Patents Examined by Renee E Robinson
  • Patent number: 8313705
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a system for reacting a first feed can include a petroleum fraction having at least about 90%, by volume, with a boiling point of at least about 300° C. The system can include a bubble column reactor. The bubble column reactor, in turn, can include a first inlet for the first feed and a second inlet for a second feed including a gas rich in hydrogen. In addition, the petroleum fraction may be in counter-current flow with respect to the gas rich in hydrogen inside the bubble column reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Paul R. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8309041
    Abstract: Systems for hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock employ a colloidally or molecularly dispersed catalyst (e.g., molybdenum sulfide) which provide for concentration of the colloidally dispersed catalyst within the lower quality materials requiring additional hydrocracking. In addition to increased catalyst concentration, the inventive systems and methods provide increased reactor throughput, increased reaction rate, and of course higher conversion of asphaltenes and lower quality materials. Increased conversion levels of asphaltenes and lower quality materials also reduces equipment fouling, enables the reactor to process a wider range of lower quality feedstocks, and can lead to more efficient use of a supported catalyst if used in combination with the colloidal or molecular catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Headwaters Heavy Oil, LLC
    Inventors: Roger K. Lott, Yu-Hwa Chang
  • Patent number: 8303802
    Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, and also a method for upgrading an existing ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, involves introducing a colloidal or molecular catalyst, or a catalyst precursor capable of forming the colloidal or molecular catalyst, into an ebullated bed reactor. The colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed by intimately mixing a catalyst precursor into a heavy oil feedstock and raising the temperature of the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ. The improved ebullated bed hydroprocessing system includes at least one ebullated bed reactor that employs both a porous supported catalyst and the colloidal or molecular catalyst to catalyze hydroprocessing reactions involving the feedstock and hydrogen. The colloidal or molecular catalyst provides catalyst in what would otherwise constitute catalyst free zones within the ebullated bed hydroprocessing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Headwaters Heavy Oil, LLC
    Inventors: Roger K. Lott, Lap-Keung Lee
  • Patent number: 8303804
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for improving the yield and properties of jet fuel from a kerosene feed. More particularly, a kerosene feedstock is hydrotreated and dewaxed using a ZSM-48 catalyst to produce a jet fuel in improved yield and having improved properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Terry E. Helton, William J. Tracy, III, Michael T. Grove, Dennis H. Hoskin, Philip J. Angevine, David A. Pappal
  • Patent number: 8288305
    Abstract: Naphtha is selectively hydrodesulfurized with retention of olefin content. More particularly, a CoMo metal hydrogenation component is loaded on a silica or modified silica support in the presence of an organic additive to produce a catalyst which is then used for hydrodesulfurizing naphtha while retaining olefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Chuansheng Bai, Stuart Soled, Sabato Mlseo, Jonathan McConnachie
  • Patent number: 8282815
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating feedstocks from renewable sources without intermediate gas-liquid separation in order to produce diesel fuel bases of excellent quality. The feedstocks used can be raw vegetable oils or such oils that have been previously subjected to a prerefining stage, animal fats, or mixtures of such feedstocks. The invention relates to a method allowing high diesel fuel base yields to be obtained from such feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: IFP Energies nouvelles
    Inventors: Christophe Bouchy, Antoíne Daudin, Emmanuelle Guillon, Nathalie Dupassieux, Thierry Chapus
  • Patent number: 8277637
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing one or more hydrocarbons are provided. One or more hydrocarbons can be selectively separated to provide one or more heavy deasphalted oils. At least a portion of the heavy deasphalted oil can be cracked using a fluidized catalytic cracker to provide one or more lighter hydrocarbon products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventors: Anand Subramanian, Raymond Floyd
  • Patent number: 8257580
    Abstract: Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The methods may include a primary leaching or extraction process that separates most of the bitumen from a material comprising bitumen and produces first solvent-wet tailings. The first solvent-wet tailings are washed with a second solvent that removes the first solvent from the tailings. Second solvent remaining in the tailings is removed to thereby produce solvent-dry, stackable tailings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Canada Corporation
    Inventors: Willem P. C. Duyvesteyn, Julian Kift
  • Patent number: 8252169
    Abstract: This invention utilizes a novel method and set of operating conditions to efficiently and economically process a potentially very fouling hydrocarbon feedstock. A multi-stage catalytic process for the upgrading of coal pyrolysis oils is developed. Coal Pyrolysis Oils are highly aromatic, olefinic, unstable, contain objectionable sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen contaminants, and may contain coal solids which will plug fixed-bed reactors. The pyrolysis oil is fed with hydrogen to a multi-stage ebullated-bed hydrotreater and hydrocracker containing a hydrogenation or hydrocracking catalyst to first stabilize the feed at low temperature and is then fed to downstream reactor(s) at higher temperatures to further treat and hydrocrack the pyrolysis oils to a more valuable syncrude or to finished distillate products. The relatively high heat of reaction is used to provide the energy necessary to increase the temperature of the subsequent stage thus eliminating the need for additional external heat input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Inventors: James B. MacArthur, James J. Colyar, John E. Duddy
  • Patent number: 8241491
    Abstract: Improved methods for removing arsenic from starting liquid hydrocarbons are provided which comprise contacting the hydrocarbons with a composition containing a triazine component and a glycol ether component, allowing the composition to react with the arsenic to create a treated hydrocarbon fraction and an arsenic-rich fraction, and separating the treated fraction from the arsenic-rich fraction. Preferably, the treating composition also includes an alcohol, and is used at a level of from about 1-10,000 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: JaCam Chemicals, LLC
    Inventors: Gene H. Zaid, Beth Ann Wolf
  • Patent number: 8236170
    Abstract: The instant invention relates to an upflow for upgrading heavy oil feed stock and a method for upgrading heavy oil feed stock employing an upflow reactor and with a slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, the upflow reactor is a liquid recirculating reactor, which is operated in manner corresponding to a dispersed bubble flow regime, which requires a high liquid to gas ratio. A dispersed bubble flow regime results in more even flow patterns, increasing the amount of liquid, i.e., heavy oil feed stock that can be upgraded in a single reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8236171
    Abstract: A process is described for improving the quality as a fuel of hydrotreated hydrocarbon blends by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a bifunctional catalytic system comprising one or more metals selected from Pt, Pd, Ir, Ru, Rh and Re, and a silico-aluminate of an acidic nature, selected from a micro-mesoporous silico-alumina and a zeolite belonging to the MTW family. The process of the invention produces an increase in the cetane index and a decrease in the density and T95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: ENI S.p.A, Enitecnologie S.p.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Giardino, Vincenzo Calemma, Ugo Cornaro
  • Patent number: 8236723
    Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst for hydrodesulfurizing naphtha, to a method for preparing said catalyst and to a method for hydrodesulfurizing naphtha using said catalyst. More particularly, the catalyst comprises a Co/Mo metal hydrogenation component on a silica support having a defined pore size distribution and at least one organic additive. The catalyst has high dehydrosulphurisation activity and minimal olefin saturation when used to hydrodesulfurize FCC naphtha.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Sven Johan Timmer, Jason Wu
  • Patent number: 8231778
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed for hydrocracking processes that convert a significant portion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock such as vacuum gas oil (VGO) to lower molecular weight, lower boiling hydrocarbons. In addition to molecular weight reduction, the processes also substantially reduce the pour point of a recovered higher boiling fraction or unconverted oil, all or a portion of which may be used as a lube base stock, optionally after one or more further treatment steps such as hydrofinishing. The ability to reduce the pour point, through hydroisomerization, of the higher boiling fraction greatly improves the quality of this fraction, or unconverted oil, for use in lube base stock preparation. Advantageously, separate, conventional hydroisomerization and/or dewaxing steps, often requiring a noble metal catalyst, may be avoided in particular embodiments disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Hemant B. Gala
  • Patent number: 8226818
    Abstract: Disclosed is an FCC apparatus and process in which coked catalyst is recycled to the base of the riser to contact fresh feed through a passage disposed within the riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Michael S. Sandacz
  • Patent number: 8221615
    Abstract: The invention is a composition that is suitable for reducing sulfur species from products produced by petroleum refining processes, especially gasoline products produced by fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) processes. The composition comprises zeolite, yttrium, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of zinc, magnesium and manganese, wherein the yttrium and element are present as cations. The yttrium and zinc are preferably present as cations that have been exchanged onto the zeolite. The zeolite is preferably a zeolite Y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
    Inventors: Ruizhong Hu, Richard Franklin Wormsbecher
  • Patent number: 8216958
    Abstract: A method for hydrodesulfurizing FCC naphtha is described. More particularly, a Co/Mo metal hydrogenation component is loaded on a silica or modified silica support in the presence of organic ligand and sulfided to produce a catalyst which is then used for hydrodesulfurizing FCC naphtha. The silica support has a defined pore size distribution which minimizes olefin saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jason Wu, Chuansheng Bai, Thomas R. Halbert, Stuart L. Soled, Sabato Miseo, Jonathan M. McConnachie, Valery Sokolovskii, David M. Lowe, Anthony F. Volpe, Jr., Jun Han
  • Patent number: 8211294
    Abstract: Improved methods for removing arsenic from starting liquid hydrocarbons are provided which comprise contacting the hydrocarbons with a composition containing a triazine component and a glycol ether component, allowing the composition to react with the arsenic to create a treated hydrocarbon fraction and an arsenic-rich fraction, and separating the treated fraction from the arsenic-rich fraction. Preferably, the treating composition also includes an alcohol, and is used at a level of from about 1-10,000 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: JaCam Chemicals, LLC
    Inventors: Gene H. Zaid, Beth Ann Wolf
  • Patent number: 8207082
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for making shaped bodies having a silica content of at least 85 wt %, to shaped bodies made by such method, to catalyst compositions comprising shaped bodies made by such methods and to catalytic conversion processes using catalyst compositions comprising shaped bodies made by such methods. The method of making the shaped bodies comprises the steps of a) forming shaped bodies from a mixture obtained from at least one amorphous silica powder, at least one silica sol having a pH below 7, and at least one polymeric organic extrusion aid, optionally supplemental liquid medium and optionally crystallites of a zeolite or zeolite-type material; b) drying the shaped bodies obtained in step a); and c) heating the shaped bodies to a temperature ranging from about 500° C. to about 800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jason Wu, Theodore E. Datz, Ralph Dehaas, Jean W. Beeckman
  • Patent number: 8206657
    Abstract: An enclosure includes at least one packed bed and a mixture supply line for delivering at the bottom of the enclosure a mixture of a liquid with a gas. The enclosure includes a system for separating the liquid phase and the gas phase of the mixture, the system being arranged between the bed and the mixture supply line, and this system including a housing having a flow passage for the degassed liquid and discharge passages for the disengaged gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: IFP
    Inventors: Frédéric Augier, Robert Beaumont, Christophe Boyer, Denis Darmancier