity hydrocarbon product and a second residue stream; and (f) supplying spent adsorbent to the deasphalting unit to remove additional contaminants from the high purity hydrocarbon product in the deasphalting unit.

The method for cleaning a reactor of the present invention comprises passing a solvent through a wax-fraction hydrocracking apparatus which is charged with a catalyst and to which supply of a wax fraction is stopped, wherein the solvent comprising at least one oil selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbon and vegetable oils, and having a sulfur content of less than 5 ppm and being in a liquid state at 15 C.