Abstract: A process and apparatus for cracking a hydrocarbon feed containing resid, comprising: heating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid; passing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock to a vapor/liquid separator; flashing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock in said vapor/liquid separator to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase containing said resid; passing at least a portion of said resid-containing liquid phase from said vapor/liquid separator to a thermal conversion reactor operating at 649° C. or more, wherein the thermal conversion reactor contains coke particles; and converting at least a portion of said resid into olefins.

Abstract: A method for the determination of the aromatic cores or building blocks of a vacuum resid by controlled fragmentation. Molecules can be generated from these building blocks.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstreams are desulfurized using an alkali metal reagent, optionally in the presence of hydrogen. Improved control over reaction conditions can be achieved in part by controlling the particle size of the alkali metal salt and by using multiple desulfurization reactors. The processes herein allow a simple and effective method for removing the majority of coke formed in the alkali metal reagent reactions with the hydrocarbon feedstreams. This makes it cost effective to run such processes at higher severities (which result in higher coke production) thereby resulting in increased amounts of valuable converted hydrocarbon product yields. The process improvements herein may also be used to increase total throughput through a unit due to the ability to effectively manage higher coke content in the reaction products.

Abstract: Self-compatible heavy oil streams are produced from converted and/or desulfurized fractions. In a preferred embodiment, an incompatibility stream is added to the converted and/or desulfurized stream to reduce the solubility number of the stream. After using a water wash to remove incompatible material, a lighter fraction is removed from the stream to increase the solubility number.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cracking a hydrocarbon feed containing resid, comprising: heating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid; passing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock to a vapor/liquid separator; flashing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock in said vapor/liquid separator to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase containing said resid; passing at least a portion of said resid-containing liquid phase from said vapor/liquid separator to a thermal conversion reactor operating at 649° C. or more, wherein the thermal conversion reactor contains coke particles; and converting at least a portion of said resid into olefins.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cracking a hydrocarbon feed containing resid, comprising: heating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid; passing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock to a vapor/liquid separator; flashing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock in said vapor/liquid separator to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase containing said resid; passing at least a portion of said resid-containing liquid phase from said vapor/liquid separator to a thermal conversion reactor operating at 649° C. or more, wherein the thermal conversion reactor contains coke particles; and converting at least a portion of said resid into olefins.

Abstract: A method for predicting petroleum production is provided. An exemplary embodiment of The computer-implemented comprises computing a first approximation of an amount of generated petroleum that is retained with a complex organic product using a Threshold and a Maximum Retention value. The exemplary method also comprises revising the first approximation by approximating a process of chemical fractionation using at least one partition factor to create a revised approximation and predicting petroleum production based on the revised approximation.

Abstract: A method for the determination of the aromatic cores or building blocks of a vacuum resid by controlled fragmentation. Molecules can be generated from these building blocks.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cracking a hydrocarbon feed containing resid, comprising: heating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid; passing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock to a vapor/liquid separator; flashing said heated hydrocarbon feedstock in said vapor/liquid separator to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase containing said resid; passing at least a portion of said resid-containing liquid phase from said vapor/liquid separator to a thermal conversion reactor operating at 649° C. or more, wherein the thermal conversion reactor contains coke particles; and converting at least a portion of said resid into olefins.

Abstract: The electrodesulfurization of heavy oils wherein a feedstream comprised of bitumen or heavy oil is conducted, along with an effective amount of hydrogen, to an electrochemical cell. A current is applied to the cell wherein sulfur from the feedstream combines with hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide which is removed.

Abstract: Self-compatible heavy oil streams are produced from converted and/or desulfurized fractions. In a preferred embodiment, an incompatibility stream is added to the converted and/or desulfurized stream to reduce the solubility number of the stream. After using a water wash to remove incompatible material, a lighter fraction is removed from the stream to increase the solubility number.

Abstract: A method for predicting petroleum production is provided. An exemplary embodiment of the method comprises computing a first approximation of an amount of generated petroleum that is retained with a complex organic product using a Threshold and a Maximum Retention value. The exemplary method also comprises revising the first approximation by approximating a process of chemical fractionation using at least one partition factor to create a revised approximation and predicting petroleum production based on the revised approximation.

Abstract: The electrodesulfurization of heavy oils wherein a feedstream comprised of bitumen or heavy oil is conducted, along with an effective amount of hydrogen, to an electrochemical cell. A current is applied to the cell wherein sulfur from the feedstream combines with hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide which is removed.

Abstract: A method of predicting the composition of hydrocarbon products of a complex carbonaceous material when exposed to specific time and temperature conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment, the material is characterized to obtain elemental, chemical and structural parameters. A representative chemical structure of the material is constructed based on the characterization information. The representative chemical structure is then stochastically expanded to a molecular ensemble chemical structural model that includes heteroatoms. The chemical structural model is coupled to a compositional yield model and the composition of the material products is determined using kinetic modeling.

Abstract: A method of predicting the composition of hydrocarbon products of a complex carbonaceous material when exposed to specific time and temperature conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment, the material is characterized to obtain elemental, chemical and structural parameters. A representative chemical structure of the material is constructed based on the characterization information. The representative chemical structure is then stochastically expanded to a molecular ensemble chemical structural model that includes heteroatoms. The chemical structural model is coupled to a compositional yield model and the composition of the material products is determined using kinetic modeling.

Abstract: Disclosed is a one-step ion-exchange method for organically bonding alkali and alkaline-earth metals onto coal. The method comprises contacting the coal, at a temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. with, (a) an aqueous solution containing cations of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline-earth metals, and (b) an oxidizing gas.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for combusting coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur which process comprises (a) providing a coal containing more than 1 wt. % sulfur and containing an organically bound calcium to sulfur ratio of at least about 0.8 to 1, (b) burning the coal to about 80% to 95% carbon conversion at temperatures greater than about 1,100.degree. C. in a first combustion zone in the presence of an oxidizing agent but under reducing conditions such that the equivalence ratio of coal to oxidizing agent is less than 1.5 but greater than or equal to 1.0, (c) separating the resulting solid effluent from the gaseous effluent from the first combustion zone, and (d) burning the gaseous effluent at a temperature from about 1,000.degree. C. to about 1,500.degree. C. in a second combustion zone under oxidizing conditions. A substantial amount of the sulfur of the coal is captured in the resulting solid effluent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for combusting coal wherein the emission of SO.sub.x or the emission of SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x are minimized. The process comprises (a) providing a coal containing at least twice as much organic calcium than sulfur; (b) burning the coal at a temperature greater than about 1200.degree. C. under reducing conditions; (c) separating the solid effluents from the gaseous effluents; and (d) burning the gaseous effluents at a temperature from about 1000.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C. under oxidizing conditions.