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: An improved process to make a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. In the process, at least a metal precursor feedstock is portioned and fed in any of the stages: the promotion stage; the sulfidation stage; or the transformation stage of a water-based catalyst precursor to a slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, the promoter metal precursor feedstock is split into portions, the first portion is for the sulfiding step, the second portion is for the promotion step; and optionally the third portion is to be added to the transformation step in the mixing of the sulfided promoted catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form the slurry catalyst. In another embodiment, the Primary metal precursor feedstock is split into portions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstock is disclosed. The process employs a plurality of contacting zones and at least a separation zone to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. In one embodiment, water and/or steam being injected into at least a contacting zone. The contacting zones operate under hydrocracking conditions, employing at least a slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the non-volatile fractions recovered from at least one of the separation zones is recycled back to at least a contacting zone (“recycled mode”). In one embodiment, the number of separation zones is less than the number of contacting zones in the system. In the separation zones, upgraded products are removed overhead and optionally treated in an in-line hydrotreater; and the bottom stream is optionally further treated in a fractionator.

Abstract: A process for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstock is disclosed. The process operates in once-through mode, employing a plurality of contacting zones and at least a separation zone to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. The contacting zones operate under hydrocracking conditions, employing a slurry catalyst for upgrading the heavy oil feedstock. At least an additive material selected from inhibitor additives, anti-foam agents, stabilizers, metal scavengers, metal contaminant removers, metal passivators, and sacrificial materials, in an amount of less than 1 wt. % of the heavy oil feedstock, is added to at least one of the contacting zones. In one embodiment, the additive material is an anti-foam agent. In another embodiment, the additive material is a sacrificial material for trapping heavy metals in the heavy oil feed and/or deposited coke, thus prolonging the life of the slurry catalyst.

Abstract: An improved process to make a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. In the process, at least a metal precursor feedstock is portioned and fed in any of the stages: the promotion stage; the sulfidation stage; or the transformation stage of a water-based catalyst precursor to a slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, the promoter metal precursor feedstock is split into portions, the first portion is for the sulfiding step, the second portion is for the promotion step; and optionally the third portion is to be added to the transformation step in the mixing of the sulfided promoted catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form the slurry catalyst. In another embodiment, the Primary metal precursor feedstock is split into portions.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: An improved hydroprocessing slurry catalyst is provided for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock. The slurry catalyst is prepared from at least a Group VIB metal precursor compound and optionally at least a Promoter metal precursor compound. 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 surface area of at least 100 m2/g. 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 for preparing a slurry catalyst for the upgrade of heavy oil feedstock is provided. The process employs rework material obtained from a process to prepare a hydroprocessing catalyst as part of the metal precursor feed. In one embodiment, the process comprises mixing the rework material with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a slurried metal precursor for subsequent in-situ sulfiding in a heavy oil upgrade process. In another embodiment, the rework is slurried in a hydrocarbon carrier and a sulfiding agent, forming a slurry catalyst. In yet another embodiment, the rework material is mixed directly with a heavy oil feedstock under in-situ sulfiding conditions, forming a 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 nm. 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: 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 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: 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: 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 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: Systems and methods for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstock is disclosed. The process employs a plurality of contacting zones and at least a separation zone to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. In one embodiment, water and/or steam being injected into at least a contacting zone. The contacting zones operate under hydrocracking conditions, employing at least a slurry catalyst. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the non-volatile fractions recovered from at least one of the separation zones is recycled back to at least a contacting zone (“recycled mode”). In one embodiment, the number of separation zones is less than the number of contacting zones in the system. In the separation zones, upgraded products are removed overhead and optionally treated in an in-line hydrotreater; and the bottom stream is optionally further treated in a fractionator.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a process employing slurry catalyst compositions in the upgrading of heavy oils. The slurry catalyst composition is not permitted to settle, which would result in possible deactivation. The slurry is recycled to an upgrading reactor for repeated use and products require no further separation procedures for catalyst removal.