Patent ID: 8444849

Claim:
A method of increasing asphaltene-containing crude oil processing capacity in a refinery with a hydroconversion unit having an asphaltene-based operating constraint, the method comprising: using a process of desalting and deasphalting crude oil to remove at least a portion of asphaltenes from an asphaltene-containing crude oil in a desalter unit, the process comprising: mixing a wash water stream and a crude oil stream to form a water-in-oil emulsion, wherein the crude oil stream comprises water soluble salts and asphaltenes; adding chemicals to the wash water, crude oil, and/or water-in-oil emulsion to increase a size of an interface phase at an oil-water interface; separating the water-in-oil emulsion in a desalter unit to form a first stream comprising water and water soluble salts, a second stream corresponding to the interface phase and comprising asphaltenes and water, and a third stream comprising desalted and deasphalted crude oil; and withdrawing the second stream from the desalter unit without recycling any portion of the second stream back into the desalter unit; the method further comprising increasing a concentration of the asphaltene-containing crude oil to the refinery until an amount of asphaltenes in a feed to the hydroconversion unit reaches the asphaltene-based operating constraint.