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.

Settling unconverted pitch from a SHC reactor effluent before fractionation improves efficiency of fractionation of slurry hydrocracked products. The recycle of soft pitch to the SHC reactor results in improved reactor operation by avoiding the recycle of lighter products which vaporize in the reactor to occupy reactor space and the recycle of hard pitch which will not convert. The settling step facilitated by mixing with a solvent can achieve a separation between soft pitch and hard pitch not achievable in a fractionation column.

Settling unconverted pitch from a SHC reactor effluent before fractionation improves efficiency of fractionation of slurry hydrocracked products. The recycle of soft pitch to the SHC reactor results in improved reactor operation by avoiding the recycle of lighter products which vaporize in the reactor to occupy reactor space and the recycle of hard pitch which will not convert. The settling step facilitated by mixing with a solvent can achieve a separation between soft pitch and hard pitch not achievable in a fractionation column.

A catalyst preparation unit for producing an activated hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture. The catalyst preparation unit includes one or more catalyst reactant input conduits; a hydrocarbon input conduit; a water input conduit; one or more catalyst reactant mixing and conveyance systems for receiving and mixing catalyst reactants from the catalyst component input conduits and water provided by the water input conduit to provide one or more catalyst reactant solutions; one or more hydrocarbon mixing and conveyance systems for receiving and mixing the catalyst reactant solutions and hydrocarbons provided by the hydrocarbon input conduit to produce a hydrocarbon-catalyst reactant mixture; at least one reactor located downstream of the mixers, for receiving and activating the hydrocarbon-catalyst reactant mixture, thereby producing the activated hydrocarbon catalyst mixture; a gas/liquid separator located downstream of the reactor, for removing vapors and gas from the activated hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture; and an output conduit for transporting the activated hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture away from the catalyst preparation unit.

A process for the refining of crude oil, comprising a separation unit of the crude oil, consisting of at least one atmospheric distillation unit for separating the various fractions, a unit for the conversion of the heavy fractions obtained, a unit for improving the quality of some of the fractions obtained by actions on the chemical composition of their constituents, and units for the removal of undesired components, characterized in that the heaviest fraction, the atmospheric distillation residue, is sent to the conversion unit comprising a hydroconversion reactor in slurry phase or of the ebullated bed type, into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and S is introduced in the presence of a suitable nanodispersed hydrogenation catalyst.

A process for the refining of crude oil, comprising a separation unit of the crude oil, consisting of at least one atmospheric distillation unit for separating the various fractions, a unit for the conversion of the heavy fractions obtained, a unit for improving the quality of some of the fractions obtained by actions on the chemical composition of their constituents, and units for the removal of undesired components, characterized in that the heaviest fraction, the atmospheric distillation residue, is sent to the conversion unit comprising a hydroconversion reactor in slurry phase or of the ebullated bed type, into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and S is introduced in the presence of a suitable nanodispersed hydrogenation catalyst.

A vacuum separator is used to separate a pitch stream from a slurry hydrocracking reactor upstream of the product fractionation column. The process and apparatus removes pitch from the product streams to enable easier separation of light VGO from heavy VGO in a fractionation column.

A vacuum separator is used to separate a pitch stream from a slurry hydrocracking reactor upstream of the product fractionation column. The process and apparatus removes pitch from the product streams to enable easier separation of light VGO from heavy VGO in a fractionation column.

A system for steam cracking a whole crude that may include a volatilization device, a control system, a separator, and a steam pyrolysis reactor. The volatilization device may be configured to separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase. The control system may be configured to maintain a flow rate of the whole crude and steam, at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s. The separator may be fluidly connected to the volatilization device and configured to separate the liquid phase into a second vapor phase, and a second liquid phase. The steam pyrolysis reactor may include a convection section and a steam pyrolysis heater section, the convection section configured to heat the vapor phase, the liquid phase, and the second vapor phase, and the steam pyrolysis heater section configured to steam crack hydrocarbons in the vapor phase thereby generating a cracked hydrocarbon product.

A system for steam cracking a whole crude that may include a volatilization device, a control system, a separator, and a steam pyrolysis reactor. The volatilization device may be configured to separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase. The control system may be configured to maintain a flow rate of the whole crude and steam, at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s. The separator may be fluidly connected to the volatilization device and configured to separate the liquid phase into a second vapor phase, and a second liquid phase. The steam pyrolysis reactor may include a convection section and a steam pyrolysis heater section, the convection section configured to heat the vapor phase, the liquid phase, and the second vapor phase, and the steam pyrolysis heater section configured to steam crack hydrocarbons in the vapor phase thereby generating a cracked hydrocarbon product.