Patent ID: 7413647

Claim:
A method for producing lighter hydrocarbons from bituminous material comprising the following: providing a hot catalyst in a downflow catalytic treater at such a temperature as to cause the break-up of bonds of heavy hydrocarbons contained in bituminous material, said treater being configured with a downward increased clearance to enhance the flow of said catalyst; injecting bituminous material on said hot catalyst to generate a volatile matter while depositing carbon from said bituminous material on said catalyst to result in producing lighter hydrocarbons entrained in said volatile matter and a carbon containing catalyst; separating said volatile matter from said carbon containing catalyst; feeding said volatile mailer to a fractionator to divide it into various fractions; directing said carbon containing catalyst from the downflow catalytic treater through an elongated slot configured to avoid bridging of the catalyst and to a downflow regenerator/gasifier that is configured with a downward increased clearance to enhance the flow of said carbon containing catalyst, wherein said carbon is removed from said catalyst via gasification with an oxidant to result in: (i) regenerating said catalyst while producing an off-gas; and (ii) heating said catalyst by the release of thermal energy caused by the gasification of the carbon contained in said catalyst to provide at least a portion of the thermal energy required to break-up bonds of heavy hydrocarbons contained in bituminous material; and feeding said heated, regenerated catalyst from said regenerator/gasifier through an elongated slot configured to avoid bridging of the catalyst and to said treater for the break-up of heavy hydrocarbons contained in the bituminous material which is injected into said treater.