Use of SCW to upgrade extra-heavy Canadian crude.

摘要

Japan Oil, Gas and Minerals National Corp. has partnered with JGC Corp. to test its Supercritical Water Cracking (SCWC) process via a 5-b/d pilot-scale unit located at a government research complex in Alberta, Canada. SCWC is designed to upgrade extra-heavy Canadian crude into synthetic crude oil (SCO) by using supercritical water (SCW) as a thermal cracking medium without the need for catalysts, diluents, or hydrogen. The partners also note that SCW is highly lipophilic, allowing lighter portions of the cracked extra-heavy crude to be more easily extracted and recovered. The pitch byproduct may also be utilized to produce road asphalt.