Abstract: Disclosed is a sports container apparatus including a rigid tube or shell with opposing open ends. First and second opposing ends having a first end cap and a second end cap, respectively. The first and second end caps are radially fluted and operably attached to the rigid tube in a sealed manner. The sports container is operative for use as a golf bag or transport container and configured to balance stored articles such as golf clubs. The sports container configured to carry golf clubs or other items while being protected from an exposed environment where collisions with other hard surfaced items or the elements could cause damage. The device easily and safely mounts golf clubs or other items to a motorcycle, bicycle, ATV, or other vehicle without the use of brackets or other mounting devices while maintaining a balanced equilibrium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sports container apparatus including a rigid tube or shell with opposing open ends. First and second opposing ends having a first end cap and a second end cap, respectively. The first and second end caps are radially fluted and operably attached to the rigid tube in a sealed manner. The sports container is operative for use as a golf bag or transport container and configured to balance stored articles such as golf clubs. The sports container configured to carry golf clubs or other items while being protected from an exposed environment where collisions with other hard surfaced items or the elements could cause damage. The device easily and safely mounts golf clubs or other items to a motorcycle, bicycle, ATV, or other vehicle without the use of brackets or other mounting devices while maintaining a balanced equilibrium.

Abstract: A method for upgrading an oil stream containing naphthenic acid and sulfur contaminants is described. In this method, an oil stream with naphthenic acid and sulfur contaminants is upgraded by the following steps. First, the oil stream is mixed with an alkaline earth metal oxide in an amount effective to convert substantially all of the naphthenic acid contaminants to non-acidic compounds and alkaline earth metal carbonate and also to convert substantially all of the sulfur contaminants to alkaline earth metal sulfide. Then, the mixture is heated under a pressure sufficient to prevent vaporization of the mixture to a temperature sufficient and for a time sufficient to react the naphthenic acid contaminants with the alkaline earth oxide to form the corresponding non-acidic compounds and alkaline earth carbonates. In the meantime, substantially all of the sulfur contaminants react with the alkaline earth oxide to form the alkaline earth sulfide.

Abstract: A method is described for making a high purity coke fuel or anode grade coke from a heavy petroleum residuum by contacting a molten anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide with the heavy petroleum residuum at a temperature and for a time sufficient to extract substantially all sulfur and heavy metals contained in the petroleum residuum to the alkali metal hydroxide and recovering the coke product.

Abstract: A process for upgrading heavy crude oil production is described which involves adding a diluent, or solvent, which is a light hydrocarbon to reduce the viscosity and specific gravity of the crude oil being processed. After dilution, the emulsions in the crude are broken and the separation of the crude into the components follows, aided by a second injection of diluent. This upgrades the crude and enhances the amount recovered for processing at a refinery. A high asphalt content of a heavy crude can also be tolerated in the practice of this invention resulting in environmentally-benign solids and water exiting a process which due to the modularization of equipment can be practiced at the well-head itself.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed whereby refinery waste emulsion streams such as API slop oils, desalter rag layer emulsions, mud pit sludges and the like having high viscosities and specific gravity approaching that of water can be treated for the recovery of processable oil values which had previously been unavailable by adding a sufficient amount of a light hydrocarbon diluent to the emulsion to lower its overall viscosity and to reduce the specific gravity of the oil phase to less than about 0.92. The diluted emulsions are subjected to flashing at emulsion-breaking conditions after which the oil is recovered from the various streams created in the flashing steps.