Methane Assisted Catalytic Upgrading of Extra Heavy Crudes under Moderate Conditions

随着常规石油资源的枯竭和能源需求的不断增加，更好地利用劣质石油资源对可持续发展越来越重要。减压渣油(VR)是现代炼油厂中占原油比重最大的重质油，其利用途径普遍效率低、能耗高，不利于经济和环境的发展。同样，从蒸汽辅助重力排水(SAGD)过程中回收的沥青具有高粘度和高密度以及高杂质含量，因此通常需要稀释剂来运输，从而增加了成本和环境问题。回收的含有石脑油馏分的稀释剂SAGD原油和VR都被认为是超重质原油，在最终使用之前需要进行大量的进一步加工。目前项目的目标是开发一种具有成本效益的升级技术，以大大提高用于生产清洁轻质燃料和高附加值石化产品的特重原油的质量。这将使用一种技术，该技术基于在温和的温度和压力下将甲烷作为天然气的主要成分直接催化掺入超重质原油中，因为天然气价格比氢气更经济优势，从而提高生产率和降低生产成本，从而改善盈利能力。此外，在油砂开采期间将伴生天然气直接纳入可运输的石油产品中，将最大限度地减少采矿和升级过程中的温室气体排放，使其更加环保。此外，该研究的成果将开创甲烷活化和价化的新途径，在催化及其在清洁能源转换中的应用方面取得突破。该项目取得的成果将通过更有效和更清洁地利用加拿大自然资源丰富的重质原油和天然气，进一步确立加拿大在世界能源市场的领先地位。

The better utilization of low-quality oil resources is becoming more and more crucial for sustainable development due to the depletion of conventional petroleum resources and continuously increasing energy demand. Vacuum residue (VR) is the heaviest part of crude oil accounting for a large proportion in modern refineries, while its utilization routes are generally of low efficiency and high energy intensity, and thus economically and environmentally unfavorable. Similarly, bitumen recovered from Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process experiences high viscosity and density as well as high content of impurities and thus diluent is often needed for its transportation with additional cost and environmental concerns. Both the diluent containing naphtha fraction recovered SAGD crude and VR are considered as extra heavy crude which are required to be significantly further processed before end use. The goal of the current project is to develop a cost-effective upgrading technology to greatly enhance the quality of extra heavy crudes for the productions of clean light fuel and high-value added petrochemicals. This will be done using a technology based on the directly catalytic incorporation of methane as the main component of natural gas into the extra heavy crude at mild temperatures and pressures as natural gas prices are far more economically advantageous compared to hydrogen, leading to enhanced productivity and reduced production cost and thus improved profitability. Furthermore, the direct incorporation of associated natural gas during oil sands exploitation into the transportable oil product will minimize greenhouse gas emissions from mining and upgrading processes, making it more environmentally friendly. Moreover, the outcomes obtained from the proposed research will create a novel way of methane activation and valorization, leading to the breakthrough in the field of catalysis and its application in clean energy conversion. The achievement made from this project will further ascertain the leading position of Canada in the world's energy market through more efficient and cleaner utilization of heavy crude oil and natural gas which are naturally abundant in Canada.