Patent ID: 8926824
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for the conversion of carbon-containing feed to upgradable lighter products, said process comprising the following stages (a) and (b): a) in a hydrorefining stage passing said feed counter-currently through a hydrorefining reaction zone comprising at least one moving-bed reactor having at least one catalyst bed of granular hydrorefining catalyst, withdrawing resultant used hydrorefining catalyst out of said moving-bed reactor, adding fresh catalyst to said moving-bed reactor, circulating said granular hydrorefining catalyst within said moving-bed reactor by gravity and by piston flow within said moving-bed reactor, said hydrorefining operating at an absolute pressure between 10 and 24 MPa, at a temperature between 300 and 440° C., at an hourly space velocity (HSV) between 0.1 and 4 h-1 and with a quantity of hydrogen mixed with the feed between 100 and 2000 Normal cubic meters (Nm3) per cubic meter (m3) of liquid feed, wherein said granular hydrorefining catalyst provides both demetallization and desulphurization, under conditions allowing production of a liquid feed with reduced contents of metals, Conradson carbon and sulphur, and wherein said hydrorefining catalyst is spherical and has a diameter of 0.5 to 6 mm, and wherein said feed comprises heavy hydrocarbon fractions having a sulphur content of at least 0.5%, a content of Conradson carbon of at least 3 wt. %, a metals content of at least 20 ppm and an initial boiling point of at least 300° C., and a final boiling point of at least 500° C., b) passing at least a portion of effluent from said hydrorefining stage a) through a separate hydroconversion reaction zone comprising at least one three-phase reactor, in the presence of hydrogen, said three-phase reactor containing at least one catalyst bed of granular hydroconversion catalyst and operating in ebullating-bed mode, with an ascending current of liquid and gas, withdrawing said granular catalyst out of said three-phase reactor and adding fresh granular catalyst to said three-phase reactor, said three phase reactor operating at an absolute pressure between 2 and 35 MPa, at a temperature between 300 and 550° C., at an HSV between 0.1 h-1 and 10 h-1 and with a quantity of hydrogen mixed with the feed between 50 and 5000 normal cubic meters (Nm3) per cubic meter (m3) of liquid feed, so as to obtain a liquid feed with a reduced content of Conradson carbon, metals, sulphur and nitrogen.