Abstract: A system is provided for the production of heavy crude oil from an undersea reservoir, and for the treatment of the crude oil to facilitate its transport. A floating body (12) which produces the heavy crude oil, carries a hydrocarbon cracking station (32) that cracks the heavy crude into light liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, and that uses heat resulting from the cracking to produce pressured steam. The pressured steam is used to drive a steam-powered engine (72) (with pistons or a turbine) that drives an electrical generator (74) whose electricity powers the system.

Abstract: A process unit comprising: (a) a first microchannel module comprising: (i) a first unit operation including microchannels, in which at least a portion of a unit operation takes place, adapted to be in fluid communication with a first inlet stream and a first outlet stream, and (ii) a second unit operation including microchannels adapted to be in thermal communication with the first unit operation, the second unit operation adapted to be in fluid communication with a second inlet stream and a second outlet stream; and (b) a pressurized vessel at least partially containing the first microchannel module adapted to be concurrently occupied by a compressive medium in thermal communication with the first microchannel module.