Patent ID: 8431016
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: B01J,C10G

Abstract:
1. A method of hydroprocessing a heavy oil feedstock, comprising: mixing a hydrocarbon oil diluent and a catalyst precursor composition below a temperature at which a significant portion of the catalyst precursor composition starts to decompose to form a diluted precursor mixture; mixing the diluted precursor mixture with a heavy oil feedstock comprised of a substantial quantity of hydrocarbons having a boiling point greater than about 343° C. in a manner so as to yield a conditioned feedstock comprising the heavy oil feedstock, the hydrocarbon oil diluent, and the catalyst precursor composition; heating the conditioned feedstock so as to decompose the catalyst precursor composition and allow metal liberated from the decomposed catalyst precursor composition to react with sulfur liberated from the heavy oil feedstock so as to form a colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ within the heavy oil feedstock; heating or maintaining the heavy oil feedstock at a hydrocracking temperature within a hydrocracking reactor to form hydrocarbon free radicals from the heavy oil feedstock, the colloidal or molecular catalyst catalyzing reactions between hydrogen and hydrocarbon free radicals in the hydrocracking reactor to yield an upgraded material and reducing or eliminating formation of coke precursors and sediment in the hydrocracking reactor; transferring the upgraded material, together with residual colloidal or molecular catalyst and hydrogen, to a separator so as to separate gaseous and volatile fractions from a resid fraction containing the residual colloidal or molecular catalyst, the residual colloidal or molecular catalyst reducing or eliminating formation of coke precursors and sediment within the separator; and recycling at least a portion of the resid fraction and residual colloidal or molecular catalyst remaining in the recycled resid fraction portion from the separator back into the hydrocracking reactor so as to further upgrade the recycled resid fraction portion and provide recycled colloidal or molecular catalyst within the hydrocracking reactor.