Exploratory Study for the Upgrading of Transport Properties of Heavy Oil by Slurry-Phase Hydrocracking

The partial hydrocracking of a crude oil of 13 degrees American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity and viscosity of 6100 cSt at 37.8 degrees C was carried out in a batch reactor using a dispersed catalyst. The operating conditions were varied in the following ranges: hydrogen pressure of 40-100 kg/cm(2), temperature of 360-400 degrees C, and reaction time of 35 h. Molybdenum trioxide of analytical grade was employed as a dispersed catalyst, and its concentration was modified from 0 to 2 wt %. The obtained results showed that the most favorable reaction conditions to obtain an upgraded crude oil with the required specifications for transportation by pipeline are 40 kg/cm2, 380 degrees C, 4 h of reaction, and a catalyst concentration of 0.75 wt %. At these operation conditions, no coke formation was observed.