Abstract: A regenerating process comprises leaching a combustion ash with water so as to dissolve same and form a pregnant leach liquor containing the additive which is separated from the solid residue. The pregnant leach liquor is thereafter adjusted with a base precipitating agent so as to precipitate a compound of the additive which is then recovered by liquid solid separation. The process of the present invention is particularly useful for regenerating said recycling sulfur capturing additives used in hydrocarbon formulations which are burned as fuels, particularly, hydrocarbon in water emulsions formed from viscous hydrocarbon materials characterized by high sulfur and metals contents.

Abstract: An improved catalyst for use in the hydrodemetallization and hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks and method of making same and, more particularly, an improved catalyst having two distinct phases supported on a refractory support wherein the first phase effectively stores metals removed from the feedstock and the second phase exhibits superior catalytic acitivity for hydrogenation when processing heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a liquid fuel and resulting fuel including a sulfur and nitrogen capturing additive consisting essentially of Na.sup.+, Fe.sup.++ and an element X selected from group consisting of Mg.sup.++, Ba.sup.++, Ca.sup.++, Li.sup.+, K.sup.+ and mixtures thereof wherein Na.sup.+ is present in an amount of less or equal to 40 wt. % based on the total weight of the water soluble additive Fe.sup.++ is present in an amount of greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. % based on the total weight of the water soluble additive with the balance essentially element X wherein the ratio of Na.sup.+ and Fe.sup.++ is about between 7.5:1.0 to 100:1.0.

Abstract: A method for making a catalyst containing a vanadium passivating agent in the form of anatase crystalline TiO.sub.2 including a method for processing hydrocarbon feeds containing vanadium.

Abstract: The salt content of crude oil is reduced by washing crude oil containing residual salt water with wash water of lower salinity than the water present in the crude oil and allowing the resulting mixture to settle into a layer of crude oil of reduced salt water content and a layer of saline water. The quantity of wash water employed is greater than 7.5% by volume of the crude oil.The saline water may be recycled and a proportion removed from the recycle stream and a corresponding quantity of water of lower salinity added.Washing with relatively large quantities of water results in the formation of a less stable emulsion. Consequently, less severe conditions are required to break it to recover the desalted crude oil.

Abstract: The particulate solid is maintained in a bed in contact with a liquid within a high pressure vessel. The particulate solid is supported in the vessel in a cone-like configuration. A discharge tube is provided communicating with the particulate solid running from the bottom of the cone externally of said vessel and pressure on the supported particulate is produced to discharge said particulate out of said vessel via the discharge tube.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a natural liquid fuel and, more particularly, a process that allows a high sulfur natural fuel to be converted into energy by combustion with a substantial reduction in sulfur oxide emissions.

Abstract: A process for the production of anode grade coke from a hydrocarbon feed characterized by high levels of sulfur and metals comprises subjecting a vacuum resid to a fluidized bed coking process so as to produce gas, distillates, coke and a residual bottom stream, filtering the residual stream so as to remove solids and thereafter coking the filtered stream.

Abstract: Method for the formation, processing, transportation and end use of a hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device which can be used to centralize a polished bar and/or a piston stem of a subsurface pump within a production pipe. The device comprises an elongate, substantially cylindrical body member having a longitudinal axis of symmetry, a plurality of slots in the member, and a plurality of rotatable members eccentrically mounted in the slots with respect to the longitudinal axis of symmetry for permitting simultaneous contact between the rotatable members and the inner wall of a tubular production pipe.

Abstract: A continuous method for the preparation of an emulsion of oil in water of desired composition is disclosed which method comprises initially preparing an HIPR emulsion of oil in water by directly mixing 70 to 98% by volume of a viscous oil having a viscosity in the range 200 to 250,000 mPa.s at the mixing temperature with 30 to 2%, by volume of an aqueous solution of an emulsifying surfactant or an alkali, percentages being expressed as percentages by volume of the total mixture; mixing being effected under low shear conditions in the range 10 to 1,000 reciprocal second in such manner that an emulsion is formed comprising distorted oil droplets having mean droplet diameters in the range of 5 to 20 microns separated by aqueous films, measuring the conductivity of the HIPR emulsion, determining the quantity of aqueous liquids to be added as diluent an diluting the HIPR emulsion with the required quantity of diluent.

Abstract: Anti-caking composition for nitrogen-containing material consisting essentially of ammonium salts useful as an ingredient of fertilizer and normally posing a problem with respect to caking. The composition includes at least one sulfate anti-caking agent such as sodium alkyl sulfates, potassium alkyl sulfates or monoethanolammonium alkyl sulfate, diethanolammonium alkyl sulfate and triethanolammonium alkyl sulfate.

Abstract: A process for transporting viscous oil in a pipeline is described which comprises placing a spherical sealed pig within the pipeline at a desired position; filling a fraction of the pipeline upstream of the pig with a low viscosity fluid such as water; and initiating core flow of a viscous oil such as a heavy or extra heavy crude oil after the first fraction has been filled. The process permits the core-flowed viscous oil to be transported in the same pipeline with a non-core-flowed fluid. To do this, a second pig is placed in the pipeline intermediate the core-flowed viscous oil and the non-core-flowed fluid and a second fraction of the pipeline intermediate the second pig and the core-flowed viscous oil batch is filled with a low viscosity fluid such as water.

Abstract: A process for treating heavy crude oil feedstocks to reduce the asphaltenes, metals and sulfur content thereof while maintaining a high conversion thereof comprising: subjecting the feedstock to an asphaltene separation stage and thereafter subjecting the deasphaltene crude to a first hydrotreatment stage employing a first macroporous catalyst so as to produce an intermediate partially demetallized and desulfurized product and thereafter treating said intermediate product in a second hydrotreatment stage using a microporous catalyst wherein the microporous catalyst exhibits extended life period.

Abstract: A process for regenerating a spent, naturally occurring catalyst characterized by an iron content of about 10 to 70 wt. % as metal comprises contacting the spent catalyst with a mixture of water vapor and air in a water vapor/air ratio of between 1:1 to 20:1 at a flow rate of about 0.1 to 50 l/min., a temperature of about 200.degree. to 700.degree. C., a pressure of about 0.3 to 80 atmospheres for a time of about 0.1 to 20 hours so as to obtain a regenerated catalyst having a crystallinity value of about 1.0 to 6.5.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pumping high viscosity fluids such as viscous crude oils using a reciprocating pump powered by a reciprocating rod string where friction between the viscous fluid and the rod string and the resulting floatation effect are reduced greatly or substantially eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for restarting core flow with viscous oil after a long standstill period. The process comprises initiating a flow of low viscosity fluid such as water into an inlet portion of a pipeline; gradually increasing the flow of the low viscosity fluid until a desired steady state condition is reached and initiating a flow of viscous oil into the inlet portion of the pipeline after the steady state condition has been reached.

Abstract: A cobalt-molybdenum catalyst and a method for preparing same, said catalyst useful for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of distillates of petroleum. The catalyst is supported by aluminum phosphate or an aluminum borate. In a preferred embodiment the catalyst has a low cobalt content, between 0.5% and 2.0% by weight calculated as CoO, and a molybdenum content of between 10% and 20% by weight, calculated as MoO.sub.3. The phosphorus or boron compounds added to the aluminum before the impregnation of the active metals prevents the formation of undesirable compounds of the CoAl.sub.2 O.sub.4 type, which is inactive in HDS. It is for that reason that the catalyst has a formulation with 70% less cobalt than the previous state-of-the-art catalysts. Very small crystals, highly dispersed on the surface of the catalyst, whose formula is CoMoO.sub.4, are responsible for the stability and the high level of activity in HDS and HDN which results.

Abstract: A pump is disclosed comprising a piston plunger with a valve disposed in it. The ratio of the flow area on either side of the valve is optimized.

Abstract: A process for separating finely divided solid particles from a hydroprocessing liquid product which comprises treating a heavy hydrocarbon feed having an asphaltene content of at least 1 wt. % so as to obtain an unstable product characterized by heavy molecular weight molecules which promote the agglomeration of said finely divided solid particles and thereafter feeding said unstable product to a precipitating zone provided with a centrifugal decanter for precipitating the agglomerated solid particles and said heavy molecular weight molecules in said precipitating zone wherein at least 80 wt. % of the finely divided solid particles is recovered.