The invention relates to a process for converting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock containing a fraction of at least 50% with a boiling point of at least 300° C., and containing sulfur, Conradson carbon, metals, and nitrogen, comprising at least two successive hydroconversion steps, which may be separated by an intermediate separation step, and at least one step of deasphalting a heavy fraction of the effluent resulting from the hydroconversion, with recycling at least one portion of the deasphalted oil (DAO) during the hydroconversion, downstream of the first hydroconversion step. The DAO is either recycled at the outlet thereof from the deasphalter, or after having undergone a fractionation step that produces a heavy fraction of the DAO that then constitutes the portion of the DAO that is recycled. This process makes it possible to simultaneously improve the degree of conversion and the stability of the liquid effluents.

Described is a novel process for disaggregating biomass pyrolysis oil quantitatively into energy dense hydrophobic aromatic fraction (HAF), fermentable pyrolytic sugars and phenolics based products in a highly economical and energy efficient manner. Phase separation of the esterified pyrolysis oil after an oxidative pre-treatment and the quantitative recovery of the separate fractions is described. Phase separation uses batch as well as continuous reactor systems. The resulting HAF is an energy dense, thermally stable, water free, non-corrosive to carbon steel, and is a free flowing liquid suitable for combustion and for upgrading to transportation fuels. Pyrolytic sugars which are mainly anhydrosugars can be further converted by fermentation to ethanol or other products. Monomeric phenols are useful industrial intermediates and the organic acids in the original pyrolysis oil are mainly recovered as esters of the separation solvents.

A process (10) for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a Fischer-Tropsch tail gas includes providing a hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (30) which includes hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, compressing (14) the hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (30) to provide a compressed hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (36, 54), and contacting the compressed hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (36, 54) with a lean oil (64, 54) to recover the hydrocarbons from the compressed hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (36, 54) and to produce a hydrocarbon rich oil (66). Carbon dioxide is stripped (20) from the hydrocarbon rich oil (66) at a pressure which is below the pressure at which the hydrocarbon rich Fischer-Tropsch tail gas (36, 54) is contacted with the lean oil (64, 54), to provide a stripped hydrocarbon oil product (86).

A process and system for producing deasphalting and demetallized oil from an initial feed such as a heavy feed is provided. The feed is contacted with an effective quantity of solvent to promote phase separation, to produce an asphalt phase and a reduced asphalt content phase. The reduced asphalt content phase is contacted with an effective amount of solid adsorbent to remove undesirable metal compounds to produce an oil phase substantially-free of asphalt and substantially-free of metal. The oil phase that is substantially-free of asphalt and substantially-free of metal is subjected to flash separation to produce a solvent fraction for recycle and an oil phase effluent substantially-free of asphalt and substantially-free of metal for recovery as the desired product.

A method of upgrading refining streams with high polynucleararomatic hydrocarbon (PNA) concentrations can include: hydrocracking a PNA feed in the presence of a catalyst and hydrogen at 380° C. to 430° C., 2500 psig or greater, and 0.1 hr.sup.−1 to 5 hr.sup.−1 liquid hourly space velocity (LSHV), wherein the weight ratio of PNA feed to hydrogen is 30:1 to 10:1, wherein the PNA feed comprises 25 wt % or less of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of 700° F. (371° C.) or less and having an aromatic content of 50 wt % or greater to form a product comprising 50 wt % or greater of the hydrocarbons having a boiling point of 700° F. (371° C.) or less and having an aromatic content of 20 wt % or less.

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.

An integrated process and system for conversion of a heavy crude oil to produce transportation fuels is provided. The process includes separating the hydrocarbon feed into an aromatic-lean fraction and an aromatic-rich fraction. The aromatic-rich fraction is hydrocracked under relatively high pressure to convert at least a portion of refractory aromatic organosulfur and organonitrogen compounds and to produce a hydrocracked product stream. Unconverted bottoms effluent is recycled to the aromatic separation step. The aromatic-lean fraction is cracked in a fluidized catalytic cracking reaction zone to produce a cracked product stream, a light cycle oil stream and a heavy cycle oil stream. In certain embodiments the aromatic-lean fraction can be hydrotreated prior to fluidized catalytic cracking.

The field of the invention is oil sands processing. A solvent treatment system and process for treating a bitumen-containing stream include contacting that stream with a solvent-containing stream to produce an in-line flow of solvent diluted material; supplying the solvent diluted material into a separation vessel with axi-symmetric phase and velocity distribution and/or particular mixing and conditioning features. The solvent addition, mixing and conditioning may be performed with particular CoV, Camp number, co-annular pipeline reactor, pipe wall contact of low viscosity fluid, flow diffusing and/or flow straightening. The processes enable improved performance of downstream unit operations such as separation of high diluted bitumen from solvent diluted tailings.

A method for producing biomass derived liquid, comprises: feeding biomass, a solvent and a catalyst into a batch reactor, and heating and mixing in the batch reactor a compound comprising the biomass, solvent, and catalyst. The solvent is glycerol and wherein feeding the solvent into the batch reactor is performed through electrostatic atomization.

A high temperature paraffinic froth treatment (HTPFT) process utilizes an unheated flash vessel as a first stage of solvent recovery in a paraffinic solvent recovery unit (PSRU) to minimize asphaltene precipitation and fouling in subsequent stages of solvent recovery. The HTPFT may utilize a heat pump circuit for heat integration in the PSRU where a first stage of solvent recovery is at a lower temperature than a second stage of solvent recovery. Froth entering froth separation vessels can be heated using heat in a tailings stream using a heat pump. Froth separation vessels used to separate froth for collecting a bitumen-containing overflow utilize a collector pot and conventional feedwell combination, or a combination of a collection ring and nozzle arrangement for reducing disturbance in the vessel and improving collection of the overflow.