Processing and Recovery of Heavy Crude Oil Using an HPA-Ni Catalyst and Natural Gas.

To maintain economic profitability and stabilize fuel prices, refineries actively explore alternatives for efficiently processing (extra) heavy crude oils. These oils are challenging to process due to their complex composition, which includes significant quantities of asphaltenes, resins, and sulfur and nitrogen heteroatoms. A critical initial step in upgrading these oils is the hydrogenation of polyaromatic compounds, requiring substantial hydrogen sources.