A process for preparing hydrocarbons from an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock, such as animal fat, having a high nitrogen impurity is described. The process involves hydrotreatment of the oxygenated feedstock in a first hydrotreating reactor and a further hydrotreatment in a second hydrotreating reactor, where between the two reactors, the gaseous phase is removed. The specific process setup effectively removes nitrogen impurities from the resultant hydrocarbon product causing an improved cloud point after isomerisation.

System and method for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil include parallel mixing lines configured to receive and mix a diluted precursor mixture (catalyst precursor premixed with a hydrocarbon diluent) with heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock. One of the mixing lines can be periodically taken offline (e.g., for maintenance) while one or more remaining mixing lines continue to form conditioned feedstock. A bypass line maintains substantially continuous flow volume of heavy oil when one of the mixing lines is taken offline. Valves and flow meters can be used to regulate flow through the mixing lines and bypass line. The system permits virtually unlimited scaleup of the mixing process while permitting periodic maintenance of the system without taking it completely offline. Mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil forms colloidal-sized catalyst particles in situ having high catalytic activity that promote beneficial upgrading reactions when hydroprocessing heavy oil.

A system for upgrading pyrolysis oil may include a pyrolysis upgrading unit having a mixed metal oxide catalyst and a separation unit operable to separate used mixed metal oxide catalyst from a reaction effluent. A method for upgrading pyrolysis oil may include contacting the pyrolysis oil with hydrogen in the presence of the mixed metal oxide catalyst at reaction conditions to produce a reaction effluent. The pyrolysis oil may include multi-ring aromatic compounds. The mixed metal oxide catalyst may include a plurality of catalyst particles and each of the plurality of catalyst particles having a plurality of metal oxides. Contacting the pyrolysis oil with hydrogen in the presence of the mixed metal oxide catalyst at the reaction conditions may convert at least a portion of the multi-ring aromatic compounds in the pyrolysis oil to the light aromatic compounds.

A system for upgrading pyrolysis oil may include a pyrolysis upgrading unit having a mixed metal oxide catalyst and a separation unit operable to separate used mixed metal oxide catalyst from a reaction effluent. A method for upgrading pyrolysis oil may include contacting the pyrolysis oil with hydrogen in the presence of the mixed metal oxide catalyst at reaction conditions to produce a reaction effluent. The pyrolysis oil may include multi-ring aromatic compounds. The mixed metal oxide catalyst may include a plurality of catalyst particles and each of the plurality of catalyst particles having a plurality of metal oxides. Contacting the pyrolysis oil with hydrogen in the presence of the mixed metal oxide catalyst at the reaction conditions may convert at least a portion of the multi-ring aromatic compounds in the pyrolysis oil to the light aromatic compounds.

The invention provides a method for enriching diluents with butane so as not to violate pre-defined limits for liquid hydrocarbon fuels with respect to density, volatility and low density hydrocarbon content.

A method for re-refining used oils comprises contacting feedstock comprising purified used oil with extraction solvent to perform continuous liquid-liquid solvent extraction, to produce an extract stream comprising the extraction solvent and an extract dissolved in the extraction solvent. The feedstock and the extraction solvent are agitated by a variable speed agitator during the solvent extraction at a selected agitation speed. The extract is separated from the extraction solvent and subjected to a continuous flow liquid phase hydrogenation treatment to produce an oil product. A system for performing the method includes a purification unit for purifying the used oil; an extraction column for extracting the extract from the feedstock; and a continuous flow liquid phase hydrogenation unit. The extraction column comprises an agitator configured to agitate the feedstock and the extraction solvent flowing through the extraction column at a variable agitation speed.

A process for preparing hydrocarbons from an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock, such as animal fat, having a high nitrogen impurity is described. The process involves hydrotreatment of the oxygenated feedstock in a first hydrotreating reactor and a further hydrotreatment in a second hydrotreating reactor, where between the two reactors, the gaseous phase is removed. The specific process setup effectively removes nitrogen impurities from the resultant hydrocarbon product causing an improved cloud point after isomerisation.

A process for upgrading heavy oil is provided, which integrates thermal cracking, hydrogenolysis, and catalytic aquathermolysis. A catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor receives a heavy oil feed, water and hydrogen. In addition catalytic materials and a viscosity reducing agent are introduced. The catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor is operated at conditions effective to produce an upgraded heavy oil product.

The present disclosure provides methods for hydroprocessing of heavy oils, such as pyrolysis tars. For example, a process for preparing a liquid hydrocarbon product includes providing a first process stream comprising a reduced reactivity tar, and blending the first process stream with a utility fluid to produce a second process stream comprising solids and a reduced reactivity, lower viscosity tar. The method can includes introducing the second process stream into a guard reactor without sulfiding the guard reactor catalyst(s) prior to introducing the second process stream into the guard reactor. The method includes hydroprocessing the second process stream in the guard reactor under mild hydroprocessing conditions to produce a third process stream. The method includes hydroprocessing the third process stream to produce a fourth process stream having a bromine number (BN) lower than 12 and comprising the liquid hydrocarbon product and the utility fluid.

A method for preparing feed material for a catalytic depolymerisation process, the method comprising the steps of: separating feedstock into two or more feedstock streams based on one or more properties of the feedstock, introducing each of the two or more feedstock streams into one or more process vessels, processing the feedstock streams in the presence of a catalyst in the process vessels under conditions of elevated temperature in order to produce two or more intermediate feedstock streams, and blending the two or more intermediate feedstock streams to form the feed material.