Staged hydrocarbon conversion process
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for staging an investment in hydrocarbon processing are provided. In a first stage, a hydrocarbon feed can be apportioned equally or unequally into first and second portions. The first portion can be mixed with one or more oxidants and gasified to provide a first effluent, at least a portion of which can be combusted to provide steam. The second portion can be mixed with one or more solvents to provide one or more fungible hydrocarbon products, at least a portion of which can be sold to generate capital. In a second stage, the hydrocarbon feed can be mixed with one or more solvents and one or more non-catalytic solids and the resultant mixture thermally cracked to provide one or more hydrocarbon products and coked non-catalytic solids. The coked, non-catalytic solids can be regenerated and recycled.
1. A method for staging investment in a process comprising:
a first stage comprising:
apportioning a hydrocarbon feed into a first portion and a second portion;
mixing the first portion with one or more oxidants to provide a first mixture;
gasifying at least a portion of the first mixture to provide an effluent;
mixing the second portion with one or more diluents to provide one or more fungible hydrocarbon products;
combusting at least a portion of the effluent to provide steam; and
selling at least a portion of the one or more fungible hydrocarbon products to provide capital; and
a second stage comprising:
mixing the hydrocarbon feed with one or more solvents and one or more non-catalytic solids to form a second mixture;
thermally cracking at least a portion of the second mixture to provide one or more hydrocarbon products and coked non-catalytic solids;
separating the coked non-catalytic solids from the one or more hydrocarbon products;
thermally regenerating the coked non-catalytic solids; and
recycling at least a portion of the regenerated non-catalytic solids.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apportionment of the hydrocarbon feed to the first phase is ceased prior to beginning the second stage.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selling at least a portion of the fungible hydrocarbon product provides at least a portion of the capital for the second stage.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cracking is performed at a temperature above the bulk critical temperature of the one or more solvents.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more non-catalytic solids are added to the first mixture prior to gasification.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more non-catalytic solids comprise: refractory oxides, inert materials, combinations thereof, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more refractory oxides are selected from a group consisting of SiO2, Al2O3, AlPO4, TiO2, ZrO2, and Cr2O3.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-catalytic solids comprise: refractory oxides, inert materials, combinations thereof, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the refractory oxides are selected from a group consisting of SiO2, Al2O3, AlPO4, TiO2, ZrO2, and Cr2O3.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises one or more crude hydrocarbons.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the steam to stimulate the production of one or more crude hydrocarbons using steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD).