An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, and also a method for upgrading a pre-existing ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, involves introducing a colloidal or molecular catalyst, or a precursor composition capable of forming the colloidal or molecular catalyst, into an ebullated bed reactor. The colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed by intimately mixing a catalyst precursor composition into a heavy oil feedstock and raising the temperature of the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the precursor composition to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ. The improved ebullated bed hydroprocessing system includes at least one ebullated bed reactor that employs both a porous supported catalyst and the colloidal or molecular catalyst to catalyze hydroprocessing reactions involving the feedstock and hydrogen. The colloidal or molecular catalyst provides catalyst in what would otherwise constitute catalyst free zones within the ebullated bed hydroprocessing system. Asphaltene or other hydrocarbon molecules too large to diffuse into the pores of the supported catalyst can be upgraded by the colloidal or molecular catalyst. A slurry phase reactor may be positioned upstream from one or more ebullated bed reactors or converted from a pre-existing ebullated bed reactor.

Method for perfectly and catalytically hydroforming heavy petroleum feedstock

Ebullated bed hydroprocessing methods and systems and methods of upgrading an existing ebullated bed system

Methods and systems for hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock using a colloidally or molecularly dispersed catalyst (e.g., molybdenum sulfide) which provide for concentration of the colloidally dispersed catalyst within the lower quality materials requiring additional hydrocracking. In addition to increased catalyst concentration, the inventive systems and methods provide increased reactor throughput, increased reaction rate, and of course higher conversion of asphaltenes and lower quality materials. Increased conversion levels of asphaltenes and lower quality materials also reduces equipment fouling, enables the reactor to process a wider range of lower quality feedstocks, and can lead to more efficient use of a supported catalyst if used in combination with the colloidal or molecular catalyst.

Methods for increasing catalyst concentration in heavy oil and/or coal resid hydrocracker

Methods and systems for mixing a catalyst precursor with a heavy oil feedstock preparatory to hydroprocessing the heavy oil feedstock in a reactor to form an upgraded feedstock. Achieving thorough dispersion of the catalyst precursor facilitates and maximizes the advantages of the colloidal or molecular hydroprocessing catalyst. A catalyst precursor and a heavy oil feedstock having a viscosity greater than the viscosity of the catalyst precursor are provided. The catalyst precursor is pre-mixed with a hydrocarbon oil diluent, forming a diluted catalyst precursor. The diluted precursor is then mixed with a first portion of the heavy oil feedstock to form a blended oil feedstock composition. Finally, the blended oil feedstock composition is mixed with a second remaining portion of the heavy oil feedstock, resulting in the catalyst precursor being homogeneously dispersed on a colloidal and/or molecular level within the heavy oil feedstock.

Methods and mixing systems for introducing catalyst precursor into heavy oil feedstock

A method is disclosed for hydroprocessing a heavy hydrocarbon oil, comprising a first hydroprocessing step of bringing a heavy hydrocarbon oil into contact with a Catalyst (1) with a certain specific surface area and pore size distribution in the presence of hydrogen in a first reaction zone containing the Catalyst (1), and a second hydroprocessing step of bringing the hydroprocessed oil obtained from the first reaction zone into contact with a Catalyst (2) with a certain specific surface area and pore size distribution in the presence of hydrogen in a second reaction zone containing the Catalyst (2). The method is an improvement in decreasing or inhibiting the sediment formation, while highly hydroprocessing a heavy hydrocarbon oil containing a large amount of impurities such as sulfur, micro carbon residue (MCR), metals, nitrogen and asphaltene, especially a heavy oil containing a large amount of heavy vacuum residue, to adequately remove the impurities.

Two-step hydroprocessing method for heavy hydrocarbon oil

Methods and systems for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstocks to form upgraded material use a colloidal or molecular catalyst dispersed within heavy oil feedstock, pre-coking hydrocracking reactor, separator, and coking reactor. The colloidal or molecular catalyst promotes upgrading reactions that reduce the quantity of asphaltenes or other coke forming precursors in the feedstock, increase hydrogen to carbon ratio in the upgraded material, and decrease boiling points of hydrocarbons in the upgraded material. The methods and systems can be used to upgrade vacuum tower bottoms and other low grade heavy oil feedstocks. The result is one or more of increased conversion level and yield, improved quality of upgraded hydrocarbons, reduced coke formation, reduced equipment fouling, processing of a wider range of lower quality feedstocks, and more efficient use of supported catalyst if used with the colloidal or molecular catalyst, as compared to a conventional hydrocracking process or a conventional thermal coking process.

Method for perfectly and catalytically hydroforming heavy petroleum feedstock

Citations

Ebullated bed hydroprocessing methods and systems and methods of upgrading an existing ebullated bed system

Methods for increasing catalyst concentration in heavy oil and/or coal resid hydrocracker

Methods and mixing systems for introducing catalyst precursor into heavy oil feedstock

Two-step hydroprocessing method for heavy hydrocarbon oil

Methods and systems for upgrading heavy oil using catalytic hydrocracking and thermal coking

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