Abstract: A process for recovering bitumen, or heavy petroleum, from admixture with sand and similar inorganic materials wherein said bitumen-sand mixture is mixed with an aqueous solution of an ammonium salt selected from ammonium sulfite, ammonium bisulfite and mixtures thereof to form a second mixture comprising said aqueous ammonium salt solution, bitumen and sand; wherein said second mixture is heated to a temperature in the range of about 120.degree. F. (45.degree. C.) to about 260.degree. F. (127.degree. C.) and is separated into a bitumen phase free of sand, an aqueous phase and a sand phase.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for separating tar from a tar sand mixture. The separating step is by a novel mechanical process avoiding the complication of heating, freezing and the use of solvents. In the process a suitable suspension liquid is added to a tar sand mixture which is then struck with a plurality of striker arms to separate tar from said particles and agglomerate tar into droplets. After the striking step, the sand particles are allowed to settle to the bottom and tar droplets rise and float, the tar droplets are skimmed off the mixture, and the tar droplets are also scraped off the striker arms. The resulting tar droplets are washed at least once to remove remaining sand particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for recovering hydrocarbons from tar sands by contacting the tar sands with alkali metal sulfides or alkanol solutions of alkali metal hydrosulfides, at temperatures between 40.degree. C. and 450.degree. C., in the presence of steam or hydrogen or mixtures thereof, thereby producing at least partially, hydrogenated hydrocarbons lower in sulfur and nitrogen content than the initial untreated hydrocarbons of the tar sands and which readily distill from the sands.

Abstract: A process for treating a mercaptan-containing sour petroleum distillate is disclosed. The distillate is treated in contact with a solid composite prepared by impregnating high density activated charcoal particles with a metal phthalocyanine catalyst from an aqueous solution thereof.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the improvement of catalyst performance in catalytic hydrodewaxing of both petroleum and synthetic hydrocarbon feedstocks utilizing a special group of acidic crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites such as those of the ZSM-5 type which involves treatment of said zeolites in order to adjust their initially high alpha activity to within a range of 55-150 alpha prior to use as catalysts in a hydrodewaxing operation.

Abstract: A continuous process for thermal cracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil feed to residual products having improved stability comprises passing the feed under specified conditions through a thermal conversion zone having at least two mixing stages.

Abstract: A process for the production of an essentially ash-free oil stock from a lubricating oil containing ash-forming components comprising(a) contacting said lubricating oil with an aqueous ammonium salt treating agent;(b) removing a major portion of the water from the mixture resulting from combining said aqueous solution and said lubricating oil;(c) heating at least a portion of the product resulting from step (b) at a temperature in the range of about 320.degree. to about 420.degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to decompose at least a portion of any ammonium salts of sulfonic acid and dialkyldithiophosphoric acid that are contained therein;(d) cooling the product from step (c) to a temperature in the range of about 150.degree. to about 180.degree. C.; and(e) separating the solids from the product of step (d), optionally with subsequent hydrotreating and stripping of the oil thus obtained.

Abstract: Crushed mined coal, oil shale or tar sands, feedstocks are retorted in a retort using heat-carrying solids to supply at least fifty percent of the heat required to produce an average retort temperature of between 700.degree. F. (371.degree. C.) and 1200.degree. F. (649.degree. C.) to produce hydrocarbonaceous gases and oil. The hydrocarbon oils are treated in a manner such that there is produced a bottoms fraction containing organic carbon compounds having a boiling point above 950.degree. F. and particulate inorganic matter derived from the retorted material. The bottoms fraction is fed directly or indirectly into the retort in a manner such that the bottoms fraction does not contact the reheated heat carriers before the heat carrying solids are contacted with the crushed mined feedstock.

Abstract: A process which comprises fractionating a wide-boiling range naphtha feedstock into a low-boiling, light-naphtha fraction having an end or maximum boiling point within the range of about 190.degree. to about 200.degree. F. (88.degree. to about 104.degree. C.), and a high-boiling, heavy-naphtha fraction having an initial boiling point within a range of about 190.degree. to about 220.degree. F. (88.degree. to about 104.degree. C.), and contacting the light-naphtha fraction in an isomerization zone with added hydrogen and a catalyst comprising tantalum pentafluoride and hydrogen halide to produce effluent yielding naphthene components which are blended with the heavy-naphtha fraction. The resulting blended material can be processed by reforming to produce an aromatic-rich naphtha product and hydrogen.

Abstract: A C.sub.4 olefinic cracking cut is subjected first to catalytic polymerization and then to fractionation: the resultant isobutene dimers and trimers fraction is hydrogenated, while the remainder is alkylated. The resultant product is a gasoline of high isooctane content.

Abstract: An improved system for deashing coal liquefaction products wherein a feed mixture (including a deashing solvent, soluble coal products and insoluble coal products) is separated in a first separation zone into a first light fraction and a first heavy fraction (including insoluble coal products and some deashing solvent). The first heavy fraction is withdrawn from the first separation zone and the pressure level of the first heavy fraction is reduced at least 100 psig for vaporizing the deashing solvent and for yielding a composition substantially comprising coal products. The composition is essentially a powdery, solid material and is capable of being transferred via a slurry or mechanical means.

Abstract: A minor portion of the regeneration gas used to regenerate spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst is employed to combust volatile hydrocarbons in mixture with said spent catalyst prior to said mixture entering the regeneration zone. This serves to reduce and/or minimize transverse oxygen gradients in the dense phase catalyst bed and in the effluent gases therefrom such that excessive or undesirable afterburning in the dilute catalyst phase can be minimized or eliminated.

Abstract: A minor portion of the regeneration gas used to regenerate spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst is introduced into the regeneration zone in the localized area of the terminus of the spent catalyst line so as to combust the volatile hydrocarbons in mixture with the spent catalyst being transferred from the reaction zone to the regeneration zone. This serves to reduce and/or minimize transverse oxygen gradients in both the dense phase catalyst bed and in the effluent gases therefrom such that excessive or undesirable afterburning in the dilute catalyst phase can be minimized or eliminated.

Abstract: Residual fractions from distillation of petroleum are rendered suitable for charge to catalytic cracking by high temperature, short time contact in a decarbonizing zone with a fluidizable solid particles of essentially inert character and low surface area to deposit high boiling components of the crude and metals on the fluidizable solid particles whereby Conradson Carbon values and metal content of the hydrocarbon feedstock are reduced to levels tolerable in catalytic cracking and carbon laid down on the inert fluidizable particles is burned in a burning zone separate from the decarbonizing zone. Heated inert particles are recycled at least in part to the decarbonizing zone and then to the burning zone.

Abstract: Oil shale containing relatively large quantities of alkaline carbonate minerals is retorted utilizing superheated water vapor at temperatures of from about 425.degree. C. to about 510.degree. C. Retorting with a sufficient carbon dioxide partial pressure effectively suppresses decomposition of the alkaline carbonates to obtain an environmentally acceptable retorted shale.

Abstract: The mass production system disclosed herein provides a method for producing highly aromatic petroleum pitch, comprising, preheating a liquefied petroleum residuum to a temperature of 450.degree.-520.degree. C. by passing the same through a tubular heater for 0.5-15 minutes, feeding the preheated residuum into a reaction vessel, thermally cracking the same by introducing an inert gas heated to a temperature of 400.degree.-2,000.degree. C. through a heating furnace into the reaction vessel for direct contact with the residuum for 0.5-10 hours, and adjusting to be coincident the ratio of the number of feeding flow lines for the preheated residuum from the tubular heater into the reaction vessels to the total number of reaction vessels with the ratio of the charging time .theta.C required for charging one reaction vessel with one feeding flow of preheated residuum to the total time .theta.T required for carrying out one batch of the thermal cracking in one reaction vessel.

Abstract: In a hot water extraction process for removing bitumen from oil sands, the efficiency is improved by filtering the wet tailings to recover hot water, bitumen and diluent which are returned and recovered in the process. Dry tailings are also produced which can be disposed of in a manner which permits reconservation of the mined out area and which eliminates environmental pollution impact on surrounding water bodies and land bodies.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing pitches of high quality in a high yield by subjecting selected crude oil to adiabatic thermal and steam cracking process at a temperature between 700.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C. to produce gases containing ethylene, propylene and the like and a tar pitch having an ethylene-to-acetylene ratio above 5; adjusting the pitch content of the tar pitch in the range between 20 and 80 wt % (if this content is outside this specified range); heat-treating at a temperature between about 450.degree. C. and about 550.degree. C. under a pressure between about 50 and about 150 kg/cm.sup.2 (G) for about 1 to 15 minutes, and subsequently heat-soaking at a temperature between about 350.degree. and about 450.degree. C. under a pressure between about 0.5 and about 10 kg/cm.sup.2 (G) for about 15 minutes to 10 hours.

Abstract: Olefins and aromatic compounds in mixed hydrocarbon streams boiling above about 200.degree. F. are hydrogenated at a temperature ranging between about 400.degree. F.-720.degree. F. using a zeolite-containing catalyst that has been treated with a hydrocarbon stream relatively high in organic nitrogen compounds to suppress the cracking activity of the catalyst. The catalyst comprises (1) an amorphous base component, (2) a crystalline aluminosilicate component preferably comprising 5-30 wt. % of the total catalyst and having a silica/alumina mole ratio of at least 2.5 and an alkali metal content of less than about 2.0 wt. %, and (3) a transition metal hydrogenation component. The process is particularly useful in the manufacture of jet fuels and technical white oils and white oil bases with a minimum conversion of feed (<20%) to substantially lower boiling products.

Abstract: An improved solvent refining process for hydrocarbon oils such as asphalt-free lube fractions and diesel fuels is provided by recycling an inert gas such as nitrogen through the contact zone of the extraction tower.