Systems and methods for processing hydrocarbon feedstocks

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing a hydrocarbon feedstock are provided. The method can include removing a portion of one or more impurities from a non-phenolic sour water to produce a treated sour water and a waste byproduct. The non-phenolic sour water can have a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 100 ppmw to about 125,000 ppmw. The treated sour water can have a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 1 ppmw to about 4,000 ppmw. The treated sour water can be heated to produce steam. A hydrocarbon feedstock can be contacted with the steam at conditions sufficient to separate the hydrocarbon feedstock into at least a first hydrocarbon product and a second hydrocarbon product.

1 . A method for processing a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising:
 removing a portion of one or more impurities from a non-phenolic sour water to produce a treated sour water and a waste byproduct, wherein the non-phenolic sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 100 ppmw to about 125,000 ppmw, and wherein the treated sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 1 ppmw to about 4,000 ppmw;   heating the treated sour water to produce steam; and   contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with the steam at conditions sufficient to separate the hydrocarbon feedstock into at least a first hydrocarbon product and a second hydrocarbon product.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the one or more impurities is removed by contacting the non-phenolic sour water with steam, and wherein the waste byproduct comprises removed impurities and at least a portion of the steam. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising mixing one or more additives with the non-phenolic sour water to adjust at least one property of the non-phenolic sour water, wherein the one or more additives comprise one or more bases, one or more phosphate containing compounds, one or more acids, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the impurities in the treated sour water comprise ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, and wherein the treated sour water has a concentration of ammonia of at least 10 ppmw and a concentration of hydrogen sulfide of at least 5 ppmw. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treated sour water is heated by indirectly transferring heat from a heat transfer medium to the treated sour water. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treated sour water is heated by directly contacting the treated sour water with a heated heat transfer medium. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-phenolic sour water is recovered from a hydrocracking process, a hydrotreating process, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock comprises whole crude oil, crude oil, oil shales, oil sands, tars, bitumens, kerogen, waste oils, atmospheric tower bottoms, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more impurities comprise one or more nitrogen containing compounds, one or more sulfur containing compounds, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more impurities comprise ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, wherein a concentration of ammonia in the non-phenolic sour water ranges from about 1 ppmw to about 50,000 ppmw and a concentration of hydrogen sulfide ranges from about 1 ppmw to about 75,000 ppmw, and wherein a concentration of ammonia in the treated sour water ranges from about 1 ppmw to about 3,000 ppmw and a concentration of hydrogen sulfide ranges from about 1 ppmw to about 300 ppmw. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 apportioning the non-phenolic sour water into a first portion and a second portion;   removing the portion of the one or more impurities from the first portion to produce the treated sour water and the waste byproduct;   combining at least a portion of the treated sour water with at least a portion of the second portion to provide a re-combined treated sour water; and   heating the re-combined treated sour water to produce the steam.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 apportioning the non-phenolic sour water into a first portion and a second portion;   removing the portion of the one or more impurities from the first portion to produce the treated sour water and the waste byproduct;   removing a portion of one or more other impurities from the second portion to produce a second treated sour water and a second waste byproduct;   combining at least a portion of the first treated portion with at least a portion of the second treated portion to provide a re-combined treated sour water; and   heating the re-combined treated sour water to produce the steam.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein removing the portion of the one or more impurities from the first portion is carried out under conditions sufficient to separate more nitrogen containing impurities as compared to sulfur containing impurities, and wherein removing the portion of the one or more other impurities from the second portion is carried out under conditions sufficient to separate more sulfur containing impurities as compared to nitrogen containing impurities. 
     
     
         14 . A method for processing a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising:
 acquiring a non-phenolic sour water from one or more non-phenolic sour water sources, wherein the one or more non-phenolic sour water sources comprise at least one of a hydrotreating processes, and a hydrocracking process;   removing a portion of one or more impurities from the non-phenolic sour water to produce a treated sour water and a waste byproduct, wherein the non-phenolic sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 1,000 ppmw to about 125,000 ppmw, and wherein the treated sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 15 ppmw to about 4,000 ppmw;   heating the treated sour water to produce steam; and   contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock at a pressure ranging from about 101 kPa to about 150 kPa with the steam to separate the hydrocarbon feedstock into at least a first hydrocarbon product and a second hydrocarbon product, wherein the amount of steam contacted with the hydrocarbon feedstock ranges from about 0.05 kg/hr per barrel of hydrocarbon feedstock per day to about 0.5 kg/hr per barrel of hydrocarbon feedstock per day.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 apportioning the steam into at least a first portion and a second portion, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with the first portion of steam; and   contacting a second hydrocarbon feedstock at a pressure of less than about 101 kPa with the second portion of steam to separate the second hydrocarbon feedstock to produce at least a third hydrocarbon product and a fourth hydrocarbon product.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second hydrocarbon feedstock comprises the second hydrocarbon product. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of the one or more impurities is removed by contacting the non-phenolic sour water with steam, and wherein the waste byproduct comprises removed impurities and at least a portion of the steam, wherein the one or more impurities comprise hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, and wherein the treated sour water contains at least 5 ppmw hydrogen sulfide and at least 20 ppmw ammonia. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more impurities comprise ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, wherein a concentration of ammonia in the non-phenolic sour water ranges from about 20 ppmw to about 50,000 ppmw and a concentration of hydrogen sulfide ranges from about 5 ppmw to about 75,000 ppmw, and wherein a concentration of ammonia in the treated sour water ranges from about 10 ppmw to about 3,000 ppmw and a concentration of hydrogen sulfide ranges from about 5 ppmw to about 300 ppmw. 
     
     
         19 . A system for processing a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising:
 one or more treatment units for removing a portion of one or more impurities from a non-phenolic sour water to produce a treated sour water and a waste byproduct, wherein the non-phenolic sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 1,000 ppmw to about 125,000 ppmw, and wherein the treated sour water has a total concentration of impurities ranging from about 1 ppmw to about 4,000 ppmw;   one or more steam generators for heating the treated sour water to produce steam; and   one or more distillation units for contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with the steam at conditions sufficient to separate the hydrocarbon feedstock into at least a first hydrocarbon product and a second hydrocarbon product.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising one or more hydrotreaters, hydrocrackers, or any combination thereof, from which the non-phenolic sour water is recovered, and wherein the one or more distillation units comprise at least one atmospheric distillation unit and at least one vacuum distillation unit.