Provided is a fuel reforming system that can convert gasoline into alcohol in a vehicle. Provided is a fuel reforming system (1) equipped with a reformer (15) having a reforming catalyst (152) that uses air to reform gasoline to produce alcohol, a mixer (14) which mixes gasoline and air and supplies the mixture to the reformer (15), and a condenser (16) which separates the gas produced in the reformer (15) into a gas phase and a condensed phase of which reformed fuel is the primary constituent; wherein the fuel reforming system (1) is characterized in that the reforming catalyst (152) is configured including a main catalyst for extracting hydrogen atoms from the hydrocarbons in the gasoline to produce alkyl radicals, and a catalytic promoter for reducing alkyl hydroperoxides produced from the alkyl radicals to produce alcohol.

Novel catalysts comprising nickel oxide nanoparticles supported on alumina nanoparticles, methods of their manufacture, heavy oil compositions contacted by these nanocatalysts and methods of their use are disclosed. The novel nanocatalysts are useful, inter alia, in the upgrading of heavy oil fractions or as aids in oil recovery from steam-assisted well reservoirs.

A method for desalting produced hydrocarbons includes injecting reduced-salinity water into produced hydrocarbons in a production well or riser, to dilute high-salinity produced water contained in the produced hydrocarbons.

A process to utilize at least one water lean zone (WLZ) interspersed within a net pay zone in a reservoir and produce bitumen from the reservoir, includes using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Oxygen (SAGDOX) to enhance oil recovery, locating a SAGDOX oxygen injector proximate the WLZ, and removing non-condensable gases.

Disclosed is a process for vacuum distillation of a hydrocarbon stream comprising i) passing a hydrocarbon stream into a preflash vessel maintained under conditions to separate the hydrocarbon stream into a preflash liquid and a preflash vapor, ii) passing the preflash liquid into a vacuum furnace maintained under conditions to heat and partly vaporize the preflash liquid, iii) passing the heated furnace effluent into a zone located in the lower part of a vacuum distillation column maintained under fractionating conditions, and iv) passing the preflash vapor into the vacuum distillation column into a further zone located in the lower part of the vacuum distillation column.

A method for heating oil shale underground in situ. Shale oil and fuel gas can be obtained from an underground oil shale seam in situ, and the fuel gas can also be obtained from an underground coal seam in situ. Wells are drilled downwardly reaching an operation region of an underground oil shale ore bed. Electricity for partial discharge of the ore bed is conducted into electrodes, and a plasma channel is formed in the ore bed and subjected to breakdown by the electricity; after the resistance of each of two electrode regions is lowered, the two electrodes are used for conducting currents into the plasma channel in the oil shale ore bed; the oil shale ore bed is heated under the resistance heating function of the plasma channel; and released heat is used for realizing thermal cracking and gasification of fixed organic carbon in the oil shale ore bed.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir that is penetrated by an injection well and a production well. The methods comprise operating the injection well under a set of injection parameters and operating the production well under a set of production parameters to produce a production fluid that has an API gravity that changes over time (ΔAPI) as the method is advanced towards an ultimate recovery factor (RF.sub.o,u) for the reservoir. The methods further comprises modulating the injection parameters, the production parameters, or a combination thereof to decrease or increase the API gravity of the production fluid depending on whether ΔAPI and RF.sub.o,u satisfy a set of requirements as disclosed herein.

There is a process for the hydroconversion of mixtures of polymers or plastics which comprises the pre-treatment of the mixtures through methods selected from mechanical methods, chemical methods, thermal methods, or combinations thereof forming a pre-treated charge. The pre-treated charge is mixed with a hydrocarbon vacuum residue, optionally pre-heated, to form a reactant mixture. The reactant mixture is fed to a hydroconversion section in slurry phase, together with a catalyst precursor containing Molybdenum, and a stream containing hydrogen, forming a reaction effluent. The effluent is separated into at least one high-pressure and high-temperature separator in a vapour phase and a slurry phase. The separate vapour phase is sent to a gas treatment section with the function of separating a liquid fraction from the gas containing hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; said liquid fraction comprising naphtha, atmospheric gas oil (AGO), vacuum gas oil (VGO). The slurry phase is then sent to a separation section that has the function of separating the fractions of the Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO), Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO), Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO), Atmospheric Gas Oil (AGO), from a stream of heavy organic products which contains asphaltenes, unconverted charge, catalyst and solid formed during the hydroconversion reaction. This stream of heavy organic products is partly recirculated to the hydroconversion section and partly forms a purge stream.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir that is penetrated by an injection well and a production well. The methods comprise operating the injection well under a set of injection parameters and operating the production well under a set of production parameters to produce a production fluid that has an API gravity that changes over time (ΔAPI) as the method is advanced towards an ultimate recovery factor (RF.sub.o,u) for the reservoir. The methods further comprises modulating the injection parameters, the production parameters, or a combination thereof to decrease or increase the API gravity of the production fluid depending on whether ΔAPI and RF.sub.o,u satisfy a set of requirements as disclosed herein.

Novel catalysts comprising nickel oxide nanoparticles supported on alumina nanoparticles, methods of their manufacture, heavy oil compositions contacted by these nanocatalysts and methods of their use are disclosed. The novel nanocatalysts are useful, inter alia, in the upgrading of heavy oil fractions or as aids in oil recovery from steam-assisted well reservoirs.