Patents Examined by Derek Mueller
  • Patent number: 8496803
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product. The catalyst is comprised of a tetrathiometallate material comprised of a first metal and a second metal, where the first metal is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ni, Co, Bi, Ag, Mn, Zn, Sn, Ru, La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Pb, and Sb and the second metal is Mo, W, V, Sn, and Sb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Patent number: 8491784
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product. The catalyst is prepared by mixing a first salt and a second salt in an aqueous mixture under anaerobic conditions at a temperature of from 15° C. to 150° C., where the first salt comprises a cationic component in any non-zero oxidation state selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ag, Co, Mn, Ru, La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Ni, Zn, Bi, Sn, Pb, and Sb, and where the second salt comprises an anionic component selected from the group consisting of MoS42?, WS42?, SnS44?, and SbS43.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Patent number: 8491783
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product, where hydrogen sulfide is provided at a mole ratio relative to hydrogen of at least 0.5:9.5. The catalyst is comprised of a bimetallic tetrathiometallate material comprised of a first metal and a second metal, where the first metal is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ni, Co, Bi, Ag, Mn, Zn, Sn, Ru, La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Ph, and Sb and the second metal is Mo, W, V, Sn, and Sb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott-Lee Wellington
  • Patent number: 8491782
    Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon-containing product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Reynolds, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
  • Patent number: 8486258
    Abstract: A process for the hydrodesulfurization of gasoline is disclosed, the process including: feeding (1) a cracked naphtha containing mercaptans and other organic sulfur compounds and (2) hydrogen to a first hydrodesulfurization reactor containing one or more beds of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst; contacting sulfur compounds comprising the other organic sulfur compounds in the cracked naphtha with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst to convert a portion of the other organic sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide; withdrawing from the hydrodesulfurization reactor an effluent comprising hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide. The effluent from the hydrodesulfurization reactor is fed to a membrane separation system containing a membrane for partitioning the hydrocarbons from the hydrogen sulfide. For example, the membrane may be selective to hydrogen sulfide, to separate a permeate fraction comprising hydrogen sulfide from a residue fraction comprising the hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Raymond Chafin
  • Patent number: 8480880
    Abstract: A process for making a lubricating base oil having a viscosity index of at least 110, comprising the steps of: combining a waxy light neutral base oil and a wax derived from pyrolyzing a plastics feed comprising polyethylene to form a blend; hydroisomerization dewaxing the blend; and recovering the lubricating base oil from an effluent from the hydroisomerization dewaxing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8475652
    Abstract: A method for purification of uncatalyzed natural fuels in liquid state from metal ions by removing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of natural occurring contaminating porphyrins, metalloporphyrins, chlorins and naturally occurring degradations products of these compounds, such as petroporphyrins, containing said metal ions from the fuels. At least one hemeprotein in apo-form selected from the group consisting of globins, peroxidases, pyrrolases and cytochromes having high affinity for porphyrins is added to the fuels. The hemeprotein is mixed with the fuels in such a way that the porphyrins is bounded to the hemeprotein. The hemeprotein with bound contaminating porphyrins is removed so as to obtain purified fuels. The invention relates also to the use of at least one hemeprotein selected from the group consisting of globins, peroxidases, pyrrolases and cytochromes having high affinity for porphyrins for the purification of uncatalyzed natural fuels in liquid state from metal ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventors: Jan A. K. Paul, Michael L. Smith
  • Patent number: 8414763
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering product from catalytically converted product streams. Gaseous unstabilized naphtha from an overhead receiver from a main fractionation column is compressed in a compressor. Liquid unstabilized naphtha from the overhead receiver and liquid naphtha fraction from the compressor are sent to a naphtha splitter column upstream of a primary absorber. Consequently, less naphtha is circulated in the gas recovery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joao Jorge da Silva Ferreira Alves, Saadet Ulas Acikgoz, Xin X. Zhu, Laura E. Leonard
  • Patent number: 8404106
    Abstract: After desulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstream using an alkali metal reagent, the hydrocarbon feedstream can include particles of spent alkali metal salts. The spent alkali metal salts can be separated from the hydrocarbon feedstream and regenerated to form an alkali metal reagent, such as a alkali hydroxide or alkali sulfide. The regeneration process can pass through an intermediate stage of forming an alkali carbonate by successive reactions with carbon dioxide and calcium oxide. The calcium oxide can also be regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jorge L. Soto, Daniel P. Leta, Lu Han, Walter D. Vann, Mark A. Greaney, James R. Bielenberg, Paul D. Oldenburg, Jonathan M. McConnachie, Leo D. Brown, William C. Baird, Jr., Roby Bearden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8394255
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial hydrotreatment, hydrocracking, catalytic dewaxing of the hydrocracking effluent, and an option final hydrotreatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Gary Paul Schleicher, Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Thomas Francis Degnan, José Guadalupe Santiesteban, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, William Joseph Novak, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8377286
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing diesel fuel from feedstocks, including diesel fuel production under sour conditions, is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. In addition to the benefits in sour service, the process also returns to clean service activity levels more quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Timothy Lee Hilbert, William Jospeh Novak, Stephen John McCarthy
  • Patent number: 8366908
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Gary Paul Schleicher, Lei Zhang, Timothy Lee Hilbert, Michel A. Daage, Sylvain Hantzer, Wenyih F. Lai, David Mentzer, William Francis Heaney, Christine Nicole Elia, Shifang Luo, Stephen J. McCarthy, Mohan Kalyanaraman
  • Patent number: 8361434
    Abstract: This invention relates to the composition and synthesis of an Extra Mesoporous Y (or “EMY”) zeolite and its use in the catalytic conversion of organic compounds. In particular, this invention relates to a Y-type framework zeolite possessing a high large mesopore pore volume to small mesopore pore volume ratio. The novel zeolite obtained provides beneficial structural features for use in petroleum refining and petrochemical processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: Jason Wu
  • Patent number: 8354018
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for catalytically converting two feed streams. The feed to a first catalytic reactor may be contacted with product from a second catalytic reactor to effect heat exchange between the two streams and to transfer catalyst from the product stream to the feed stream. The feed to the second catalytic reactor may be a portion of the product from the first catalytic reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Laura E. Leonard, Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Robert L. Mehlberg
  • Patent number: 8329029
    Abstract: A reaction inhibitor can be used to reduce catalyst activity at the beginning of a naphtha selective hydrodesulfurization process. The use of the reaction inhibitor can allow greater flexibility in selecting the reaction conditions to accommodate both the start and end of the hydrodesulfurization process. The reaction inhibitor can be removed during the hydrodesulfurization process, possibly in conjunction with modification of the reaction temperature, in order to maintain a substantially constant amount of sulfur in the naphtha product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: John P. Greeley
  • Patent number: 8287721
    Abstract: A method for reducing asphaltene and paraffin content in oil material for recuperating and improving production of heavy, medium and light crude oils by reducing asphaltene and paraffin content in crude oil and oil-containing tar sands; and schist and clay for recuperation of exposed oxidized oil; and tar petroleum, schist petroleum, and clay petroleum, whereby a molecule elimination process of very polymerized hydrocarbons, including asphaltene and paraffin, are responsible for medium, heavy and extra heavy crude oil poor properties, as well as the difficult recuperation of most high containing long chain asphaltene and paraffin light crude oils, resulting in the production of more light and short hydrocarbon chains to greatly reduce viscosity, thus facilitating its recuperation and transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Inventors: Lucinda Paris-Marcano, Maria Borjas-Garcia
  • Patent number: 8246813
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of removing sulfides from viscous petroleum streams such as asphalt, crude oil, and oil slurry using zinc octoate in which the molar ratio of zinc complexed with octanoic acid is not 1:2. Because zinc has a +2 charge and carboxylic acid has a ?1 charge, it was previously assumed that all zinc octoates must have a 1:2 ratio of zinc moieties to carboxylic acid. Zinc octoate formulations however, that contain a non 1:2 ratio, and those with 2.1:3 to 1.97:3 in particular, have in fact been shown to work better. In addition, these non 1:2 formulations have lower viscosity and therefore are easier to use than the previous formulations including a 1:2 ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Nalco Company
    Inventors: Dennis R. Compton, Samuel Jefferies, Ron Sharpe