Modelling of Bitumen Ultradispersed Catalytic Upgrading Experiments in a Batch Reactor

Abstract

Large reserves of heavy crude oil and bitumen are waiting for novel technical recovery developments. Nevertheless, the very low API gravity and impurities such as sulphur and nitrogen of the reserves, influences the economics of their industrial utilization. In situ catalytic upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen has been proposed and tested in laboratory scale experiments. Experimental evidence from laboratory scale tests are very promising and this novel technique can play an important role in the exploitation of huge resources of heavy oil and bitumen. Accurate analytical and numerical modeling is essential in order to correctly interpret experimental measurements of the in situ upgrading. This work will enhance the understanding and design of field scale processes. In this paper, simulation results of bitumen ultra-dispersed catalytic upgrading experiments in a batch reactor area reported. The results show that ultra-dispersed catalytic upgrading results in relatively high residue conversion and can potentially increase the API gravity of the produced oil. These results hold significant promise for upgrading heavy crude oils and bitumen using an ultra-dispersed catalyst.

A new approach to estimate parameters of a lumped kinetic model for hydroconversion of heavy residue

“…On the other hand, the sequence of activation energies reported by Loria et al [14] and Martínez and Ancheyta [15] indicated that the lighter the products from hydrocracking, the higher would be the activation energy for hydrocracking reactions. The activation energies reported by Hassanzadeh and Abedi [13] showed no clear pattern. Of course, the differences in the catalyst properties, feed characteristics, experimental conditions, and the algorithms used for parameters estimation might have led to these discrepancies.…”

“…6 (a) Mosby et al [8] (c) Almeidaa and Guirardello [11] (b) Botchwey et al [10] (d) Sa´nchez et al [12] [12]. b Hassanzadeh and Abedi [13]. c Loria et al [14].…”

“…The model was originally proposed by Sánchez et al [12] for moderate hydrocracking of Maya heavy crude using Ni-Mo/c-Al 2 O 3 as catalyst at temperatures of 380-420°C, pressure of 6.9 MPa, and LHSV of 0.33-1.5 h À1 . Hassanzadeh and Abedi [13] used this model for kinetic modeling of in situ upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen in a batch reactor in the presence of Ni-W-Mo as dispersed catalysts at 320-380°C, pressure of 3.45 MPa, and residence times of 3-72 h. Loria et al [14] presented a five-lump kinetic model similar to that proposed by Sánchez et al [12] for hydroprocessing of bitumen at in-reservoir conditions using Ni-W-Mo dispersed catalysts in a tubular pilot plant reactor at 320-380°C, pressure of 2.76 MPa, and residence times of 9-51 h. Martínez and Ancheyta [15] used the same model for hydrocracking of an atmospheric residue in a continuous stirred basket reactor in the presence of a Ni-Mo catalyst at 380-420°C. To simplify the parameter estimation process, they modified the model into two, three and four-lump kinetic models and concluded that when various components were grouped in a single lump, the reaction kinetics was similar to the situation in which each lump had its own reaction pathway.…”

“…The activation energies for hydrocracking reactions of heavy oils and residue reported by different investigators [12][13][14][15] using the reaction scheme of Fig. 1d are presented in Table 1 indicating substantial differences between values reported for the same reaction path.…”

Effect of the Catalytic Aquathermolysis Process on the Physicochemical Properties of a Colombian Crude Oil

“…To implement this process in the oil field, so as to consolidate it as a hybrid technology, different fundamental operational parameters must be analyzed, like some research works that have evaluated different parameters and their influence on the results: kind of reactor, temperature, residence time, and type of catalyst. − These works use a base crude oil, with known characteristics, and carry out an experimental design capable of evaluating the sensitivity of the variables under study. As an example, for a heavy crude oil treated at 260 °C during 72 h, the viscosity reduced 46.2%, and the API gravity increased 3 units .…”