Patents Examined by Michelle Stein
  • Patent number: 11427771
    Abstract: A slurry separator comprising a moving blade that wipes slurry oil onto a wall of the slurry separator for separating a recovered oil stream from a concentrated residue stream has the capability of maximizing recovery of the LCO from slurry oil as well as removing both the catalyst fines as well as coke particles suspended in the slurry oil. The slurry separator can be fed directly from the main column bottoms. Advantageously, the process and apparatus can enable the FCC unit to achieve higher production of LCO and higher value clarified slurry oil more efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Keith Allen Couch, Joseph Mark Houdek
  • Patent number: 11421166
    Abstract: The present invention describes a process for the production of fuel of the heavy fuel oil type, this fuel optionally being able to become a marine fuel, from a heavy hydrocarbon-containing feedstock having a sulphur content of at least 0.5% by weight, an initial boiling temperature of at least 350° C. and a final boiling temperature of at least 450° C., a process using a fixed-bed hydrotreatment stage, an intermediate separation and a hydrocracking stage comprising at least one reactor of the hybrid type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventors: Wilfried Weiss, Isabelle Merdrignac
  • Patent number: 11421164
    Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Technology & Innovation, LLC
    Inventors: David Mountainland, Brett M. Silverman, Michael Rueter, Lee Smith
  • Patent number: 11414607
    Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to increase rate of production of converted products. The rate of production is achieved by increasing reactor severity, including increasing the operating temperature and at least one of throughput or conversion. The dual catalyst system permits increased reactor severity and provides increased production of converted products without a significant increase in equipment fouling and/or sediment production. In some cases, the rate of production of conversion products can be achieved while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Technology & Innovation, LLC
    Inventors: David M. Mountainland, Brett M. Silverman, Michael A. Rueter, Lee Smith
  • Patent number: 11414608
    Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks (i.e., lower quality heavy oils or lower quality feedstock blends) while maintaining or increasing the rate of production of converted products. The dual catalyst system improves the ability of the upgraded ebullated bed hydroprocessing system to accommodate and withstand negative effects of periodic use of opportunity feedstocks (e.g., without significantly increasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production). In some cases, an upgraded ebullated bed reactor using the dual catalyst system can hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Technology & Innovation, LLC
    Inventors: David M. Mountainland, Brett M. Silverman, Michael A. Rueter, Lee Smith
  • Patent number: 11401470
    Abstract: A process to produce pitch, the process comprising the steps of introducing a depressurized effluent to a flash column; separating the depressurized effluent in the flash column to produce a liquid product; introducing the liquid product to a dweller; operating the dweller at a temperature between 350° C. and 500° C., a pressure between 0.1 psig and 10 psig, and a residence time between 30 minutes and 4 hours to produce a pitch stream and a reaction gas stream, wherein the dweller is a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), wherein dehydrogenative polymerization reactions occur in the dweller to produce pitch, wherein the inert gas stream is operable to remove volatile components from the liquid product; removing a pitch stream from the dweller, wherein the pitch stream comprises the pitch; and removing a reaction gas stream, wherein the reaction gas stream comprises the volatile components and nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Ali Alnasir
  • Patent number: 11390816
    Abstract: A process for forming a petroleum product includes introducing a feed stream of a petroleum feedstock to a supercritical water reactor. The feed stream is reacted with supercritical water in the supercritical water reactor, thereby forming a supercritical water reactor effluent. The supercritical water reactor effluent is introduced to a separator to separate the supercritical water reactor effluent into a light stream and a heavy stream. At least a portion of the light stream is introduced to a reformer to concentrate aromatics in the at least a portion of the light stream, thereby forming a reformer effluent. The reformer effluent is mixed with the heavy stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mazin M. Fathi
  • Patent number: 11390818
    Abstract: A process for treatment of PFO from a steam cracking zone includes hydrodealkylating PFO or a portion thereof for conversion of polyaromatics compounds contained in the PFO into hydrodealkylated aromatic compounds with one benzene ring, a hydrodealkylated BTX+ stream. The hydrodealkylated BTX+ stream is separated into BTX compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Raed Abudawoud, Qi Xu
  • Patent number: 11384297
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Miao Sun, Noor Al-Mana, Sohel K Shaikh, Zhonglin Zhang, Fahad A. Almalki
  • Patent number: 11377609
    Abstract: A process for treatment of PFO from a steam cracking zone includes hydrodealkylating PFO or a portion thereof for conversion of polyaromatics compounds contained in the PFO into hydrodealkylated aromatic compounds with one benzene ring, a hydrodealkylated BTX+ stream. In addition, a naphtha reformer is integrated, so that the hydrodealkylated BTX+ stream and a reformate stream are separated into BTX compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Raed Abudawoud, Qi Xu
  • Patent number: 11365358
    Abstract: An integrated process for conversion of a hydrocarbon stream comprising light naphtha to enhanced value products. The process includes passing the hydrocarbon stream through a first reactor, the first reactor being a catalytic bed reactor with a dual-function catalyst to simultaneously reform light naphtha to BTEX and crack light naphtha to ethane, propane, and butanes. Further, the process includes passing an effluent of the first reactor to a gas-liquid separating unit to generate a liquid stream and a gas stream, and passing the gas stream to a gas separator unit to remove hydrogen gas and methane and generate an enhanced gas stream. The process further includes passing the enhanced gas stream through a second reactor, the second reactor being a pyrolysis unit operated at steam cracking conditions to convert ethane, propane, and butanes in the enhanced gas stream to light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Mohammed Z. Al-Bahar, Manal Al-Eid, Lianhui Ding, Ali Nader Al-Jishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 11345864
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Miao Sun, Noor Al-Mana, Sohel K Shaikh, Zhonglin Zhang, Fahad A. Almalki
  • Patent number: 11345861
    Abstract: A process for producing olefins comprising the steps of separating the liquid oil in the fractionator to produce a light oil product; separating the light oil product in the extractor to produce a paraffin fraction stream; increasing a pressure of the paraffin fraction stream in a paraffin pump to produce a pressurized paraffin stream; mixing the pressurized paraffin stream with a pressurized water feed in the water mixer to produce a paraffin-containing water stream; heating the paraffin-containing water stream in the water heater to produce a hot paraffin-water stream, wherein a temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream is greater than 450 deg C., wherein the short chain paraffins are operable to crack at the temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream; mixing the hot paraffin-water stream and the hot feedstock in the feed mixer to produce a mixed feed stream; and introducing the mixed feed stream to the supercritical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Abdullah Alabdulhadi, Joo-Hyeong Lee, Ali Alsomali
  • Patent number: 11332679
    Abstract: Naphthenic process oils are made by blending one or more naphthenic vacuum gas oils in one or more viscosity ranges with a high CA content ethylene cracker bottoms, slurry oil, heavy cycle oil or light cycle oil feedstock to provide at least one blended oil, and hydrotreating the at least one blended oil to provide an enhanced CA content naphthenic process oil. The order of the vacuum distillation and blending steps may be reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Ergon, Inc.
    Inventors: John Kristopher Patrick, Craig Alan Busbea, Edward William Casserly, Howard Don Davis
  • Patent number: 11312911
    Abstract: A cascading reactor system configured for recovering kerogen oil from rubblized oil shale by cycling each reactor through at least a preheating phase, a peak heating phase, a cooling phase, and a recharging phase by the differential and sequential direction of fluid through each reactor and, wherein the system is modularly scalable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Charles Sterling Keracik
  • Patent number: 11225612
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for producing light olefins from a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a water feed are introduced to a reactor to produce an effluent stream. The reactor is operated at a temperature and pressure such that cracking reactions occur in the reactor. The reactor includes a catalyst bed including a nanoscale zeolite catalyst having a crystal size ranging between 10 nm and 300 nm. The effluent stream includes the light olefins. The effluent stream is introduced to a first separator to produce a gas phase fraction and a liquid phase fraction. The gas phase fraction includes the light olefins. The liquid phase fraction is introduced to a second separator to produce a liquid hydrocarbon stream and a spent water stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Mohammed Z. Al-Bahar, Ali Nader Al-Jishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mohammad F. Al-Jishi, Ali S. Al-Nasir
  • Patent number: 11208600
    Abstract: A process for hydrotreating a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feedstock may include producing a hydrotreated effluent by hydrotreating the feedstock in a three-phase trickle reactor to remove a first portion of the sulfur from the feedstock, separating the first hydrotreated effluent to give a hydrogen-containing gaseous fraction and a separated hydrotreated effluent, stripping the separated hydrotreated effluent to give a hydrogen sulfide-containing gaseous fraction and a stripped hydrotreated effluent, saturating the stripped hydrotreated effluent with hydrogen, and hydrotreating the hydrogen-saturated effluent in a two-phase reactor to remove a remaining second portion of the sulfur and produce a second hydrotreated effluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Haitao Huang, Omer Refa Koseoglu, Youshan Ma
  • Patent number: 11168266
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for restoring catalytic activity by dissolving soft coke with a solvent, one method including detecting soft coke deposition on a catalyst composition; preparing an aromatic bottoms composition with a Hildebrand solubility parameter of at least about 20 SI to remove the soft coke from the catalyst composition; and washing the catalyst composition with the aromatic bottoms composition until at least a portion of the soft coke deposition is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Omer Refa Koseoglu, Robert Peter Hodgkins
  • Patent number: 11162035
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and system for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons. A heavy hydrocarbon feed and a non-saline water feed are introduced to a first stage reactor. The first stage reactor is operated under supercritical water conditions to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream and a saline water feed are combined to produce a mixed stream, where the saline water feed includes an alkali or alkaline earth metal compound. The mixed stream is introduced to a second stage reactor. The second stage reactor is operated under supercritical water conditions to produce a product stream including upgrading hydrocarbons. The second stage reactor is operated at a temperature less than that of the first stage reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Faisal M. Almulla
  • Patent number: 11149214
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon feeds suitable for use as gasoline blending components containing olefins and aromatic compounds are alkylated in the presence of a catalyst by the olefins present in the feedstream to produce middle distillates having higher boiling points suitable for use as aviation and diesel fuel blending components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Omer Refa Koseoglu, Robert Peter Hodgkins