Abstract: An aromatics complex producing one or more xylene isomers offers a large number of opportunities to conserve energy by heat exchange within the complex. One previously unrecognized opportunity is through providing two parallel distillation columns operating at different pressures to separate C8 aromatics from C9+ aromatics. The parallel columns offer additional opportunities to conserve energy within the complex.

Abstract: An aromatics complex producing one or more xylene isomers offers a large number of opportunities to conserve energy by heat exchange within the complex. One previously unrecognized opportunity is through providing two parallel distillation columns operating at different pressures to separate C8 aromatics from C9+ aromatics. The parallel columns offer additional opportunities to conserve energy within the complex.

Abstract: A method for recovering base oil from waste lubricating oil by separating base oil range constituents from a waste lubricating oil mixture, thereafter separating higher quality base oil constituents and lower quality base oil constituents from the base oil recovered from the waste lubricating oil mixture and thereafter treating the lower quality base oil constituents to produce marketable base oil. The total base oil produced from a waste lubricating oil mixture by this process is greater than the quantity producible by previous processes using only base oil separation from the waste lubricating oil mixture or processes which use only treatment of the base oil recovered from the waste lubricating oil mixture to produce the product base oil.

Abstract: A process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase which collect as bottoms and removing the liquid phase, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and cooling the product effluent, wherein the bottoms are maintained under conditions to effect at least partial visbreaking. The visbroken bottoms may be steam stripped to recover the visbroken molecules while avoiding entrainment of the bottoms liquid. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods for improving the operational parameters in primary fractionators which are experiencing diminished operation efficiencies due to deposits of polymerized hydrocarbon species. The invention comprises the step of adding a foam reducing amount of a foam reducing composition at the primary fractionator. A reduction in foaming is achieved whereby the operational efficiency of the process is improved based upon operation parameters including, but not limited to, liquid-gas contact ratio, product top temperature, pressure differentials, gasoline end point or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A process for decoking of a process that cracks hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid and coke precursors, wherein steam is added to the feedstock to form a mixture which is thereafter separated into a vapor phase and a liquid phase by flashing in a flash/separation vessel, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and recovering cracked product. Coking of internal surfaces in and proximally downstream of the vessel is controlled by interrupting the feed flow, purging the vessel with steam, introducing an air/steam mixture to at least partially combust the coke, and resuming the feed flow when sufficient coke has been removed. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid is cracked by a process comprising: (a) heating the hydrocarbon feedstock; (b) mixing the heated hydrocarbon feedstock with steam and optionally water to form a mixture stream; (c) introducing the mixture stream to a flash/separation apparatus to form i) a vapor phase at its dew point which partially cracks and loses/or heat causing a temperature decrease and partial condensation of the vapor phase in the absence of added heat to provide coke precursors existing as uncoalesced condensate, and ii) a liquid phase; (d) removing the vapor phase as overhead and the liquid phase as bottoms from the flash/separation apparatus; (e) treating the overhead by contacting with a hydrocarbon-containing nucleating liquid substantially free of resid and comprising components boiling at a temperature of at least about 260° C. (500° F.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a high temperature short-time distillation of residual oil. The method according to the invention is characterized by a technically simple recovery of a small residual fraction from a gas and/or oil vapour mixture produced by a mixing apparatus (1). Said small residual fraction contains large quantities of undesirable polluting catalytic substances (CCR, Ni, V, asphaltenes). For this purpose, the gas and/or oil vapour mixture produced by the mixing apparatus (1) is diluted with gas or water vapour in a column (17) at a temperature of 450° C. in such a way that a high boiling fraction, which has a high content of the pollutant substances and whose initial boiling point is higher than 450° C., is condensed and extracted.

Abstract: An energy efficient process scheme for a highly exothermic reaction-distillation system in which the reactor is external to the distillation column and the feed to the reactor is a mixture of at least one liquid product stream from the distillation column with or without other liquid/vapor reactants. The reactor is operated under adiabatic and boiling point conditions and at a pressure that results in vaporizing a portion of the liquid flow through the reactor due to the heat of reaction. Under these conditions, reaction temperature is controlled by reactor pressure. The pressure (and hence the temperature) is maintained at a sufficiently high level such that the reactor effluent can be efficiently used to provide reboil heat for the distillation column.

Abstract: An energy efficient process scheme for a highly exothermic reaction-distillation system in which the reactor is external to the distillation column and the feed to the reactor is a mixture of at least one liquid product stream from the distillation column with or without other liquid/vapor reactants. The reactor is operated under adiabatic and boiling point conditions and at a pressure that results in vaporizing a portion of the liquid flow through the reactor due to the heat of reaction. Under these conditions, reaction temperature is controlled by reactor pressure. The pressure (and hence the temperature) is maintained at a sufficiently high level such that the reactor effluent can be efficiently used to provide reboil heat for the distillation column.

Abstract: Methods of separating components of a mixture, such as crude oil, are disclosed which increase the yield of individual components while decreasing the yield of residue. In one method, a heated mixture is fed to a column, a vapor stream is withdrawn from the column and separated, and a portion of the vapor stream is recycled back to the column. In another method, a mixture is separated into streams composed substantially of components having light, intermediate or heavy molecular weight and/or low, intermediate or high boiling point, respectively, and the streams are fed into the column at different positions. In both methods, individual light, intermediate and/or heavy molecular weight and/or low, intermediate and/or high boiling point component streams are then selectively withdrawn from the column.

Abstract: Residual oil from the processing of crude oil, natural bitumen or oil sand is mixed in a mixer with granular, hot coke as heat carrier (heat carrier coke) in a weight ratio of 1:3 to 1:30, where on the granules of the heat carrier coke there is first of all formed a liquid residue film which partly evaporates in the mixer. Gases and vapors and moist, sticky coke are withdrawn from the mixer. The mixture of coke and residual oil is introduced into a subsequently connected stirred tank in which the mixture slowly moves downwards while being stirred mechanically at a temperature of 450 to 600° C. and preferably at 480 to 550° C. Dry, flowable coke is withdrawn from the stirred tank. Usually, the dwell time of the heat carrier coke in the stirred tank is 1 to 30 minutes.

Abstract: A method of separating a petroleum-containing material into at least two fractions, an extraction system, and an extraction fluid therefor are provided. Petroleum-containing material as well as a solvent mixture comprising 50%-99% by volume sub-critical carbon dioxide and 1%-50% by volume of at least one co-solvent are introduced into an extraction column. The co-solvent can be propane, ethane, butane, propylene 2 methylpropane, 2,2 dimethylpropane, propadiene, dimethylether, chlorodifluoromethane, difluoromethane and methylfluoride. A fraction containing solvent mixture and solvated petroleum-containing material is removed from the top portion of the extraction column, while a dense fraction of the petroleum-containing material, as well as solvent mixture, is withdrawn from the bottom portion of the extraction column. Solvent mixture is recovered from the solvated petroleum-containing material.

Abstract: High temperature flash distillation, for treating residual oils originating from crude oil refining, natural bitumen and/or tar sands, comprises feeding the oil to a mixer with granular hot coke, which serves as a thermal transfer medium. In mixing, 60-90% of the oil is vaporized. The non-vaporized fraction includes metal-containing asphaltenes. This fraction is further converted in the mixer, to oil vapor, gas and coke. Gases and vapor are withdrawn from the mixer, separately from the coke. The vapor phase is cooled and condensed to produce product oil. The gas itself is a further product. The coke is reheated and recycled to the mixer as the thermal transfer medium.

Abstract: A process for the dehydration and/or desalination and simultaneous fractionation of a petroleum deposit effluent containing oil, associated gas and water which can be saline, which process comprises:(a) at least one step for separating the liquid and gaseous phases at the pressure P1 for removal of the gas, producing a gaseous fraction G1, on the one hand, which is removed and a liquid fraction L1, on the other hand, which is sent to step(b) at least one step for separating, at least partly, the two liquid phases mixed in the liquid fraction L1, the aqueous phase being partly removed and the oil phase containing a quantity of residual aqueous phase being sent to step (c);(c) at least one distillation step carried out at a pressure P2 which is less than, or at the most equal to, the pressure P1 in step (a), in a distillation zone C1, said distillation being carried out in the presence of the oil phase coming from step (b), said zone C1 comprising an internal heat exchange zone and a boiling zone, and enabling

Abstract: A description is given of a process for the fractionation of oil and gas on a petroleum deposit effluent, including:(a) a stage wherein the liquid and gaseous phases are separated at the gas evacuation pressure P1, producing a gaseous fraction G1, on the one hand, which is evacuated, and a liquid fraction L1, on the other hand, which is constituted at least partially of oil, sending the liquid fraction L1 to stage (b);(b) at least one distillation stage carried out at a pressure P2 which is less than or at least equal to the pressure P1 in stage (a), in a distillation zone C1 which has an internal heat exchange zone and a reboiling zone, and which permits a gaseous fraction G2 to be recovered, on the one hand, and a liquid fraction L2 to be recovered, on the other hand, which is sent to the internal exchange zone, then evacuated; and(c) at least one recompression stage at the pressure P1 of at least a part of the gaseous fraction G2 which is at least partly mixed with the gaseous fraction G2 and evacuated.

Abstract: A used lubricating oil comprising lube oil additives, including zinc dithiophosphate is subjected to reclaiming. Zinc dithiophosphate is thermally decomposed at a temperature of 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) to 1000.degree. F. (538.degree. C.) for a residence time of 10 to 120 minutes. The resulting oil is subjected to vacuum distillation. A zinc-free (i.e. ash free by ASTM D-482) distillate oil is useful as marine diesel fuel. About 5 to 25 vol % is recovered as a metal containing bottoms product, useful as asphalt extender. The process is carried out in the absence of chemical demetallizing.

Abstract: A method of separation of aromates from hydrocarbon mixtures by extractive distillation with a selective solvent, includes introducing a hydrocarbon mixture into the extractive distillation column, distillating out non-aromate components of the introduced hydrocarbon mixture from a head of the extractive distillation column, withdrawing aromates together with a used solvent from a sump of the extractive distillation column and supplying to a driving-out column, separating the aromates from the solvent in the driving-out column, withdrawing the aromates as a head product and the solvent as a sump product from the driving-out column, reintroducing the withdrawn solvent into the extractive distillation column, the withdrawing of the solvent from the driving-out column including withdrawing only part of the solvent with a high temperature required for the complete aromate driving-out from the sump of the driving-out column, while a rest of the solvent with a certain aromate content and a lower temperature is with

Abstract: The invention involves visbreaking heavy oil under mild conditions in a vertical vessel containing a vertical elongate ring spaced inwardly from the vessel wall to form an outer open-ended annular chamber and an inner open-ended soak chamber. Heavy oil at 220.degree.-600.degree. F. is fed to top of annular chamber. A mixture of visbroken residuum and heavy oil at 730.degree.-800.degree. F. is fed to top of soak chamber. There is heat transfer through the ring from the soak liquid to the annulus liquid to assist in maintaining mild temperature in the soak chamber. The two streams mix in the base of the vessel whereby the visbreaking reaction is quenched. Part of the product is recycled and heated to provide the feed to the soak chamber.

Abstract: A process for the production of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons uses a working fluid to reduce the costs of separating an unreacted aromatic feed substrate from aromatic hydrocarbon products. Unreacted aromatic substrate is combined with a light hydrocarbon, such as propane, to form a combined effluent stream. The combined effluent stream enters a flash separator where unreacted aromatic substrate is lifted overhead with the light hydrocarbon while heavier aromatic products are recovered below. The aromatic substrate and light hydrocarbon are easily separated in a simple separation zone. Lifting the aromatic substrate with the working fluid reduces the volume of aromatic substrate that remains with the aromatic product so that the more energy intensive separation of the aromatic substrate and aromatic product is performed on a reduced volume of material.

Abstract: A heat integrated hydrotreating process has been invented. The feedstock is a cracked hydrocarbon stock which is mixed with hydrogen to suppress coking before heating in a multiple tube furnace to reactor inlet temperature. A minor portion of the feedstock is mixed with hydrogen and heated to reactor inlet temperature by quenching the hot reactor effluent. The minor portion is fed directly to the hydrogenation reactor, bypassing the furnace. By the process, high level heat is recovered.

Abstract: The process for production of an aromate concentrate for use as a blending component for gasification fuel includes subjecting another feed hydrocarbon mixture to an extractive distillation using N-substituted morpholines as selective solvent in a extractive distillation column. Low-boiling non-aromates with a boiling range up to about 105.degree. C. practically completely and higher-boiling non-aromates with a boiling range between about 105.degree. and 160.degree. C. to a substantial extent are discharged as a raffinate from the top of the extractive distillation column. The extract bottoms from the extractive distillation are fed to a solvent stripping column where the solvent is at least partially recovered from other hydrocarbons. To eliminate condensation and polymerization products due to components with a boiling point over 170.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for the production of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons uses a light hydrocarbon recycle to reduce the costs of separating an unreacted aromatic feed substrate from aromatic hydrocarbon products. Unreacted aromatic substrate is combined with a light hydrocarbon, such as propane, to form a combined effluent stream. The combined effluent stream enters a flash separator where unreacted aromatic substrate is lifted overhead with the light hydrocarbon while heavier aromatic products are recovered below. The aromatic substrate and light hydrocarbon are easily separated in a simple separation zone. Lifting the aromatic substrate with the light hydrocarbon reduces the volume of aromatic substrate that remains with the aromatic product so that the more energy intensive separation of the aromatic substrate and aromatic product is performed on a reduced volume of material.

Abstract: A method of and system for recovering a solvent from a mixture of solvent and hydrocarbons, the system comprising at least two evaporation flasks successively fed with a charge consisting of said mixture to be separated, at least one steam generator performing the condensation of the solvent, a circuit for conveying the evaporated solvent and connecting the flasks to the generator and a circuit of an intermediate fluid in gaseous phase including a compressor for raising the condensation temperature of this fluid, the latter circuit connecting the generator to heat exchangers arranged upstream of each flask.

Abstract: An improvement in a process for the treatment of heavy oil in which a hydrocarbon diluent is subjected to distillation prior to its addition to a heavy oil production stream, to remove at least some of the light components in the diluent that would otherwise vaporize in the treatment process. A distillation unit for use in the process is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process is disclosed in which the overhead vapor stream of a fractionation column is utilized as the working fluid which is depressurized to drive a turbine. The turbine may be used to generate electricity which is then used within the fractionation process or in another process, with a preferred use of the electricity being to supply heat to the bottom of the fractionation zone. The turbine is integrated into the overhead system of the column and the turbine effluent enters the overhead condenser to form liquid which may be used as reflux to the column.

Abstract: A method for controlling the temperature and composition of a vapor feedstream into a second reactor connected in series flow arrangement with a first reactor. The effluent stream from the first reactor containing vapor and liquid fractions is first cooled against a vapor stream and then further cooled against a suitable external fluid, then is phase separated to provide vapor and liquid fractions. The separated vapor fraction is reheated against the first reactor effluent stream and passed at an intermediate temperature into the second reactor. The first reactor is preferably an ebullated bed type catalytic reactor and the second reactor is preferably a fixed bed type catalytic reactor which is operated at an inlet temperature 20.degree.-200.degree. F. lower than the first reactor effluent stream temperature.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for generating steam or electrical power from surplus heat transferred to the total bottoms liquid of a fractionation column. Preferably the reboiler of the column is supplied with more fuel than required in the operation of the column. A portion of the total bottoms liquid stream in excess of the net bottoms stream is diverted from the bottoms liquid destined for the reboiler. This diverted stream is used to vaporize a working fluid and this vapor is removed as a product or passed into the turbine of an electrical generator. The excess bottoms liquid is then split off and passed into the reboiler. The remainder of the bottoms liquid is the net bottoms stream and is used to preheat the working fluid. The process has the advantage of an exceptionally high thermal efficiency in terms of converting the surplus heat released in the reboiler into electricity.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for recovering useful energy from the overhead stream of a fractionation column. A high efficiency for the overall process is achieved by first removing heat from the overhead stream by vaporizing an expansion turbine working fluid stream and by then removing an additional amount of heat in a working fluid preheater. The amount of working fluid flowing through the preheater is more than is vaporized by exchange against the overhead stream. The remaining liquid-phase portion of the working fluid is separately passed into a second vaporizer having a different heat source.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons are preheated, particularly for a hydrodesulfurization process by first heating the hydrocarbon stream to produce a vapor and a liquid stream, thereafter superheating at least some of the vapor phase and mixing the superheated vapor phase with the liquid phase to generate the hydrocarbon feedstream at the desired temperature. By this procedure only the evaporated hydrocarbons are subjected to a high temperature, but not the heavier hydrocarbons.

Abstract: An improvement to a continuous solvent extraction-steam-distillation process for the recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons in the range of C.sub.6 -C.sub.16 from a feed stream containing such aromatics and aliphatic hydrocarbons in the range of C.sub.5 -C.sub.16 which resides in using two extractive distillation zones thermally linked to recover heat and solvent, thereby resulting in a heat savings.

Abstract: A process for distilling multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures in which the relative volatility between the dominant component in the lightest product and the dominant component in the heaviest component is between 1.10 and 7. The hydrocarbon mixture is fed to groups of distillation columns each of which is provided with an overhead condenser and a bottom reboiler, the columns being arranged in succession to receive the product from the prior adjacent column. The operating pressure in the columns increases from the first column to the final column within prescribed limits and the products of the mixture are separately recovered at one time in the final column without being withdrawn from intermediate distillation columns. Heat is recovered from heat source streams of the process by heat exchange with heat sink streams by bringing the streams successively in contact with a plurality of groups of heat exchangers, each group being at a different temperature level.

Abstract: In a fractionation system wherein a stream of heat-containing fluid is taken from a zone effecting at least a partial control of at least one operating condition in said zone by withdrawing said fluid at a rate responsive to and correlated with a change in said condition and utilizing the heat in said withdrawn fluid.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a petroleum production stream at a remote location, e.g., offshore platform, to produce a liquid product stream having a stabilized vapor pressure, and a gas product stream having a stabilized, low dew point temperature at high pressure. The production stream is flowed through four separation stages where gas is separated from the liquid stream. The handling of the gas and condensed liquids from each of the stages is such that the present flow sequence closely simulates that of a conventional distillation tower and operates almost exactly the same except the principal driving force for vapor boil-up is pressure drop instead of reboiler heat. "Reboiler" heat is also provided in the process by heating the condensed liquid stream before it is returned to the third separation stage and this, along with the control of the pressure of the fourth stage, controls the final vapor pressure of the liquid product stream.

Abstract: Heated hydrocarbon crude oil is passed into a first flash zone wherein it is separated into a first flash vapor and a first flash liquid. First flash vapor is water washed to remove soluble contaminants, and the resulting wash water and the first flash liquid are passed to a desalter. First flash liquid having substantial freedom from water soluble contaminants is passed from the desalter into a second flash zone wherein it is separated into a second flash vapor and a second flash liquid. The second flash liquid is passed into a conventional fractionation zone comprising a crude column and a vacuum column.

Abstract: The present application discloses a fluidized catalytic cracking process wherein light cycle gas oil is stripped of heavy naphtha components employing reboiled light cycle gas oil as stripping vapor. Heavy naphtha vapors stripped from the light cycle gas oil are returned to the reaction vapor as primary stripping vapor. This process results in increased naphtha octanes, and reduced sour water production from a fluidized catalytic cracking unit.

Abstract: In a chemical processing plant such as a petroleum refinery, provision is made for steam boilers and heating furnaces in which the energy consumed by the boilers for generating steam exceeds the energy consumed by the heating furnaces. The steam is produced at a pressure level which is sufficient to operate at least one back-pressure turbo-alternator, then to heat the chemical process stream to a sufficiently high temperature by heat exchange with the steam recovered at the outlet of the turbo-alternator.