Processing of organic matter

1. A method for producing bio-oil from an organic matter feedstock, the method comprising:

producing a slurry comprising between about 20% and about 40% by weight of organic matter feedstock, water and between about 20% and about 60% by weight of oil;

treating the slurry in a reactor apparatus at a temperature of between about 200° C. and about 450° C. and a pressure of between about 100 bar and about 350 bar; and

cooling the slurry and releasing said pressure thereby providing the bio-oil, and

using a recycled portion of the bio-oil to treat additional organic matter feedstock by the method, in which an additional slurry comprising between about 20% and about 40% by weight of the additional organic matter feedstock, water, and between about 20% and about 60% by weight of the recycled portion of the bio-oil is treated in a reactor apparatus at a temperature of between about 200° C. and about 450° C. and a pressure of between about 100 bar and about 350 bar, then cooled and depressurised to thereby provide additional bio-oil.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry further comprises an aqueous alcohol.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aqueous alcohol is ethanol or methanol.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the slurry comprises a percentage by weight of said alcohol of: between about 5 wt % and about 40 wt %.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic matter feedstock is lignite.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises contacting the slurry with subcritical or supercritical steam in a chamber of said reactor apparatus, and wherein said slurry is at ambient or near ambient temperature and pressure prior to said contacting with the subcritical or supercritical steam.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising treating organic matter with an oil-based solvent comprising less than about 50 wt % water at a temperature of between about 200° C. and about 400° C., and a pressure of between about 100 bar and about 300 bar.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said organic matter is fossilised organic matter having a carbon content of at least 50%, and said solvent is an oil comprising less than 50 wt % water.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises use of at least one additional catalyst selected from the group consisting of: an additional base catalyst; an additional catalyst that enhances incorporation of hydrogen into said organic matter; an additional catalyst that enhances removal of oxygen from said organic matter.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said additional base catalyst is an alkali metal hydroxide catalyst, a transition metal hydroxide catalyst, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said catalyst that enhances incorporation of hydrogen is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal formate catalysts, transition metal formate catalysts, reactive carboxylic acid catalysts, transition metal catalysts including their hydrides, sulphide catalysts, noble metal catalysts including their hydrides, water-gas-shift catalysts, a low-valent iron species, an iron hydride, a zero-valent iron homogeneous species, a zero-valent iron heterogeneous species, sodium formate, and combinations thereof.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said catalyst that enhances removal of oxygen from said organic matter is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal formate catalysts, transition metal formate catalysts, reactive carboxylic acid catalysts, transition metal catalysts, including their hydrides, sulphide catalysts, noble metal catalysts, including their hydrides, water-gas-shift catalysts, and combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said treating is performed under conditions of continuous flow.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

(i) said temperature is between about 250° C. and about 350° C., and said pressure is between about 100 bar and about 300 bar; or

(ii) said temperature is between about 320° C. and about 360° C., and said pressure is between about 150 bar and about 250 bar.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said treating is for a time period of at least about 5 minutes, between about 5 minutes and about 25 minutes, or about 15 minutes.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said organic matter is in the form of a slurry comprising:

(i) at least 30 wt % of said organic matter; and/or

(ii) a feedstock to oil ratio of 0.5-1.2:1.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of paraffinic oil, gas-oil, crude oil, synthetic oil, coal-oil, bio-oil, shale oil, kerogen oil, mineral oil, white mineral oil, and aromatic oil.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic matter feedstock is lignocellulosic matter.