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KBC Tight Oil Article
KBC Tight Oil Article
KBC Tight Oil Article
hydrotreater operation
Addressing the range of challenges brought to diesel and jet production by
light tight oil processing
L
ight tight oil (LTO, also US refiners and replaced with N+2A content of naphtha
known as shale oil) forma- LTO crudes. Therefore, a • Finding ways to handle poor
tions are providing a new comparison of example LTO, cold flow properties in distil-
crude source to North America conventional US, Asian Pacific, late train
and soon to the world, with the and West African crude distil- • Identifying alternative oper-
construction of condensate late qualities presents a ating and optimisation
splitters in the US Gulf Coast possible mechanism to provide opportunities to fully leverage
and the announcement that the operating and product impact LTO processing.
US government was lifting the insight for hydrotreaters in Though outside the remit of
crude export ban. Agreements LTO processing facilities. The this discussion, several
between the US and Mexico following will provide some resources are available to
have been announced that will high level impacts of LTO address the items listed above.1-
allow crude swaps, thereby processing on a facility, and 10
The focus of this article is to
sending LTO into refineries in then use a kinetic model to understand the impact of LTOs
Mexico. Other countries in the highlight the unit specific in the distillate train, and high-
region are also examining the impacts that can occur. light areas that refiners should
potentials of LTO imports. The evaluate and consider as part
economic advantages of Impact of light tight oils on of LTO processing in their
processing LTO crudes are the refinery operation facilities.
low crude cost relative to Figure 1 summarises some of
world benchmark crudes and the high-level impacts of Distillate evaluation
higher quality compared to processing LTOs in a conven- methodology
other available crudes. tional refinery. The key To begin the process of under-
The production and process- challenges include, but are not standing the impact of LTO on
ing of LTO crudes is relatively limited to: conventional refining opera-
new, whereas Asia Pacific • Managing crude compatibil- tions, benchmark crudes were
conventional crudes that have ity, asphaltene deposition, wax selected that have similar prop-
similar qualities (when formation, and fouling in the erties of LTO crudes (high
compared to LTO crudes) have crude and vacuum units paraffin content, lower
been in production and refined • Handling the higher content sulphur/nitrogen, poor cold
for many years. In addition, of naphtha in crude, as well as flow properties, for instance).
West African crudes and the lower content of vacuum In reviewing crude qualities on
conventional US crudes (such resid a global basis, some of the
as West Texas Intermediate, • Managing impact on sweet waxy crudes from Asia
WTI) have been displaced from reformer yields due to the poor Pacific have similar qualities to
Virgin naphtha
Catalytic
NHT reforming Reformate
unit
Waxy fouling Gasoline
Wild naphtha Problems with pool
Kerosene cold flow properties
Crude Kerosene DHT
tower
HT jet Oil
Waxy fouling Middle distillate Naphtha Naphtha movement
HT and
Crude
diesel storage
Diesel
Atmospheric
gas oils DHT Jet and
Crude GOHT diesel pool
Synthetic jet/diesel
feedstock or CHU
Cutter stock for fuel oil
Vacuum
overheads
Low utilisation
Vacuum
FCCU
gas oils FCC
naphtha
Low yields Vacuum
tower
Coker FCC
gas oils C3S and C4S Alkylate
Wild naphtha
Atmospheric
Coker
resid Alkylation
C3S and C4S
Vacuum
Coker
Coke
resid High olefins
Low rate
LTO crudes. Hence, for this generic kerosene or diesel general operating conditions of
study, the comparison crudes hydrotreater (DHTR-SIM) each hydrotreater.
chosen were Bach Ho, model to predict the perfor- Though the design parame-
Gippsland, Cossack, and mance changes in unit ters, catalyst type, and
Kutubu. In addition, West operation. The model not only operating targets for each refin-
African light sweet crude (Qua predicts the operational and er’s distillate hydrotreater units
Iboe) was included in the anal- product quality changes, but will vary, these generic units
ysis, as these crudes typically also the reactor heat balance should provide valuable
compete with LTO crudes in and catalyst deactivation insight into the impacts of
US refineries. impacts. processing LTO crudes versus
Crude assays from an assay Table 1 summarises the similar crudes.
database that KBC licenses Co-processing LTO with other
were used as the basis to Hydrotreater operating conditions feeds is an operational advan-
generate kerosene and diesel tage for kerosene and diesel
hydrotreater feeds. Each assay feeds. The unit capacity may
was individually processed in Kerosene HDT Diesel HDT not be entirely utilised by the
LHSV ~2.5 ~1.0
a Petro-SIM simulation model Reactor inlet P ~600 psig ~1200 psig LTO and a heavy/sour/
to generate a typical kerosene Cycle length ~ 4 years ~ 2 years aromatic feed might be
and diesel fraction. Each frac- included to utilise hydraulic
tion was then processed in a Table 1 and severity capacity. Kerosene
Fixed bed hydrotreating selection, feed rate, hydrogen reactor and recycle gas system.
background partial pressure (ppH2), and A multi-bed reactor with three
With refinery installed or operating temperature to separator hydrotreater configu-
revamped hydroprocessing maximise utilisation of a given ration and recycle gas treating
units, the design basis was hydroprocessing asset. is shown in Figure 3.
often dictated by processing of The reactor shown in Figure 3
feedstock from heavy crudes, Fixed bed hydrotreating includes a hydrogen quench to
especially in the last decade. configuration control the reactor temperature
The aromatic nature of these Two typical hydrotreating rise, which is caused by signifi-
heavy unconventional crudes, configurations are utilised for cant hydrogen consumption,
along with more heteroatoms hydrotreating distillate range and an amine treater on the
in cracked lighter products, material. The typical single recycle gas to remove H2S. This
typically requires saturation stage separator configuration is configuration also includes a
and conversion via hydrotreat- shown in Figure 2. water wash to remove the
ing. The hydrotreater operation The single reactor and single ammonia bisulphide from the
is severe and requires high separator hydrotreater design reactor effluent air cooler
temperature and pressure (see Figure 2) is typical for a (REAC).
operations, with shorter run kerosene and light diesel feed- When processing LTO feeds
lengths than similar down- stock. The high pressure in these more complicated
stream refinery processes. 7,8,12,18 separator hydrogen-rich off-gas reactor systems, the operating
When examining LTO can be used in a once through conditions will change. The
processing, the initial belief mode (naphtha hydrotreating LTO feeds have low aromatics,
was that the existing unit can units) basis or recycled with a sulphur and nitrogen, and
likely handle this feedstock. compressor (kerosene and light hydrogen consumption is typi-
However, the paraffinic nature diesel units). The recycle gas is cally low. Therefore, the
of LTO presents a different typically treated to remove H2S resulting heat release and
challenge, as the severity in this configuration in ultra- temperature rise are lower,
requirement is low yet must be low sulphur service, but some thereby reducing the need for
high enough to remove the configurations do not amine hydrogen quench. The low
required sulphur. This feed- treat the recycle gas. heat release reduces the feed/
stock provides an opportunity More severe feedstocks effluent heat recovery and
for refiners to modify catalyst require a more complicated increases duty requirements on
the feed heater, as well as also have a relatively low for each feedstock in this study
impacting reactor quench hydrotreating activity but needs was appropriate for the
control. Hence, these systems sufficient activity to meet paraffinic feed quality. Hence,
will require review as part of sulphur and cetane improve- the results provided here give
processing LTO feeds within ment to meet ultra-low sulphur the general impact
these units to avoid operating diesel (ULSD) specification. of alternate feedstocks, but
outside of design conditions or These units also need to each catalyst system and reac-
reliable equipment capabilities. consider the removal of poten- tor configuration will impact a
tial contaminants in the top refiner’s specific results.
Catalyst systems catalyst load plus cold flow
The kerosene catalyst systems property improvement in prod- Kerosene hydrotreater
focus on stabilising product ucts. The hydrotreating bed can operations
colour, meeting sulphur speci- have a first bed that manages Kerosene has two potential
fication (if one exists), and pressure drop due to feed product dispositions: jet prod-
removal of potential contami- contaminants and saturates the uct or diesel blending. The jet
nants such as arsenic and olefins contained in cracked option has more stringent spec-
silicon in the top portion of the stocks, the remainder of the first ifications to meet than diesel,
catalyst load. The low hydro- bed and other reactor beds making jet a more restrictive
gen consumption and being hydrotreating catalyst. specification to meet without
deactivation rate allow for long Operational options might be to hydrotreating. LTO jet streams
cycle length and a low activity split the catalyst load, with a are nearly at jet quality and can
catalyst is successful in this higher activity catalyst and be met with blending or clay
application. The kerosene cata- dewaxing catalyst occupying treating. The diesel option
lyst system might include a the same reactor. Other options requires hydrotreating. Some
consideration for a dewaxing would be to use two separate facilities see the kerosene
component to improve cold reactors, thereby allowing more stream as a fungible product
flow properties. operational flexibility. and hydrotreat to meet the
The diesel catalyst system can The catalyst system chosen ULSD specification and clay
Property WTI Bakken Eagle Ford Bach Ho Cossack Gippsland Kutubu Qua Iboe
Sulphur, ppmw 8 8 <1 <1 3 <1 8 8
LHSV, hr-1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
WABT1, °F Base 1 -23 Minimum WABT Minimum WABT Minimum WABT Minimum WABT -10 3
Total delta T1, °F Base 1 -7 -33 -49 -8 -19 20 24
Chemical H2 consumption1, scf/bbl FF Base 1 -56 -164 -227 -62 -105 69 101
Delta API (bottoms – feed)1 Base 1 -0.4 -1.9 -2.9 -0.4 -1.1 1.2 1.5
Delta cetane (bottoms – feed)1 Base 1 -0.4 -3.7 -6.6 -0.3 -2.0 2.8 3.2
Cycle length1, years Base 1 2.6 2.7 2.6 3.0 2.8 1.0 0.0
Table 5
Iso-paraffin
Heat of fusion
ion
us
ff
a to
He
Cyclo-paraffin
(Naphthene)
Temperature
changed and throughput and tional capacity may be chain paraffin properties are
LCGO percentage adjusted to available to increase cracked prone to wax production,
meet baseline cycle length, stock percentage, though cycle thereby creating flocculation
with the priority being to first length may be impacted observed as high cloud points
return the unit to base through- • In comparing Asian light and, as they crystallise, high
put (LHSV) and then increase sweet diesel versus LTO diesel, pour points. This phenomenon
LCGO percentage. As with the unit performance is similar is shown in Figure 4.
LCO, LCGO qualities were on a relative basis, but each Several mechanisms exist to
held constant, though they crude will have a distinct manage these properties and
would shift in a real plant with impact on unit performance meet final blending require-
crude changes. that should be analysed. ments. These include:
Table 6 summarises the KPIs Using a tool like DHTR-SIM • Kerosene blending
for each of the cases. Note that can assist the refiner in under- • Pour point depressants
the LCO and LCGO each have standing the reactor • Catalytic dewaxing.
different base cases. performance and product qual- For most refiners, a combina-
Some conclusions on the ity impacts of processing LTO tion of the first two options is
cracked stock studies: crudes at their facility. the most typical. However,
• Processing LCO or LCGO many refiners are now looking
with virgin stocks may require Cold property management to utilise the final option, given
a reduction in feed rate (or As the tables show, LTO distil- the high percentage of
other mechanisms) to maintain lates have poor cold properties, paraffinic and waxy crudes
overall cycle length, which is which is common in Asia they are processing. A fourth
expected given the difficulty of Pacific light sweet crudes. option of reducing back-end
treating these streams Though hydrotreating impacts cut point also exists, but the
• By utilising LTO feeds, the cetane and sulphur, this economics for reduced diesel
unit can increase throughput process does not appreciably recovery normally does not
and/or increase cracked stock change the cold flow proper- make this option attractive in
processing while maintaining ties. The high straight chain distillate-centric markets.
constant cycle length paraffinic concentration and
• If the unit is hydrogen yields make these crudes good Kerosene blending
consumption limited, addi- for diesel production. Straight This option is one of the easiest