Process and apparatus for converting oil shale or oil sand (tar sand) to oil

Abstract

The disclosed invention is a process for producing synthetic crude oil and includes embodiments which convert or upgrade oil bitumen, a combination of oil sands and bitumen, a combination of sand and bitumen, oil shale and kerogen to high grade low sulfur crude oil. In one embodiment it is a continuous process for producing synthetic crude oil from oil sand bitumen. In another it produces synthetic crude oil from oil shale. The process in one embodiment includes a fluid bed reactor where the reactant and fluidizing medium is substantially hydrogen. In other embodiments, the process includes treating the oil sand (tar sand) or shale to produce a fluidizable feed, feeding the fluidizable feed to a fluidized bed reactor, and fluidizing and reacting the fluidizable feed in the fluidized bed reactor with a feed having hydrogen.

1 . A process for producing synthetic crude oil, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a reactor,    providing a first feed stream comprising an oil sand,    providing a second feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon containing liquid,    providing a gas feed comprising hydrogen,    contacting said oil sand and said hydrocarbon containing liquid with said hydrogen in said reactor,    producing a reactor gas stream.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first feed stream comprises an oil sand comprising a bitumen in a concentration of 10 wt. % or greater.  
   
   
       4 - 12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein said second feed stream comprises liquid bitumen.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said gas feed comprises hydrogen in a range of 50 wt. % to 100 wt. %  
   
   
       15 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said gas feed comprises about 10 wt. % or less of methane.  
   
   
       18 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . Process of  claim 1 , wherein said gas feed comprises recycle hydrogen.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein said recycle hydrogen is heated in a range of about 800° F. to about 1500° F.  
   
   
       22 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 condensing said reactor gas stream,    producing a synthetic crude oil having an API gravity in the range of about 25° API to about 40° API.    
   
   
       25 - 28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein said synthetic crude oil has a sulfur concentration of about 0.5 wt. % sulfur or less.  
   
   
       30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said process is a continuous process.  
   
   
       32 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said reactor is a fluidized bed reactor.  
   
   
       33 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting occurs at a temperature in a range of 850° F. to 1000° F.  
   
   
       34 - 41 . (canceled)  
   
   
       42 . The process of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of: 
 providing a fluidizing medium to said reactor which comprises hydrogen.    
   
   
       43 . canceled  
   
   
       44 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 operating said reactor at a temperature of about 900° F. and about 600 psig.    
   
   
       45 - 47 . (canceled)  
   
   
       48 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 employing a catalyst in said reactor.    
   
   
       49 - 52 . (canceled)  
   
   
       53 . The process of  32 , wherein said fluid bed reactor comprises a fluid bed having a shale.  
   
   
       54 . The process of  32 , wherein said fluid bed reactor comprises a fluid bed having a sand.  
   
   
       55 - 57 . (canceled)  
   
   
       58 . A process for producing synthetic crude oil, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a reactor,    providing a first feed stream comprising kerogen,    providing a second feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon containing liquid,    providing a gas feed comprising hydrogen,    contacting said kerogen with said hydrogen in said reactor,    producing a reactor gas stream.    
   
   
       59 . The process of  claim 58 , further comprising the step of: 
 providing said first feed stream comprising oil shale having kerogen.    
   
   
       60 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said gas feed comprises hydrogen in a range of 50 wt. % to 100 wt. %  
   
   
       61 - 62 . (canceled)  
   
   
       63 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said gas feed comprises about 10 wt. % or less of methane.  
   
   
       64 - 69 . (canceled)  
   
   
       70 . The process of  claim 58 , further comprising the step of: 
 condensing said reactor gas stream,    producing a synthetic crude oil having an API gravity in the range of about 25° API to about 40° API.    
   
   
       71 - 72 . (canceled)  
   
   
       73 . The process of  claim 70 , wherein said synthetic crude oil has a sulfur concentration of about 0.5 wt % sulfur or less.  
   
   
       74 . (canceled)  
   
   
       75 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said process is a continuous process.  
   
   
       76 . (canceled)  
   
   
       77 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said reactor is a fluidized bed reactor.  
   
   
       78 . Process of  claim 58 , wherein said gas feed comprises recycle hydrogen.  
   
   
       79 . The process of  claim 78 , wherein said recycle hydrogen is heated in a range of about 800° F. to about 1500° F.  
   
   
       80 - 83 . (canceled)  
   
   
       84 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said first feed stream comprises an oil shale comprising kerogen in a concentration of 5 wt % or greater.  
   
   
       85 - 87 . (canceled)  
   
   
       88 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said second feed stream comprises a bitumen.  
   
   
       89 - 90 . (canceled)  
   
   
       91 . The process of  claim 77 , comprising a fluidizing medium which comprises hydrogen.  
   
   
       92 - 100 . (canceled)  
   
   
       101 . The process according to  claim 58 , further comprising the step of: 
 employing a catalyst in said reactor.    
   
   
       102 . (canceled)  
   
   
       103 . The process of  claim 77 , wherein said fluid bed medium is shale  
   
   
       104 . The process of  claim 77 , wherein said fluid bed medium is sand.  
   
   
       105 . An apparatus for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       106 . An system for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       107 . A control system for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       108 . An apparatus for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 58 .  
   
   
       109 . An system for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 58 .  
   
   
       110 . A control system for producing synthetic crude oil according to the process of  claim 58 .  
   
   
       111 . A process for producing synthetic crude oil, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a reactor which continuously reacts at least one of an oil sand or a tar sand,    providing a first feed stream comprising at least one of an oil sand or a tar sand,    providing a second feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon containing liquid,    providing a gas feed comprising hydrogen in a range of 90 wt. % to 100 wt. % and about 10 wt. % or less of methane and about 10 wt. % or less of ethane, said gas feed further comprising recycle hydrogen,    contacting said oil sand and said hydrocarbon containing liquid with said hydrogen in said reactor,    producing a reactor gas stream,    condensing said reactor gas stream,    producing a synthetic crude oil having an API gravity in the range of about 25° API to about 40° API and having a sulfur concentration of about 0.2 wt. % sulfur or less.