Turbine Fuels from Tar Sands Bitumen and Heavy Oil. Volume 1. Phase 3. Pilot Plant Testing, Final Design, and Economics.

Abstract : Pilot Plant-scale demonstration of an upgrading/refining scheme to convert bitumen or heavy crude oil into high yields of specification quality aviation turbine fuel was performed. An atmospheric residue from San Ardo (California) crude was converted under hydrovisbreaking conditions to synthetic crude for further refining. Naphtha cuts from the straight run and synthetic crude were combined, catalytically hydrotreated, then hydrocracked. Products from these operations were combined to produce two prototype specification fuels (JP-4 and JP-8) as well as two heavier, variable quality fuels. An engineering design (Volume II) was developed for a 50,000 BPSD grass-roots refinery, from the pilot plant operations. Capital investment and operating costs were estimated, and fuel manufacturing costs projected. Conclusions and recommendations for further work are included. Keywords: Turbine fuel, Refining, Tar sands, Bitumen heavy, Crude oil residuum, Hydrotreating, Hydrocracking, Hydrovisbreaking, Pilot plant, Plant design, Economics.