Residue Upgrading Technologies – The Competitive Advantage of the Hydrogen Addition Route

Introduction and Context

In the last decades, the crude oil transformation industry has suffered pressure from society to reduce the environmental impact of his processes. These pressures were translated in more restricted regulations leading to higher restrictions in the concentration of contaminants in the crude derivatives, especially nitrogen and sulfur.

This scenario raised the hydroprocessing technologies to a strategic level to refining industry, currently, it’s practically impossible to produce marketable crude derivatives without at least one hydroprocessing step. Nowadays, the hydroprocessing capacity is fundamental to the competitiveness of any refining hardware, especially to refiners processing heavier crude oils. Restrictive regulations like IMO 2020 raised, even more, the pressure over refiners with low bottom barrel conversion capacity once requires higher capacity to add value to residual streams, especially related to sulfur content that was reduced from 3,5 % (in mass) to 0,5 %. Refiners with easy access to low sulfur crude oils present relative competitive advantage in this scenario, these players can rely on relatively low cost residue upgrading technologies to produce the new marine fuel oil (Bunker) as carbon rejection technologies (Solvent Deasphalting, Delayed Coking, etc.), but they are the minority in the market. The most part of the players need to look for sources of low sulfur crudes, which present higher cost putting under pressure his refining margins or look for deep bottom barrel conversion technologies to ensure more value addition to processed crude oils and avoid to loss competitiveness in the downstream market. For these refiners, deepest residue upgrading like hydrocracking technologies can offer great operational flexibility, despite the high capital spending.

Hydroprocessing Technologies – An Overview

Normally, the hydroprocessing is applied to distillates streams like naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, however, the growing of heavier (and high contaminants content) crude oil reserves have been lead to a higher relevance of the hydroprocessing of bottom barrel streams to the downstream industry.

The hydrotreating process (less severe hydroprocessing) involves a series of chemical reactions between hydrogen and organic compounds containing the contaminants (N, S, O, etc.). According to the target contaminant of the hydrotreating, the process can be called hydrodesulfurization (removing S), hydrodenitrogenation (removing N), hydrodeoxygenation (removing O) or hydrodearomatization when the main objective is to saturate of aromatic compounds, among others.

The most common hydrotreating forms are hydrodesulfurization (where the objective is to remove compounds like benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, etc.) and the hydrodenitrogenation (removing porphyrins, quinolines, etc.) These compounds, besides provoke emissions of SOx and NOx when are burned, produce in the derivates acidity, color, and chemical instability.

The main chemical reactions associated with the hydrotreating process are represented below:

R-CH=CH2 + H2 → R-CH2-CH3 (Olefins Saturation)

R-SH + H2 → R-H + H2S (Hydrodesulfurization)

R-NH2 + H2 → R-H + NH3 (Hydrodenitrogenation)

R-OH + H2 → R-H + H2O (Hydrodeoxigenation)

Where R is a hydrocarbon.

The hydroprocessing of residual streams presents additional challenges when compared with the treating of lighter streams, mainly due to the higher contaminants content and residual carbon (RCR) related with the high concentration of resins and asphaltenes in the bottom barrel streams. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the residue upgrading technologies applied according to the metals and asphaltenes content in the feed stream. 

Figure 1 – Residue Upgrading Technologies According to the Contaminants Content (Encyclopedia of Hydrocarbons, 2006)

       Higher metals and asphaltenes content lead to a quick deactivation of the catalysts through high coke deposition rate, catalytic matrix degradation by metals like nickel and vanadium or even by the plugging of catalyst pores produced by the adsorption of metals and high molecular weight molecules in the catalyst surface. By this reason, according to the content of asphaltenes and metals in the feed stream are adopted more versatile technologies aiming to ensure an adequate operational campaign and an effective treatment.

To demonstrate the mechanism of catalyst plugging, Figure 2 presents a scheme of reactants and products flows involved in a heterogeneous catalytic reaction as carried out in the hydroprocessing treatments.  

Figure 2 – Reactants and Products Flows in a Generic Porous Catalyst (GONZALEZ, 2003)

In order to carry out the hydroprocessing reactions, it’s necessary the mass transfer of reactants to the catalyst pores, adsorption on the active sites to posterior chemical reactions and desorption.  In the case of bottom barrel streams processing, the high molecular weight and high contaminants content require a higher catalyst porosity aiming to allow the access of these reactants to the active sites allowing the reactions of hydrodemetallization, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, etc. Furthermore, part of the feed stream can be in the liquid phase, creating additional difficulties to the mass transfer due to the lower diffusivity. To minimize the plugging effect, in fixed bed reactors, the first beds are filled with higher porosity solids without catalytic activity and act as filters to the solids present in the feed stream protecting the most active catalyst from the deactivation (guard beds).

The process conditions are severer in the residue hydrotreating. The feed stream characteristics lead to a strong tendency of coke deposition on the catalyst requiring higher hydrogen partial pressures (until 160 bar to fixed bed reactors) and higher temperatures (400 – 420 oC).

Bottom barrel streams hydroprocessing can be applied aiming to prepare the feed stream for another deep conversion processes like FCC and RFCC, it’s also common apply high severity hydrotreating process units to reduce the contaminants content to the processing in hydrocracking units, with the objective to protect the hydrocracking catalyst. The gas oil hydrotreating is very common in the preparation of feed stream to fluid catalytic cracking units (FCC) aiming to control the content f sulfur, metals and nitrogen as well as promote the opening of aromatics rings that are refractory of the catalytic cracking reactions.  Figure 3 presents a basic process flow diagram for a typical high severity hydrotreating unit.

The hydrotreating process is normally conducted in fixed bed reactors and the most applied catalysts are Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo) and Tungsten (W), commonly in association with then and supported in alumina (Al2O3).  The association Co/Mo is applied in reactions that need lower reaction severity like hydrodesulfurization, while the catalyst Ni/Mo is normally applied in reactions that need higher severity, like hydrodenitrogenation and aromatics saturation. To the hydrotreating of bottom barrel streams (vacuum gas oil, delayed coking gas oil, etc.), due to the higher severity needed, is applied Nickel-Molybdenum (Ni-Mo) catalysts. 

Figure 3 – Basic Process Flow Diagram for High Severity Hydrotreating Process Units

           Among the bottom barrel streams hydrotreating technologies we can quote the process Aroshift™ developed by Haldor Topsoe Company, the Unionfining™ process developed by UOP Company, the Hyvahl™ technology by Axens Company and the RHU™ process by Shell Company.

The residue hydroprocessing also can be realized through hydrocracking process units according to the feed stream characteristics and the chosen refining configuration. Table 1 presents the main differences between the hydrotreating and hydrocracking processes.  

As presented in Figure 1, streams with higher contaminants content, especially metals, requires treatment by hydrocracking. As aforementioned, in some refining schemes, hydrotreating units can be applied to prepare the feed stream to hydrocracking units aiming to control the concentration of metals and nitrogen and protect the hydrocracking catalysts that normally have high cost. Figure 4 presents a typical hydrocracking process unit with two reaction stage. 

Figure 4 – Typical Arrangement for Two Stage Hydrocracking Units

The process unit presented in Figure 4 relies on intermediate separation of gases between the reaction stages. This configuration is adopted when the contaminants content (especially nitrogen) is high, in this case, the catalyst deactivation is minimized through the reduction of NH3 and H2S concentration in the reactors. Among the main hydrocracking process technologies available commercially we can quote the process H-Oil™ developed by Axens Company, the EST™ process by ENI Company, the Uniflex™ Processes by UOP, and the LC-Fining™ technology by Chevron Company. Figure 5 presents a typical process flow diagram for a LC-Fining™ process unit, developed by Chevron Lummus Company while the H-Oil™ process by Axens Company is presented in Figure 6.

Figure 5 – Process Flow Diagram for LC-Fining™ Technology by CLG Company (MUKHERJEE & GILLIS, 2018)

Catalysts applied in hydrocracking processes can be amorphous (alumina and silica-alumina) and crystalline (zeolites) and have bifunctional characteristics, once the cracking reactions (in the acid sites) and hydrogenation (in the metals sites) occurs simultaneously. 

Figure 6 – Process Flow Diagram for H-Oil™ Process by Axens Company (FRECON et. al, 2019)

The active metals used to this process are normally Ni, Co, Mo and W in combination with noble metals like Pt and Pd. The hydrocracking process is normally conducted under severe reaction conditions with temperatures that vary to 300 to 480 oC and pressures between 35 to 260 bar.

It’s necessary a synergic effect between the catalyst and the hydrogen because the cracking reactions are exothermic and the hydrogenation reactions are endothermic, so the reaction is conducted under high partial hydrogen pressures and the temperature is controlled in the minimum necessary to convert the feed stream. Despite these characteristic, the hydrocracking global process is exothermic and the reaction temperature control is normally made through cold hydrogen injection between the catalytic beds as well as occurred in the hydrotreating processes.

Due to the severe operational conditions, the operational costs tends to be higher to the bottom barrel hydroprocessing units when compared with units dedicated to treat distillate streams (Diesel, Kerosene, and Nafta). The most intense hydrogenation process led to most robust catalytic bed cooling systems (quench), higher hydrogen replacing rates and complexes phase separation systems (multiple stages).

An improvement in relation of ebullated bed technologies is the slurry phase reactors, which can achieve conversions higher than 95 %. In this case, the main available technologies are the HDH™ process (Hydrocracking-Distillation-Hydrotreatment), developed by PDVSA-Intevep, VEBA-Combicracking Process (VCC)™ commercialized by KBR Company, the EST™ process (Eni Slurry Technology) developed by Italian state oil company ENI, and the Uniflex™ technology developed by UOP Company. Figure 7 presents a basic process flow diagram for the VCC™ technology by KBR Company.

Figure 7 – Basic Process Arrangement for VCC™ Slurry Hydrocracking by KBR Company (KBR Company, 2019)

           In the slurry phase hydrocracking units, the catalysts in injected with the feedstock and activated in situ while the reactions are carried out in slurry phase reactors, minimizing the reactivation issue, and ensuring higher conversions and operating lifecycle. Figure 8 presents a basic process flow diagram for the Uniflex™ slurry hydrocracking technology by UOP Company.

Figure 8 – Process Flow Diagram for Uniflex™ Slurry Phase Hydrocracking Technology by UOP Company (UOP Company, 2019).

           The decision for installation of deep hydrocracking units needs to be based on a wide economic study due to the high capital and operating costs, Figure 9 presents a comparative study involving the most common residue upgrading technologies developed by Shell Company based on data from 2019.

Figure 9 – Capital Spending x Residue Conversion to Residue Upgrading Technologies (Shell Catalysts and Technologies, 2019)

           As presented in Figure 9, the hydrocracking technologies present the higher level of required capital spending, on the other side offer the higher conversion to bottom barrel streams, a necessity to refiners processing heavy and extra-heavy crudes. According to Figure 1, the other alternatives are not effective to treating residue streams with high carbon residue and metals, common characteristics of extra-heavy crude oils. In this case, the hydrocracking alternative is the most technically adequate solution.

Atmospheric Residue Desulfurization – An Especial Case

With the start the validity of the new regulation over the quality parameters of marine fuel oil (BUNKER), some refiners and crude oil producers still question what will be the market behavior face to the new regulation. The relatively recent regulation, IMO 2020 imposed a deep reduction in the sulfur content of the marine fuel oil from the current 3,50 % in mass to 0,50 % in mass, leading to a necessity of changes in the production process of this derivative or higher control of sulfur content in the processed crude slate by the refiners.  

           To refiners with adequate bottom barrel processing capacity, the new regulation tends to don’t be a great threat and can represent a good opportunity to raise the profitability, taking into account the competitive advantage which the high complexity refining hardware gives to these refiners. The devaluation of high sulfur crude oil suffered due to the IMO 2020 can be translated in higher refining margins to refiners capable to add value to these crudes.   

           One of the technologies that have been widely considered in the downstream industry post IMO 2020 scenario is the desulphurization of atmospheric residue, aiming to allow not only the compliance with the regulation but the quality improvement of the other derivatives and reliability of the downstream process units like FCC or hydrocracking. As presented in Figure 7, the atmospheric residue corresponds to the bottom stream of the atmospheric crude oil distillation column.

Figure 7 – Typical Process Arrangement of Atmospheric Crude Oil Distillation Unit

Once heteroatoms like sulfur, nitrogen, and metals tend to concentrate in the heavier fractions of the crude oil, the atmospheric residue drags the major part of the contaminants present in the crude oil. Taking into account the current quality and environmental requirements over the derivatives, posterior treatments are required aiming to reduce the contaminants content (mainly sulfur and nitrogen) in the derivatives.  

Before January of 2020, the production of marine fuel oil (BUNKER) involved basically the dilution of vacuum residue (bottom barrel stream from vacuum distillation column) or deasphalted oil (to refiners that rely on solvent deasphalting unit in the refining scheme) with lighter streams like LCO (Light Cycle Oil) and gas oils, as presented in Figure 8. 

Figure 11 – Marine Fuel Oil (BUNKER) Production Process

The IMO 2020 made necessary a better control of the sulfur content in the streams applied as diluents in the BUNKER production, to refiners with high bottom barrel conversion capacity the control of the sulfur content in the vacuum residue through the atmospheric residue applying hydrodesulphurization minimizes the necessity of treatment of other streams as well as can avoid the use of noblest streams like diesel and jet fuel as diluents in the BUNKER production.

The hydrodesulphurization process of atmospheric residue presents additional technologic challenges when compared with the hydrotreating process applied to final derivatives like diesel and gasoline, considering the high contaminants content, mainly metals, and the residual carbon due to the high concentration of resins and asphaltenes in the feed stream. Beyond the sulfur removal, the main goal, the atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization unit promotes the partial removal of metals, nitrogen and residual carbon (CCR) through catalytic hydrogenation mechanism.

Among the available atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization technologies, we can quote the RCD Unionfining™ process developed by UOP Company, the process Hyvahl™ by Axens Company, the technology RHU™ by Shell Company, and the RDS™ technology commercialized by Lummus.   

           Figure 12 present the basic process flow diagram for the RCD Unionfining™ technology by UOP Company. 

Figure 12 – UOP RCD Unionfining™ Atmospheric Residue Hydrodesulphurization Technology (UOP Company Website, 2019)

The role of the atmospheric hydrodesulphurization unit in the refinery goes beyond allowing the production of low sulfur fuel oil, in high complexity refineries the unit is applied as feedstock treatment step to conversion units as FCC/RFCC, hydrocracking, and delayed coking. The reduction of contaminants content and residual carbon promoted by the atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization unit significantly raises the quality of derivatives produced by downstream units as well as raises the catalyst lifecycle of deep conversion processes like FCC and hydrocracking, contributing to reduce the operation costs.  

The process conditions tend to be more severe in the case of atmospheric residue hydroprocessing. The feedstock characteristics lead to a strong tendency of coke deposition over the catalyst requiring then higher hydrogen partial pressure (until 180 bar to fixed bed reactors) as well as higher temperatures (380 to 420 oC).

The hydrotreating process of atmospheric residue is normally conducted in fixed bed reactors and the most employed catalysts are Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo), and Tungsten (W), normally in association between them and supported over alumina (Al2O3).  The combination Co/Mo is normally more active to hydrodesulphurization reactions while the Ni/Mo combination is responsible for hydrodenitrogenation and aromatics saturation reactions.

A typical atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization unit can achieve 95 % of conversion in hydrodesulphurization reactions and 98 % in hydrodemetallization reactions, furthermore, it’s possible to achieve a reduction of 65 % in residual carbon according to the employed technology. Normally, atmospheric hydrodesulphurization units rely on catalytic beds focused to remove metals also called guard beds aiming to protect the catalysts in the downstream reactors and improve the operational lifecycle.

Due to the severe operating conditions, the operation costs of atmospheric residue desulphurization units are higher when compared with hydrotreating units dedicated to processing distillates (Diesel, Jet fuel, and Naphtha). The most intense hydrogenation process leads to a necessity of more robust quenching systems of catalytic beds, higher hydrogen make-up rates and more complex phase separation systems (multiple stages).  

Despite the relatively high capital cost, the implementation of atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization units allows refiners greater operational flexibility and high sulfur oil producers, greater value addition to crude oil. Countries with high production of high sulfur oil such as Kuwait have made a great capital investment to install atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization units to add even more value to their crude oil reserves as well as to ensure the production of low sulfur fuel oil. The Al-Zour Refinery Enterprise from KNPC and KIPIC Companies relies on the biggest atmospheric residue hydrodesulphurization units in the world aiming to ensure market compliance and high added value to the Kuwait crude oil reserves even in the post IMO 2020 scenario.

Where:

KNPC – Kuwait Petroleum National Company

KIPIC – Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company

Cracked Feeds – An Special Challenge

           The most common cracked feeds directed to hydrocracking units are residual streams from FCC like Light Cycle (LCO) and Decanted Oil (DO) and Heavy Coker Gasoil (HCGO) from Delayed Coking units. Another less common feed is residue from Visbreaking units.

           The main characteristics that influence in the hydrocracking performance for each feedstock is presented below:

·      FCC Cycle Oils – Present high aromaticity that are normally refractory to cracking reactions as well as refractory sulfur components, raising the sulfur content in the final products and reduction in diesel cetane number, on the other side, normally presents low basic nitrogen content that is a poison to the hydrocracking catalysts;

·      Thermal Cracking Feeds – Normally presents low aromatics content, but concentrate refractory sulfur components.

The Heavy Coker Gasoil (HCGO) is an interesting case study as a feed to hycrocracking unit. Refiners with high complexity refining hardware can rely on the synergy between delayed coking and hydrocracking technologies to ensure added value to bottom barrel streams, as presented in Figure 13.

Figure 13 – Coking/Hydrocracking Refining Configuration.

             The quality of the HCGO relies on the quality of the feed to the delayed coking unit as well as the operating mode of the unit, mainly the recycle ratio. Higher recycle ratios produces better quality HCGO once reduces Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR), reducing the contaminants content like metals, sulfur, and nitrogen.

             Despite this advantage, the delayed coking operators normally minimize the recycle ratio to minimum as possible aiming to raise the fresh feed processing capacity and the quality of HCGO is not an optimization focus of the refinery. For this reason, normally the HCGO is a hard feed to hydrocracking units due to the high content of refractory sulfur components, high CCR, high nitrogen content, and aromatics concentration.

             The sulfur and nitrogen content raises the heat release in the first bed (Higher exothermal profile) that can produce damage to the catalysts, the nitrogen tends to inhibit the cracking reaction leading to lower conversion in the unit. Hydrocrackers processing feeds with high nitrogen content tends to apply processing configuration with intermediate gas separation as presented in Figure 4 to control the catalyst activity. The higher production of H2S and NH3 due to the higher concentration of sulfur and nitrogen reduces the hydrogen partial pressure, raise the necessity of wash water to the units, and can raise the corrosion rate in the processing unit.

             Aromatics compounds tend to raise the hydrogen consumption, the heat release in the catalyst bed, and are precursors of coking deposition that deactivate the catalyst. Other side effects of the cracked feeds to hydrocracking units are the impact over the quality of the final products like lower cetane number of diesel, higher smoke point of kerosene, lower viscosity index in the lubricating oils and higher sulfur content.

            As described above, processing cracked feeds in hydrocracking units present some additional challenges to refiners related to hydrogen consumption, better quench design of the catalyst bed due to the higher exothermic profile of the reactions, and lower global activity of the catalyst due to the higher poison content, like basic nitrogen. These characteristics lead the refiners processing cracked feeds in hydrocracking units to invest more capital in feed treating systems like filtering and guard beds, despite this apparent disadvantage, refiners able to add value to bottom barrel streams can face high competitive advantage considering the downstream market post IMO2020. For refiners processing extra-heavy bottom barrel streams, the deep hydrocracking technologies like slurry phase hydrocracking can be an interesting option, despite the high capital and operating costs.

Guard Beds against Contaminants – Ensuring Longer Operating Lifecycle

           As mentioned above, cracked feeds requires even more care with the catalyst due to the high contaminants content and necessity of high activity to treat refractory molecules, in this sense, control the catalyst lifecycle became, even more, a key issue to refiners and one of the main strategies adopted in the last years is the use of guard beds in hydroprocessing catalysts to protect the catalysts, ensuring longer and most profitable operating campaign.

           The main objective of the guard bed is to protect the main and active catalyst against:

·      Particulates from the feedstock that can be dragged like sediments, catalysts powder and corrosion products that are capable to produce physical fouling;

·      Heavier hydrocarbons capable to lead of coking deposition;

·      Chemical unstable hydrocarbons capable to produce gum, like olefins and diolefins;

·      Metals and catalysts poisons like Ni, V, Fe, Si, Na, etc.

Due to the higher concentration of contaminants the guard beds are most common in hydroprocessing units dedicated to processing heavier feedstocks, as quoted above. Normally is applied a grading strategy in the catalyst bed aiming to establish an staggering of pore diameter and activity to the catalysts, keeping the catalysts in the top more resistant to the contaminants acting as a filter, protecting then the most active catalyst in the bottom section, Figure 14 presents an example of hydroprocessing catalysts grading according to STAX™ technology by Albemarle Company.

Figure 14 – Example of Hydroprocessing Catalyts Grading (LELIVELD & TOSHIMA, 2015)

           In Figure 14, the guard bed will be responsible to control the contaminants content (mainly metals) to the next catalyst sections as well as to reduce the carbon residue (CCR) and particulates concentration, keeping the activity and improving the lifecycle of the hydroprocessing unit.

           Among the most known catalyst protection technologies available in the market we can quote the CatTrap™ technology developed by Crystaphase Company, this technology applies a ceramic bed acting as a filter to particulate materials, controlling especially the pressure drop in the catalyst bed. 

           For units dedicated to treat bottom barrel streams, the hydroprocessing catalyst needs present high activity and be resistant to the high contaminants content (sulfur, nitrogen, and silicon), some companies have been dedicated his efforts to develop catalytic systems capable to attend these requirements, as examples of these technologies we can quote the START™ system by Advanced Refining Technologies (ART) Company, the UNITY™ system developed by UOP Company, the SENTRY™ catalysts by Criterion Catalysts Company, and the TK-449 Silicon Trap™ by Haldor Topsoe Company.

           The increasing relevance of the hydroprocessing technologies to the downstream industry requires even more attention from refineries aiming to keep profitable and reliable operations in these units, the guard beds technologies have an important role to allow the achievement of this goal.

The Deep Hydroprocessing Technologies in the Integration of Refining and Petrochemical Assets

           As aforementioned the hydrocracking units are capable to improve the quality of bottom barrel streams, the main advantage of the integration between hydrocraking and steam cracking units is the higher availability of feeds with better crackability characteristics.

           Bottom barrel streams tends to concentrate aromatics and polyaromatics compounds that present uneconomically performance in steam cracking units due the high yield of fuel oil that presents low added value, furthermore, the aromatics tends to suffer condensation reaction in the steam cracking furnaces, leading to high rates of coke deposition that reduces the operation lifecycle and raises the operating costs.

Once cracking potential is better to paraffinic molecules, and the hydrocracking technologies can improve the H/C in the molecules converting low added value bottom streams like vacuum gasoil to high quality naphtha, kerosene and diesel the synergy between hydrocracking and steam cracking units, for example, can improve the yield of petrochemical intermediates in the refining hardware, an example of highly integrated refining configuration relying on hydrocracking is presented in Figure 15.

Figure 15 – Integrated Refining Scheme Relying on Hydrocracking Technology (UOP, 2019)

           Taking into account the recent trend of reduction in transportation fuels demand followed by the growth of petrochemicals market makes the presence of hydrocracking units in the refining hardware raise the availability of high quality intermediate streams capable to be converted into petrochemicals, an attractive way to maximize the value addition to processed crude oil in the refining hardware.

Conclusion

Despite the operational costs, the hydroprocessing of bottom barrel streams can ensure higher reliability and profitability to refiners through the reduction in the global operational costs related with shorter operational campaigns due to early catalyst deactivation as aforementioned, another advantage is the capacity to processing heavy and discounted crudes that can allow a significant rising in the refining margins.

Beyond this, the relevance of residue hydroprocessing technologies raised, even more, after the start of the new regulation on Bunker (Marine Fuel Oil), the IMO 2020. Once the low sulfur crude oils are scarce, the refiners need to look for alternative routes to add value to his crude oil reserves as well as to supply the new marine fuel oil, ensuring participation in a profitable market.

The capacity to add value to the bottom barrel streams is a competitive differential in the refining industry and this differential tends to be even more relevant in the market scenario post IMO 2020, especially in markets with easy access to high sulfur crude oils. The scenario faced by the players of the downstream industry requires even more competitive capacity to ensure higher value addition to the processed crude oils, mainly considering the current trend of reduction in transportation fuels demand followed by the growing market of petrochemicals that requires a higher conversion capacity in the refining hardware aiming to ensure higher yields of added value derivatives. In this scenario, high integrated refining configurations based on residue upgrading and flexible refining technologies can be economically attractive, despite the high capital investment and the hydrocracking unit can improve the offer of high quality intermediates to petrochemical industry, allowing higher yields of light olefins in the refining hardware and closer integration with petrochemical assets, which is a relevant competitive advantage in the current and short term scenario of the downstream industry.

References

CACKETT, S. – IMO 2020 and Bottom of the Barrel Opportunities (Shell Catalysts and Technologies). Presented at 2nd Residue Hydrotreat, Kuwait, 2019.

Encyclopedia of Hydrocarbons (ENI), Volume II – Refining and Petrochemicals (2006).

FRECON, J.; LE BARS, D.; RAULT, J. – Flexible Upgrading of Heavy Feedstocks. PTQ Magazine, 2019.

GONZALEZ, G. S. Junior Engineer’s Training Course – Kinetics and Reactors. Oxiteno Company, 2003.

LELIVELD, B.; TOSHIMA, H. Hydrotreating Challenges and Opportunities with Tight Oil. PTQ Magazine, 2015.

MUKHERJEE, U.; GILLIS, D. – Advances in Residue Hydrocracking. PTQ Magazine, 2018.

SILVA, M.W.; CLARK, J. – Delayed Coking as a Sustainable Refinery Solution. PTQ Magazine, 2021.

SPEIGHT, J.G. Heavy and Extra-Heavy Oil Upgrading Technologies. 1st ed. Elsevier Press, 2013.

ZHU, F.; HOEHN, R.; THAKKAR, V.; YUH, E. Hydroprocessing for Clean Energy – Design, Operation, and Optimization. 1st ed. Wiley Press, 2017.

Dr. Marcio Wagner da Silva is Process Engineer and Stockpiling Manager on Crude Oil Refining Industry based in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from University of Maringa (UEM), Brazil and PhD. in Chemical Engineering from University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Has extensive experience in research, design and construction to oil and gas industry including developing and coordinating projects to operational improvements and debottlenecking to bottom barrel units, moreover Dr. Marcio Wagner have MBA in Project Management from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and is certified in Business from Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV).