US 20070284285A1

(19) United States

(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2007/0284285 A1
(43) Pub. Date:

Stepanik et al.
(54)

METHOD OF UPGRADING A HEAVY OIL

FEEDSTOCK

(52)

US. Cl. ..................................................... .. 208/106

(57)
(76) Inventors:

Terence Mitchell Stepanik,

PinaWa (CA); Christopher Barton
Saunders, PinaWa (CA); John
Wesley Barnard, Lac du Bonnet

(CA)

Dec. 13, 2007

ABSTRACT

A pretreatment process is described for heavy hydrocarbon

oil feedstock, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The

feedstock is passed through a heated, continuous ?oW elec

tron or X-ray treatment Zone. The process is designed to

alloW the feedstock to be conditioned With ozone-containing

air, steam or a hydrogen donor gas prior to electron/X-ray
treatment. The ozone-containing air stream may be the

Correspondence Address:
ADE & COMPANY INC.

2157 Henderson Highway

WINNIPEG, MB R2G1P9

stream produced in the electron treatment Zone. After con

(21) Appl. No.:

11/758,216

ditioning, the heavy oil is heated to a speci?ed temperature

and uniformly treated With high-energy beams of electrons
or X-rays. Akey feature of the invention is the electron/X-ray

(22) Filed:

Jun. 5, 2007

treatment Zone may use multiple accelerators or a beam

Related US. Application Data

(60)

Provisional application No. 60/812,099, ?led on Jun.

9, 2006.

splitter to ensure acceptable dose distributions in the ?owing

feedstock. Another key feature is the recirculation of vola
tiles back into the feedstock. According to the novel feature,
the process produces a treated feedstock having a loWer

average molecular Weight and boiling point than the original

Publication Classi?cation

(51)

feedstock, Without signi?cant coke formation. The fraction

of gas oil collected during distillation is increased signi?

Int. Cl.

C10G 9/00

(2006.01)

cantly.

Light
Fractions

2%
Vent Line

20

Distillation

Llnc #1

Prcheater

50

Feedstock

Steam & 4'2

Hydrogen
#
Donor Gas

+ 20

A 26;

EB Treatment Zone

#7

Ozone

Containing Air
2L}

Heavier

Electron Accelerator

Fractions

Facility
Cooling
Air

Dec. 13, 2007

US 2007/0284285 A1

METHOD OF UPGRADING A HEAVY OIL

FEEDSTOCK

[0001]

This application claims the bene?t under 35 U.S.C.

119(e) of US. provisional application Ser. No. 60/812,099,

?led Jun. 9, 2006.

[0008] Method for Oils and Oil Residua Re?ning, Patent

of Republic of KaZakstan N 4676 of 16 Jul. 1996 (Priority
of KaZakstan N 9404341 of 14 Apr. 1994).

[0009] Zaykin Y. A., Zaykina R. F., Nadirov N. K., Mirkin

G. System for Complex Natural and Industrial Chemical

Compounds Reprocessing and Regeneration. Priority of

KaZakstan 970592.1 of 26 Jul. 97.

[0010] Chesnokov B. P., Nadirov N. K., Kiryshatov O. A.,

Kiryshatov A. I., Zaykin Y. A., Zaykina R. F., Vaytsul A. N.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Method for Chemical Reactions Initiations During Oil and

Oil Products Processing and Device for Its RealiZation.

[0002] This invention relates to the upgrading of a heavy

oil feedstock, for example bitumen extracted from tar sands.
This pretreatment process can be tailored for the speci?c
hydrocarbon mixture used and the ?nal upgraded oil prop
erties desired. The process variables include electron dose,
dose rate, temperature during electron treatment, pressure

Priority of Russia N 97-10-7263/25 (007710).

[0011] Mirkin G., Nadirov N. K., Zaikina R. F., Zaikin Y.
A. System for processing and re?ning chemical composi
tions. Priority of USA N 09/100, 453 of 06/19.
[0012] Other related references include:

and selective additives to enhance the electron e?ect.

[0013] Reference 1: G. M. Panchenko, A. V. Putilov, T. N.

Zhuravlov et al. Investigations of the basic rule of the

radiation thermal cracking of N-hexadecane. High Energy

BACKGROUND

[0003]

Heavy oil and bitumen consist of large hydrocar

Chemistry, v. 15, #5, 1981, p. 426

[0014] In Reference 1, the process Was demonstrated With
n-hexane. The gamma dose rate changed from 7.8 up to 16.7

bon molecules. Upgrading processes add hydrogen atoms

Gy/ s, the maximally absorbed dose constituted 20 kGy. The

and/or remove carbon atoms, Which converts the bitumen

autoclave pressure depended on temperature and conditions

of the experiment and did not exceed 10 MPa. The experi

into a product similar to conventional light crude oil.

[0004] The direct upgrading of heavy crude oils is di?i

cult. Distillation typically yields loW levels of distillates.
The remaining residual oils cannot be added in signi?cant

ments Were conducted at temperatures from 300 to 400 C.

amounts to ?uid catalytic crackers because of the extraor

duction volumes of heavy oil.

[0015] Reference 2: G. I. Zhuravlov, S. V. VoZnesenskiy,

dinarily high levels of metals and carbon residue, Which

result in a high level of hydrogen generation and high coke
on catalyst respectively. Therefore, coking, Which is one of
several thermal cracking processes, has traditionally been
the process of choice for upgrading heavy oils. While coking
does remove a signi?cant amount of the metals and carbon

residue, the quality of the produced liquids is poor. They are

high in sulfur, ole?ns, diole?ns and heavy aromatics and, as
a result, require a substantial amount of additional

hydrotreating.
[0005] One alternative to coking is visbreaking, Which is
another Widely applied thermal cracking process for the
conversion of residual oils (J. F. LePage et al.; Resid and

Heavy Oil Processing, Editions Technip, Paris, France,

1992). Thermal visbreaking is characteriZed by high tem

The experimental conclusions included the possibility of

using a high-temperature nuclear reactor to irradiate pro

I. V. Borisenko et al. Radiation-thermal effect on the heavy

oil residium, High Energy Chemistry, v. 25, #1, 1991, p. 27.

[0016] According to Reference 2 gas oil Was subjected to
radiation thermal cracking at temperatures of 300 to 400
C. in the dose range 50 to 200 kGy, With a gamma dose rate
of 5.1 Gy/ s. This study shoWed that the loW dose rate RTC
process increased the conversion of molecular Weight com
pounds by 50 to 100% as compared to the thermal process
alone. Irradiation also contributed to the process of sulphur
removal of the light oil products obtained. As in Reference
1, the authors described an industrial process of applying
heat and radiation from a nuclear reactor.

perature and short residence time; so that, unlike coking, the

[0017] Reference 3: N. K. Nadirov, R. F. Zaykina, Yu. A.

Zaykin. State and perspectives of radiation treatment of
heavy oil and natural bitumen. NIIETF KaZGY, NPO

cracking reactions are terminated before coke is made.

KaZneftebitum, Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan (1995).

Visbreaking alone does not signi?cantly change the heteroa

[0018] Reference 3 presented the results of a study of RTC

of a mixture of heavy oil fractions With boiling point of
greater than 400 C., using a 4 MeV linear accelerator. The

tom content (S, N), metals or asphaltene content of the feed.

Its sole function is molecular Weight (e.g. boiling range)

reduction and, hence, loWering of viscosity.
[0006] An issue With thermal visbreaking is that visbreak
ing and other mild thermal processes result in cleavage of
the alkyl side chains from asphaltenes, resulting in the

dose rate Was varied from 1 to 4 kGy/s, With an absorbed

dose of 1 to 40 kGy. Both static and ?oWing experiments

Were completed. Under these irradiation conditions, the
optimal temperature for the RTC process Was 400 to 420 C.

asphaltenes precipitating and subsequently forming depos

The output of gasoline fractions With a boiling temperature

its, Which, if not controlled, foul processing equipment With

coke. (R. C. Schucker and C. F. KeWeshan, The Reactivity
of Cold Lake Asphaltenes, Prepr. Div. Fuel Chem., Amer.
Chem. Soc., 1980, 25(3), 155-165). Solvent extraction ofthe
asphaltenes is possible, but results in high energy consump

of less than 200 C. Was 50% higher than that for thermal

tion for solvent removal and larger equipment siZes. There

fore, there remains a need in the art for improvements to
heavy feed upgrading that Will overcome the above short

comings.

cracking alone. The gasoline fraction obtained had a high

octane range (76 to 80) and loW sulfur content. The per

centage of aromatic and naphthenes compounds also

increased With the RTC process than With thermal cracking
alone.
[0019] Reference 4: Wu G., Katsumura Y., et al. Effect of
radiation on the thermal cracking of n-hexadecane, Ind. And

The process of radiation-thermal cracking (RTC)

Eng. Chem. Res.i1997, 36, N6, p. 1973

[0020] Reference 4 describes liquid and gas-phase RTC

and its individual fractions Was investigated by Soviet

scientists and these data are presented in the folloWing
documents:

cracking of n-hexane at 300 to 400 C., With gamma

irradiation. The liquid phase Was irradiated With dose rates
ranging from 150 to 460 Gy/h and the gas phase Was

[0007]

Dec. 13, 2007

US 2007/0284285 A1

irradiated with dose rates ranging from 240 to 560 Gy/h. It

was shown that irradiation abruptly increased the process

rate, not affecting the set of ?nal carboniferous cracking

products. A large amount of molecular hydrogen was formed

by radiation thermal cracking.

[0021]

Reference 5: A. K. Pikaev. New elaboration of

radiation technology in Russia (review). High Energy

Chemistry, v.33, #1, 1999, p. 3

[0030]

The use of steam in the hydrocarbon stream

requires larger furnace capacity and equipment than would

be necessary for the hydrocarbon without steam. Further,
when steam is used, energy and equipment must be provided
to generate and superheat the steam.
[0031] A variety of attempts have been made to pretreat
heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to render it suitable for ther
mal cracking. An option is the vaporization of the feedstock
with large quantities of steam to create a very low system

[0022] Reference 5 describes development work to com

mercialiZe RTC using gamma irradiation in a closed static
system. The volume of the test vessel was 120 cm3. The
results obtained from this higher volume experiment corre
sponded to literature data in the temperature range of 250 to
300 C. The volume of light gas fractions was increased by
up to 5%, with a lowering of viscosity of the remaining oil.

carbon to remove the asphaltene and coke precursors.

Another attempt is the thermal pretreatment of resids to

A large amount of hydrogen, saturated and unsaturated

hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulphide were also identi?ed in

al.) and similarly, the pre-treatment of hydrocarbon feed

the reaction vessel.

[0023] Reference 6: R. F. Zaykina, Yu. A. Zaykin, T. B.

Mamonova, and N. K. Nadirov, Radiation-thermal process

ing of high-viscous oil from KaraZhanbas ?eld, Rad. Phys.

Chem., 60 (2001) 211-221.
[0024]

Reference 6 examined the RTC process for high

viscous oil from KaraZhanbas, using electron beam (EB)

treatment from a 2 MeV, 4 kW linear accelerator. The unique
feature of their experimental set-up was that the oils were
heated from 2000 C. to 400 C. by continuous EB treatment,
and the volatiles were removed from the oil during irradia
tion. The study con?rmed that total dose and dose rate

partial pressure (Gartside, US. Pat. No. 4,264,432). Others

have proposed solvent extraction pretreatment of the hydro

yield a heavy hydrocarbon, then catalytically hydrotreating

a portion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock before the
steam cracking step (US. Pat. No. 4,065,379, Soonawala, et

stock by initial catalytic cracking to produce a naphtha or

naphtha-like feed for ultimate thermal cracking (US. Pat.
No. 3,862,898, Boyd, et al.). These processes all improve the
cracking of heavy hydrocarbon, however, in most instances
the process suffers from either the expense of large steam
dilution equipment or the unsatisfactory increase of tar and
coke accumulation in the process equipment.
[0032] Known attempts to upgrade a heavy oil feedstock

have thus far yielded unsatisfactory results.

SUMMARY

impact both the yield and the composition of the gas oil

[0033] According to one aspect of the invention there is

provided a method of upgrading a heavy oil feedstock, the

fractions with boiling temperatures up to 350 C. The

mechanisms associated with the formation of aromatic
hydrocarbons were also discussed.

method comprising:

stock;

[0025] Reference 7: Yu. A. Zaykin and R. F. Zaykina,

Simulation of radiation-thermal cracking of oil products by
reactive oZone-containing mixtures, Rad. Phys. Chem, 71
(2004) 475-478.
[0026] Reference 7 described the bene?ts of combining

perature;

RTC and oZonolysis to lower the temperature required to

maximiZe the gas oil fractions with boiling points below
350 C. The RTC process required a preheating temperature

of 420 C., while bubbling oZone-containing air through the

oil lowers the required treatment temperature by 15 to 20 C.
This combined process was shown to reduce the concentra

tion of high-molecular weight aromatic compounds as well.

[0027] Reference 8: R. F. Zaykina, Yu. A. Zaykin, Sh. G.
Yagudin and l. M. Fahruddinov, Speci?c approaches to

[0034]
[0035]

[0036]

forming a continuous ?ow of the heavy oil feed

heating the continuous ?ow to a prescribed tem

cracking the heavy oil feedstock in the continuous

?ow by directing electrons or x-rays at the continuous ?ow.

[0037] The method may include recycling a separated

portion comprising volatiZed parts back into the continuous

?ow prior to electron and/or x-ray cracking.
[0038] Constituents of the continuous ?ow subsequent to
electron/x-ray cracking can be varied by varying an amount
of the separated portion recycled back into the continuous
?ow.

[0039]

A separated portion, comprising parts of the con

tinuous ?ow which are volatiZed when heating the ?ow to

said prescribed temperature, are preferably recycled back

into the ?ow.

radiation processing of high-sulfuric oil, Rad. Phys. Chem.,

[0040]

71 (2004) 467-470.

x-ray treatment, may include adding to the ?ow a selected

[0028] Reference 8, a follow-on to Reference 7, describes

the bene?cial effects of the RTC/oZonolysis process for the

desuphuriZation of light fractions of gas oil and considerably

reduced the total amount of sulphur concentrated in high

Conditioning the continuous ?ow prior to electron/

one or more of oZone, steam, a hydrogen donor gas, or

recycling back into the ?ow a portion of the continuous ?ow

which is volatiZed when preconditioning.

[0041]

Electron/x-ray cracking is preferably done at or

molecular weight compounds.

near atmospheric pressure.

[0029] A typical process for upgrading hydrocarbon feed

[0042] The continuous ?ow may be mixed during elec

tron/x-ray cracking by providing ba?les in a path of the ?ow
or by providing moving mixing blades in a path of the ?ow.

stock is the thermal cracking process. lllustratively, process

?red heaters are used to provide the requisite heat for the
reaction. The feedstock ?ows through a plurality of coils
within the ?red heater, the coils being arranged in a manner
that maximiZes the heat transfer to the hydrocarbon ?owing
through the coils. In conventional coil pyrolysis, dilution
steam is used to inhibit coke formation in the cracking coil.
A further bene?t of high steam dilution is the inhibition of

the coke deposition in the exchangers used to rapidly quench

the cracking reaction. An illustration of the conventional
process is seen in US. Pat. No. 3,487,121 (Hallee).

[0043]

The electrons or x-rays are directed at the continu

ous ?ow from a plurality of opposing directions.

[0044] As described herein a continuous ?ow process for

the upgrading of a heavy oil feedstock may comprise the

steps of preheating the feedstock, electron or x-ray cracking
said feedstock, using electron beams from an accelerator, at
conditions that will produce a cracked product stream hav
ing a lower average molecular weight and boiling point than

said feedstock without signi?cant coke formation; collecting

Dec. 13, 2007

US 2007/0284285 A1

from said product stream light ends that volatilize, including

any Water that might be in the stream; and feeding both the

volatiZed product stream and the heated liquid product

stream to the heavy oil distillation process.

[0045]

The feed may comprise a heavy oil stream having

an API gravity of less than 20.

[0046] The electron accelerator may be either a pulsed or
continuous beam design, With a beam poWer ranging from 1
to 700 kW and a beam energy ranging from 1 to 12 MeV.
[0047] The electron/x-ray treatment Zone may be vented,
With the volatiZed gas stream being sent to the distillation

process directly or circulated through the feedstock preheat

ing tank prior to being sent to the distillation process.
[0048] Air may be circulated through the feedstock stor

[0057] Referring noW to the overall process shoWn in FIG.

1, the feedstock is ?rst formed into a continuous ?oW
through a ?rst ?oW line #1 prior to entering the inlet of a

pre-heater (20) in series With the ?rst ?oW line and Which
preheats the feedstock to a prescribed temperature. The How
exits an outlet of the pre-heater (20) at a second ?oW line #2
to be directed into an inlet of an electron treatment Zone (22)

in series With the second ?oW line #2. Within this Zone (22),
the How is subjected to electrons generated from an electron
accelerator facility (24). After treatment the How exits an
outlet of the Zone (22) through a third ?oW line #6 Which
directs the How to a ?rst inlet of a distillation unit (26) Where
the various fractions of hydrocarbons in the How are sepa

rated and passed onto subsequent re?ning operations.

age tank to incorporate oZone into the feedstock. OZone is

[0058]

produced during the electron treatment of air.

?rst ?oW line 1, prior to entering the pre-heater (20), the

[0049]

hydrogen donor gas, or both, to the feedstock either prior to

heating or just before electron or x-ray treatment.
[0050] The method may further include arranging a por

feedstock may be preconditioned by the addition of steam

and a hydrogen donor gas injected into either into ?oW line
#1 prior to entering the pre-heater (20) or into ?oW line #2
betWeen the pre-heater (20) and the electron treatment Zone

tion of the continuous How to comprise hydrocarbons having

a boiling point loWer than said prescribed temperature prior
to electron or x-ray cracking by maintaining under pressure

operated at loW pressure such that any parts of the How

The pretreatment system may introduce steam or a

Turning noW more particularly to the How at the

(22).
[0059]

The pre-heater (20) in the illustrated embodiment is

in the continuous ?oW at least a portion of hydrocarbons

Which are volatiZed due to the preheating can be vented from

volatiZed during heating.

an auxiliary outlet of the pre-heater (20) through a vent line

[0051]

#3 to a control valve (28) in series With the vent line #3. The
control valve then determines Whether the vented volatiles
are fed directly to the distillation unit (26) at an auxiliary
inlet of the distillation unit separate from How line #6 or
alternatively fed through an additional ?oW line #4 for

One embodiment of the invention Will noW be

described in conjunction With the accompanying draWings in

Which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] FIG. 1 is schematic illustration of a preferred

embodiment of the method of upgrading a heavy oil feed
stock according to the present invention.
[0053] In the draWings like characters of reference indi

cate corresponding parts in the different ?gures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054]

The present invention relates to a process for

upgrading petroleum feedstocks, using a combination of

electron cracking, With and Without added oZone, steam or

hydrogen, at conditions that Will not produce signi?cant

amounts of coke. Suitable feedstocks for use in the present

invention include heavy and reduced petroleum crude oil;

petroleum atmospheric distillation bottoms; petroleum

injection back into the continuous flow at How line #2 just

prior to entering the electron treatment Zone (22).
[0060] Similarly the electron treatment Zone (22) may also
be vented from an auxiliary outlet at vent line #5 to remove

any parts Which are volatiZed during the electron treatment.

A control valve #30 in series With the vent line #5 receives
the volatiles vented from the electron treatment Zone and
then subsequently controls Whether these volatiles are either
directed back into the continuous ?oW at How line #2 just
prior to entering the electron treatment Zone, or alternatively

directed to the distillation unit (26) along With the volatiles

vented from the pre-heater through vent line #3.
[0061] The electrons may be directed at the How from
multiple directions to ensure that substantially the entirety of
the How is subjected to electron beams.
[0062] When pre-treating or pre-conditioning the feed

vacuum distillation bottoms, or residuum; pitch; asphalt and

stock prior to entering the pre-heater (20), a conditioning

tar sand bitumen. Such feeds Will typically have a Conrad

son carbon content of at least 5 Wt. %, generally from about
5 to 50 Wt. %. As to Conradson carbon residue, see ASTM
Test Dl89-l65.

tank may be provided in series With the How line 1 of the

How prior to entering the pre-heater. The pre-treatment or
pre-conditioning may comprise the addition of one or more
of oZone, steam or a hydrogen donor gas as noted above.

[0055] Electron cracking, as employed herein, usually

[0063]

results in about 15 to 70 Wt. % conversion of the heavy oil

heavy oil feedstock is ?rst formed as a continuous ?oW

feed to loWer boiling products (boiling temperature <350o

Which is heated to a prescribed treatment temperature prior

C.). This conversion rate is typically 50% to 100% higher

than using the current thermal cracking process. The entire
group of reactions takes place in the electron treatment
Zone; and the average residence time of the feed in the
treatment Zone is a function of the poWer of the machine

being used and the design of the How chamber. The resi
dence time has to be suf?cient to alloW the feed stream to

absorb l to 50 k] of electrons per kilogram of feedstock,

depending on the composition of the initial feed.
[0056]

Our process is typically carried out at or near

atmospheric pressure; hoWever, some improvement in the

quality and stability of the product can be achieved by the
introduction of a hydrogen donor gas and/or steam.

According to the method described herein, the

to the electron treatment Zone (22). Heating may occur at the

pre-heater (20) or both at a pre-heater and pre-conditioning

stage prior to the treatment Zone (22). When heating, parts
of the How having a boiling point loWer than the prescribed
treatment temperature Will be volatiZed, but according to the
present invention these volatiZed parts may be arranged to
be present in the continuous ?oW prior to the electron
treatment Zone. This is accomplished either by maintaining
the volatiles under pressure in the How or by returning the
volatiles to the How just prior to the electron treatment Zone.
These hydrocarbons of loWer molecular Weight encourage a

greater number of reactions and a greater degree of cracking

of heavier oil molecules in the How.

Dec. 13, 2007

US 2007/0284285 A1

[0064] When it is desirable to vary the composition of

molecules in the end product at the distillation unit (26), the
amount of volatiles from the pre-heater or the electron
treatment Zone Which are returned back into the How prior
to further electron beam treatment can be varied in a
controllable manner to, in turn, vary the types of reactions

taking place in the treatment Zone.

[0065] As described herein, the method according to the

present invention generally comprises the following steps:

[0066]

l) A heavy oil feedstock is introduced to the

process through Line #1. The How rate is a function of the

accelerator poWer and the capacity of the electron treatment
Zone. For an electron dose of 10 kGy supplied to the
feedstock, throughput is up to 1.70 barrels per hour for every
kilowatt of installed electron poWer.

[0067] 2) The feedstock may be conditioned With air

containing oZone produced by the electron/x-ray treatment
of the cooling air stream. OZone may also be added from

other oZone-generating technologies. Any parts of the feed

stock Which are volatiZed during this preconditioning may
be retained in the feedstock ?oW or may be vented off and

returned to the feedstock ?oW just prior to subsequent

electron treatment at Line #3.

[0068] 3) The conditioned feedstock is pumped through

Line #1 to the continuous ?oW preheater, Where the feed
stock is raised in temperature, up to a maximum of 4250 C.
Steam and preheated hydrogen donor gas, such as methane,
may be injected into the feedstock either prior to the
preheater or just prior to electron/x-ray treatment to control

speci?c reactions. The light fractions released during pre

heating are pumped through Line #3 to either the Distillation
Unit or recirculated back to the feedstock via Line #4 to

enhance the effects of the cracking process.

[0069]

4) The feedstock exits the preheater through Line

#2 and enters the electron treatment Zone. As the tempera

ture is maintained, the feedstock is treated With electrons or
X-rays to a dose of up to 50 kGy. The treatment Zone is
operated at or near atmospheric pressure. The treatment Zone

is designed to insure that the feedstock depth during treat

ment is optimiZed for the electron or x-ray energy used. The

How rate, dictated by the required electron/x-ray dose, Will

be suf?cient to minimiZe fouling Within the apparatus. The
process may include mixing the feedstock stream during

Unit. In the Distillation Unit, light fractions are volatiliZed

and exit. The less volatile fraction of the feedstock stream
exits the Distillation Unit and continues through the tradi

tional heavy oil processing stages.

[0073] Since various modi?cations can be made in the
invention as herein above described, and many apparently
Widely different embodiments of same made Within the spirit
and scope of the claims Without department from such spirit
and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the

accompanying speci?cation shall be interpreted as illustra

tive only and not in a limiting sense.

1. A method of upgrading a heavy oil feedstock, the

method comprising:
forming a continuous How of the heavy oil feedstock;
heating the continuous How to a prescribed temperature;

cracking the heavy oil feedstock in the continuous ?oW by

directing either electrons or x-rays at the continuous
How.
2. The method according to claim 1 including recycling a

separated portion comprising volatiZed parts of the continu

ous ?oW back into the continuous ?oW prior to electron

cracking.
3. The method according to claim 1 including varying
constituents of the continuous ?oW subsequent to cracking
by varying an amount of the separated portion recycled back
into the continuous How.

4. The method according to claim 1 including recycling

back into the How a separated portion comprising a part of
the continuous ?oW Which is volatiZed When heating the
How to said prescribed temperature.
5. The method according to claim 1 including precondi
tioning the continuous ?oW prior to heating to said pre
scribed temperature by adding to the How a selected one or
more of oZone, steam or a hydrogen donor gas and recycling

back into the How a separated portion comprising parts of

the continuous ?oW Which are volatiZed When precondition

ing.
6. The method according to claim 1 including reducing a
cross sectional dimension of the continuous How in one

electron treatment, either With ba?les or blades in the How

direction prior to electron cracking.

7. The method according to claim 1 including recycling

path. The light fractions released during electron/x-ray treat

back into the How a separated portion of the continuous ?oW

ment may be pumped through Line #5 to either the Distil

comprising hydrocarbon molecules.

lation Unit or recirculated back to the feedstock stream prior

to electron/x-ray treatment to further enhance the effects of

8. The method according to claim 1 including electron or

x-ray cracking at conditions near atmospheric pressure.

the cracking process.

9. The method according to claim 1 including mixing the

continuous ?oW during electron or x-ray cracking.
10. The method according to claim 1 including directing

[0070] 5) The accelerator produces either a pulsed or a

continuous electron beam. The air stream from the electron/
x-ray treatment Zone With oZone produced during the elec
tron/x-ray treatment, may be pumped to the inlet line for the

feedstock (Line 7) to enhance the effects of the cracking

process.

[0071] 6) The accelerator facility may generate multiple

beams, either With multiple accelerators or the use of beam
splitters to alloW the feedstock to be treated from multiple
sides in the electron treatment Zone. Standard shielding

designs for accelerator facilities may be used for this facility.

[0072] 7) The cracked feedstock is noW appropriately
conditioned and fed through Line #6 into the Distillation

electrons at the continuous ?oW from more than one direc

tion.
11. A method according to claim 1 including arranging a

portion of the continuous How to comprise hydrocarbons

having a boiling point loWer than said prescribed tempera
ture prior to electron or x-ray cracking by maintaining under
pressure in the continuous ?oW at least a portion of hydro

carbons volatiZed during heating.

*