Patent ID: 7431831
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for the hydroconversion of heavy oils with a slurry, said process employing at least two upflow reactors in series with a separator in between each reactor, said process comprising the following steps: (a) combining a heated heavy oil feed and a hydrogen gas to form a mixture; (b) contacting the mixture at pretreating conditions in at least one pretreating reactor; (c) passing the effluent of step (b) to a post-treating separator; (d) passing products and hydrogen overhead from the post-treating separator and combining bottoms from the post-treating separator with an active slurry catalyst composition to form a mixture; (e) passing the mixture of step (d) to the bottom of the first upflow reactor, which is maintained at slurry hydroconversion conditions, including elevated temperature and pressure; (f) removing a vapor stream comprising product, hydrogen, unconverted material and slurry catalyst overhead from the first reactor and passing it to a separator; (g) in the separator of step (f), removing a vapor stream comprising product and hydrogen overhead to further processing and passing a liquid bottoms stream, comprising unconverted material and slurry catalyst, to the bottom of the second upflow reactor, which is maintained at slurry hydroconversion conditions, including elevated temperature and pressure; (h) removing a vapor stream comprising product and hydrogen, unconverted material and slurry catalyst overhead from the second reactor and passing it to a second separator; (i) in the second separator, removing a vapor stream comprising products and hydrogen overhead to further processing and passing a liquid bottoms stream, comprising unconverted material and slurry catalyst to further processing.