Abstract: Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor.

Abstract: Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition may comprise in an embodiment a first component comprising co-catalyst particles and a liquid carrier, and a second component comprising a dispersant and a dispersant diluent. The co-catalyst particles may be in the micron size range, and the dispersant may promote dispersion of the co-catalyst particles in materials such as the liquid carrier, the dispersant diluent, and combinations thereof. Methods of introducing a hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition into a hydroprocessing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition may comprise in an embodiment a first component comprising co-catalyst particles and a liquid carrier, and a second component comprising a dispersant and a dispersant diluent. The co-catalyst particles may be in the micron size range, and the dispersant may promote dispersion of the co-catalyst particles in materials such as the liquid carrier, the dispersant diluent, and combinations thereof. Methods of introducing a hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition into a hydroprocessing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method to upgrade heavy oil feedstock using an ebullated bed reactor and a novel catalyst system is provided. The ebullated bed reactor system includes two different catalyst with different characteristics: an expanded catalyst zone containing particulate catalyst having a particle size of greater than 0.65 mm; and a slurry catalyst having an average particle size ranging from 1 to 300 ?m. The slurry catalyst is provided to the ebullated bed system containing the heavy oil feedstock, and entrained in the upflowing hydrocarbon liquid passing through the ebullated bed reaction zone. The slurry catalyst reduces the formation of sediment and coke precursors in the ebullating bed reactor system. The slurry catalyst is prepared from rework materials, which form a slurry catalyst in-situ upon mixing with the heavy oil feedstock.

Abstract: Systems and methods for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstocks are disclosed. The process employs a plurality of contacting zones operating under hydrocracking conditions and at least one separation zone to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. The first contacting zone consists of one or more ebullated bed reactors. Most of the metals in the heavy oil feed are converted and adsorbed on the ebullated bed catalyst and can be removed during catalyst replacement. The second contacting zone consists of one or more slurry phase reactors. The slurry phase reactor can be operated at higher temperature to achieve higher conversion.

Abstract: A method to upgrade heavy oil feedstock using an ebullated bed reactor and a novel catalyst system is provided. The ebullated bed reactor system includes two different catalyst with different characteristics: an expanded catalyst zone containing particulate catalyst having a particle size of greater than 0.65 mm; and a slurry catalyst having an average particle size ranging from 1 to 300 ?m. The slurry catalyst is introduced to the ebullated bed system with the heavy oil feedstock, and entrained in the upflowing hydrocarbon liquid passing through the ebullated bed reaction zone. The slurry catalyst reduces the formation of sediment and coke precursors in the ebullating bed reactor system. The slurry catalyst is prepared from at least a water-soluble metal precursor and pre-sulfided prior to being introduced with the heavy oil feedstock to the reactor system, or sulfided in-situ in the ebullated bed reactor in another embodiment.

Abstract: A method to reduce metal deposit in the hydroprocessing or upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. The method comprises feeding an improved catalyst feed to the system, with the improved catalyst feed comprising a fresh slurry catalyst and a deoiled spent catalyst, with the deoiled spent catalyst being present in an amount of at least 10% the catalyst feed for the heavy oil upgrade system to have at least a 5% reduction in metal contaminant build-up compared to heavy oil upgrade system without the deoiled spent catalyst in the feed.

Abstract: A method for preparing an improved slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. In one embodiment, the process comprises: sulfiding at least a metal precursor solution with at least a sulfiding agent forming a sulfided Group VIB catalyst precursor, the metal precursor solution having a pH of at least 4 and a concentration of less than 10 wt. % of Primary metal in solution; and mixing the catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form the slurry catalyst composition. The slurry catalyst prepared therefrom has a BET total surface area of at least 100 m2/g, a total pore volume of at least 0.5 cc/g and a polymodal pore distribution with at least 80% of pore sizes in the range of 5 to 2,000 Angstroms in diameter.

Abstract: A method to prepare an improved catalyst feed to a system to upgrade heavy oil. The method comprises: providing a spent catalyst that has been used in a hydroprocessing operation has with a solid content ranging from 5 to 50 wt. % in soluble hydrocarbons and having less than 80% but more than 10% of original catalytic activity; removing at least 50% of the soluble hydrocarbons removed in a deoiling step; treating the deoiled spent catalyst with a treating solution containing at least one of plain water, a mineral acid, an oxidizing agent, and combinations thereof to reduce the concentration of at least one metal contaminant in the deoiled spent catalyst by at least 40%. After treatment, the treated deoiled spent catalyst is slurried in a hydrocarbon medium, and fed to the heavy oil upgrade system as part of the catalyst feed system with a fresh slurry catalyst.

Abstract: A process for preparing a slurry catalyst is provided. The slurry catalyst is prepared from at least a Group VIB metal precursor and optionally at least a Promoter metal precursor selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA metals and combinations thereof. The slurry catalyst comprises a plurality of dispersed particles in a hydrocarbon medium having an average particle size ranging from 1 to 300 ?m. The slurry catalyst is then mixed with a hydrogen feed at a pressure from 1435 psig (10 MPa) to 3610 psig (25 MPa) and a temperature from 200-800° F. at 500 to 15,000 scf hydrogen per bbl of slurry catalyst for a minute to 20 hours, for the slurry catalyst to be saturated with hydrogen providing an increase of k-values in terms of HDS, HDN, and HDMCR of at least 15% compared to a slurry catalyst that is not saturated with hydrogen.

Abstract: Methods for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstocks are disclosed. A heavy oil feedstock, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a slurry catalyst are passed through a plurality of upflow reactors operating under hydrocracking conditions to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. At least a portion of the mixture comprising the upgraded products, unconverted heavy oil feedstock, the hydrogen-containing gas, and the slurry catalyst from an upflow reactor other than the first upflow reactor is sent back to at least one upstream upflow reactor as a recycled stream.

Abstract: A process for preparing an improved slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. The process comprises providing at least a metal precursor in solution comprising at least two different metal cations in its molecular structure, with at least one of the metal cations is a Group VIB metal cation; sulfiding the metal precursor with a sulfiding agent in solution forming a catalyst precursor; and mixing the catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form the slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, the at least a metal precursor comprising at least two different metal cations is prepared by combining and reacting at least one Group VIB metal compound with at least a Promoter metal compound selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA metals and combinations thereof.

Abstract: An improved process for preparing a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. In the process, high shear mixing is employed to generate an emulsion containing droplets of metal precursor in oil with droplet sizes ranging from 0.1 to 300 ?m. The emulsion is subsequently sulfided with a sulfiding agent, or in-situ in a heavy oil feedstock to form a slurry catalyst. The in-situ sulfidation in heavy oil is under sufficient condition for the heavy oil feedstock to generate the sulfiding source needed for the sulfidation.

Abstract: An improved hydroprocessing slurry catalyst is provided for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock. The catalyst comprises dispersed particles in a hydrocarbon medium with the dispersed particles have an average particle size ranging from 1 to 300 ?m. The catalyst has a total pore volume of at least 0.5 cc/g and a polymodal pore distribution with at least 80% of pore sizes in the range of 5 to 2,000 Angstroms in diameter. The catalyst is prepared from sulfiding and dispersing a metal precursor solution in a hydrocarbon diluent, the metal precursor comprising at least a Primary metal precursor and optionally a Promoter metal precursor, the metal precursor solution having a pH of at least 4 and a concentration of less than 10 wt. % of Primary metal in solution.

Abstract: An improved process to make a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. The sulfiding of the metal precursor/catalyst precursor is carried out at least twice (“enhanced sulfiding”) in the improved process to form a slurry catalyst with improved surface area and porosity value. The slurry catalyst under an enhanced sulfiding scheme is characterized as having increased catalytic activities over a slurry catalyst without an enhanced sulfidation step.

Abstract: A process for preparing a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. The process employs a pressure leach solution obtained from a metal recovery process as part of the metal precursor feed. In one embodiment, the process comprises: sulfiding a pressure leach solution having at least a Group VIB metal precursor compound in solution forming a catalyst precursor, and mixing the sulfided catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form the slurry catalyst. In another embodiment, the pressure leach solution is mixed with a hydrocarbon diluent under high shear mixing conditions to form an emulsion, which emulsion can be sulfided in-situ upon contact with a heavy oil feedstock in the heavy oil upgrade process.

Abstract: An improved slurry catalyst feed system for heavy oil upgraded is provided. The catalyst feed system comprises a fresh slurry catalyst and a deoiled spent catalyst, with the deoiled spent catalyst being present in an amount of at least 10% the catalyst feed system. The deoiled spent catalyst is a slurry catalyst that has been used in a hydroprocessing operation resulting in than 80% but more than 10% of original catalytic activity, and containing less than 10 wt. % soluble hydrocarbons as unconverted heavy oil feed. The deoiled spent catalyst is slurried in a hydrocarbon medium as dispersed particles prior to being fed to the heavy oil upgrade system.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition may comprise in an embodiment a first component comprising co-catalyst particles and a liquid carrier, and a second component comprising a dispersant and a dispersant diluent. The co-catalyst particles may be in the micron size range, and the dispersant may promote dispersion of the co-catalyst particles in materials such as the liquid carrier, the dispersant diluent, and combinations thereof. Methods of introducing a hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition into a hydroprocessing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition may comprise in an embodiment a first component comprising co-catalyst particles and a liquid carrier, and a second component comprising a dispersant and a dispersant diluent. The co-catalyst particles may be in the micron size range, and the dispersant may promote dispersion of the co-catalyst particles in materials such as the liquid carrier, the dispersant diluent, and combinations thereof. Methods of introducing a hydroprocessing co-catalyst composition into a hydroprocessing system are also disclosed.