A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

A process for the refining of crude oil with at least one atmospheric distillation unit for separating the various fractions, a sub-atmospheric distillation unit, a conversion unit of the heavy fractions obtained, a unit for enhancing the quality of some of the fractions obtained by actions on the chemical composition of their constituents and a unit for the removal of undesired components, where the sub-atmospheric distillation residue is sent to one of the conversion units, the conversion unit includes at least one hydroconversion reactor in slurry phase, into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and H.sub.2S, is fed, in the presence of a suitable dispersed hydrogenation catalyst with dimensions ranging from 1 nanometer to 30 microns.

A process for the refining of crude oil with at least one atmospheric distillation unit for separating the various fractions, a sub-atmospheric distillation unit, a conversion unit of the heavy fractions obtained, a unit for enhancing the quality of some of the fractions obtained by actions on the chemical composition of their constituents and a unit for the removal of undesired components, where the sub-atmospheric distillation residue is sent to one of the conversion units, the conversion unit includes at least one hydroconversion reactor in slurry phase, into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and H.sub.2S, is fed, in the presence of a suitable dispersed hydrogenation catalyst with dimensions ranging from 1 nanometer to 30 microns.

A gas-liquid separator, adapted for separating liquid and gas in an ebullated bed reactor under operating conditions, is disclosed. The device may be used in the petroleum and chemical processing industries in catalytic reactions of hydrocarbonaceous feedstocks in the presence of hydrogen, at an elevated temperature and pressure, to separate gas and liquid from gas and liquid mixtures within the reactor. The device is generally vertically oriented and may be installed in the flow through pan of an ebullated bed reactor. The device comprises a transfer conduit for transferring a gas-liquid mixture stream from a lower section of an ebullated bed reactor to an upper section of the reactor, a vortex separation section having gas-rich and liquid-rich stream outlets, and a gas-rich stream outlet conduit located on top of and adjacent to the vortex separation section. The transfer conduit includes internal means to produce a spiral flow in the gas-liquid mixture, such as a helical or spiral insert. The vortex separation section is located at the top of the transfer conduit and includes separation means to separate the gas-liquid mixture stream into a liquid-rich stream and a gas-rich stream. A separator conduit extending from the top of the vortex separation section to the transfer conduit upper opening, aligned with and having substantially the same cross-sectional dimensions as the gas-rich stream outlet, may be used as the separation means. Among the benefits provided are improved efficiency of gas and liquid separation and reduced gas holdup within the reactor.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the hydroconversion of heavy oil products (the fresh load). Said apparatus comprises: a slurry bubble column hydroconversion reactor, which comprises a feed line in which the fresh load and the recirculated slurry phase are conveyed, an inlet line for a hydrogenating stream and an outlet for a reaction effluent through an outlet nozzle; a stripping column at high pressure and high temperature placed downstream of the reactor and directly connected to the reactor head through a pipeline in which the reaction effluent flows; said column having an inlet line for a stripping gas, an inlet for the reactor effluent, a head outlet for steam and an outlet for the slurry phase; lines and means for recirculating the slurry leaving the stripping column; lines and means for taking a drain stream, which has the function of preventing the accumulation of solids in the reactor. The stripping column is characterized in that it contains one or more contact devices that allow physical contact to be created between different phases.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the hydroconversion of heavy oil products (the fresh load). Said apparatus comprises: a slurry bubble column hydroconversion reactor, which comprises a feed line in which the fresh load and the recirculated slurry phase are conveyed, an inlet line for a hydrogenating stream and an outlet for a reaction effluent through an outlet nozzle; a stripping column at high pressure and high temperature placed downstream of the reactor and directly connected to the reactor head through a pipeline in which the reaction effluent flows; said column having an inlet line for a stripping gas, an inlet for the reactor effluent, a head outlet for steam and an outlet for the slurry phase; lines and means for recirculating the slurry leaving the stripping column; lines and means for taking a drain stream, which has the function of preventing the accumulation of solids in the reactor. The stripping column is characterized in that it contains one or more contact devices that allow physical contact to be created between different phases.

A process is provided to partially upgrade heavy oil using two or more reaction zones connected in series, each reaction zone being a continuous stirred tank maintained at hydrocracking conditions. The heavy oil feedstock and a solid particulate catalyst are stirred to form pumpable slurry which is heated to a target hydrocracking temperature and then continuously fed to the first reaction zone. Hydrogen is continuously introduced to the reaction zone to achieve hydrocracking and to produce a volatile vapor stream carried upwardly by the hydrogen to produce an overhead vapor stream. The hydrocracked heavy oil slurry from one reaction zone is fed to a next reaction zone also maintained under hydrocracking conditions with a continuous hydrogen feed to produce a volatile vapor stream. The overhead vapor stream from each reactor zone is continuously removed, and the hydrocracked heavy oil slurry from the last of the reaction zones is removed.