PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR UPGRADING CRUDE OIL AND RESIDUAL FRACTIONS THEREOF

摘要

Upgrading of crude oils or residua to give prods. with a reduced heavy metal and Conradson Carbon content is effected by contacting the feed with a hot inert contact material (I) for a time which is less than 3 sec. and less than that which induces substantial thermal cracking, by dispersing the feed into a curtain of descending (I) to vaporise the feed. The resulting vapours are removed from the opposite end of the curtain without additional contact with (I), and are cooled below the temp. at which substantial thermal cracking occurs. The prods. are suitable for use as heavy fuel oil or as feedstocks for catalytic cracking, hydrotreating or hydrocracking. The process is a modification of that described in US4263128 (employing a riser-type reactor), resulting in minimisation of contact times and maximisation of product yields.