Patent ID: 10752847

Abstract:
An integrated hydrothermal process for upgrading heavy oil includes the steps of mixing a heated water stream and a heated feed in a mixer to produce a mixed fluid, introducing the mixed stream to a reactor unit to produce a reactor effluent that includes light fractions, heavy fractions, and water, cooling the reactor effluent in a cooling device to produce a cooled fluid, depressurizing the cooled fluid in a depressurizing device to produce a depressurized fluid, introducing the depressurized fluid to a flash drum configured to separate the depressurized fluid into a light fraction stream and a heavy fraction stream. The light fraction stream includes the light fractions and water and the heavy fraction stream includes the heavy fractions and water. The process further includes the step of introducing the heavy fraction stream to an aqueous reforming unit that includes a catalyst to produce an aqueous reforming outlet.