Abstract: Methods are provided for forming lubricant base stocks from feeds such as vacuum resid or other 510° C.+ feeds. A feed can be deasphalted and then catalytically and/or solvent processed to form lubricant base stocks, including bright stocks that are resistant to haze formation.

Abstract: Methods are provided for forming lubricant base stocks from feeds such as vacuum resid or other 510° C.+ feeds. A feed can be deasphalted and then catalytically and/or solvent processed to form lubricant base stocks, including bright stocks. The catalytic processing can correspond to processing in at least two stages. The amount of conversion performed in each stage can be varied to produce bright stocks with various properties.

Abstract: Processes are provided herein for producing naphtha boiling range products with a desired sulfur content by reducing the mercaptan content of the naphtha boiling range products after the products exit a hydroprocessing stage. Due to mercaptan reversion, naphtha boiling range products that contain even small amounts of olefins can have a higher than expected sulfur content after hydroprocessing. In order to reduce or mitigate the effects of mercaptan reversion, microchannel reactors (or microreactors) can be placed in a processing system downstream of a reactor that produces a low sulfur naphtha product. The microreactors can include a coating of metals that have activity for hydrodesulfurization. By passing at least a portion of the naphtha product through the downstream microreactors, the mercaptans formed by reversion reactions can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in a naphtha product with possessing a very low sulfur content.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of processing a bituminous feed. The bituminous feed is contacted with an extraction liquor to form a slurry. A bridging liquid is added to the slurry in at least two stages and solids within the slurry are agitated to form an agglomerated slurry comprising agglomerated solids and a low solids bitumen extract. The agglomerates are then separated from the low solids bitumen extract. Potential benefits may include the production of smaller and more uniform agglomerates. The former may lead to higher bitumen recoveries and the latter may improve the solid-liquid separation rate. The bridging liquid may be added in an area of relatively high shear rates. Between stages of bridging liquid addition, agglomerates may be removed.

Abstract: Described is a method of processing a bituminous feed. The bituminous feed is solvent extracted to form a bitumen-rich stream and a bitumen-lean stream. Solvent is recovered from the bitumen-rich stream to form a bitumen product. Solvent and water are recovered from the bitumen-lean stream to form dry tailings with a moisture content of less than 40 wt.%. The dry tailings are separated into at least two streams, each stream having a moisture content of less than 40 wt. %, based on at least one physical or chemical property. At least one of the at least two streams is then used at an oil sands mine site. In this way, the dry tailings may be used more effectively.

Abstract: Processes are provided herein for producing naphtha boiling range products with a desired sulfur content by reducing the mercaptan content of the naphtha boiling range products after the products exit a hydroprocessing stage. Due to mercaptan reversion, naphtha boiling range products that contain even small amounts of olefins can have a higher than expected sulfur content after hydroprocessing. In order to reduce or mitigate the effects of mercaptan reversion, microchannel reactors (or microreactors) can be placed in a processing system downstream of a reactor that produces a low sulfur naphtha product. The microreactors can include a coating of metals that have activity for hydrodesulfurization. By passing at least a portion of the naphtha product through the downstream microreactors, the mercaptans formed by reversion reactions can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in a naphtha product with possessing a very low sulfur content.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of processing a bituminous feed. The bituminous feed is contacted with an extraction liquor to form a slurry. A bridging liquid is added to the slurry, and, solids are agitated within the slurry to form an agglomerated slurry comprising agglomerates and a low solids bitumen extract. In order to control agglomeration, the slurry is analyzed and the processing method is adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of processing a bituminous feed. The bituminous feed is contacted with an extraction liquor to form a slurry. The slurry is then flowed through a pipeline. A bridging liquid is added to the slurry to assist agglomeration. Agitation is also used to assist agglomeration. The result is an agglomerated slurry comprising agglomerates and a low solids bitumen extract. The agglomerates are then separated from the low solids bitumen extract. Performing the agglomeration in a pipeline as opposed to in a conventional agitating vessel may provide certain advantages, such as improved sealing in order to contain the potentially flammable mixture of oil sands slurry from the atmosphere, production of smaller and more uniform agglomerates due to improved mixing of the bridging liquid into the oil sands slurry, and the flexibility to have a long residence time for the extraction and agglomeration processes.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ultrafiltration process for separating a heavy hydrocarbon stream to produce an enriched saturates content stream(s) utilizing an ultrafiltration separations process. The enriched saturates content streams can then be further processed in refinery and petrochemical processes that will benefit from the higher content of saturated hydrocarbons produced from this separations process. The invention may be utilized to separate heavy hydrocarbon feedstreams, such as whole crudes, topped crudes, synthetic crude blends, shale oils, oils derived from bitumen, oils derived from tar sands, atmospheric resids, vacuum resids, or other heavy hydrocarbon streams into enriched saturates content product streams. The invention provides an economical method for separating heavy hydrocarbon stream components by molecular species instead of molecular boiling points.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for separating a heavy hydrocarbon stream to produce at least one permeate product stream and at least one retentate product stream. The process utilizes an ultrafiltration process to designed to maximize the quality of the permeate and retenate product streams as well as process embodiments which improve permeate production quantities as well as improve the quality of the product streams obtained by the separations process. In preferred embodiments, the process includes configuration and operational parameters to maximize permeate yield and selectivity.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for separating a heavy hydrocarbon stream to produce at least one permeate product stream and at least one retentate product stream. The process utilizes an ultrafiltration process to designed to maximize the quality of the permeate and retenate product streams as well as process embodiments which improve permeate production quantities as well as improve the quality of the product streams obtained by the separations process. In preferred embodiments, the process includes configuration and operational parameters to maximize permeate yield and selectivity.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ultrafiltration process for separating a heavy hydrocarbon stream to produce an enriched saturates content stream(s) utilizing an ultrafiltration separations process. The enriched saturates content streams can then be further processed in refinery and petrochemical processes that will benefit from the higher content of saturated hydrocarbons produced from this separations process. The invention may be utilized to separate heavy hydrocarbon feedstreams, such as whole crudes, topped crudes, synthetic crude blends, shale oils, oils derived from bitumen, oils derived from tar sands, atmospheric resids, vacuum resids, or other heavy hydrocarbon streams into enriched saturates content product streams. The invention provides an economical method for separating heavy hydrocarbon stream components by molecular species instead of molecular boiling points.