Kevin Whitehead Solvent Deasphalting – Conversion Enabler

5th December 2017  Bottom of the Barrel Workshop NIORDC, Tehran

© 2017 UOP Limited
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Solvent Deasphalting (SDA)

Natural Gas
Refinery Fuel Gas Hydrogen Plant H2

LPG
Saturated
Gas Plant
LPG Sales
Isomerate
Isom
Unit

Naphtha
Gasoline
NHT H2 LPG
Hydrotreating Sales
Splitter
Unit
Reformate
Crude Oil CCR
Unit
H2 Kerosene
C SR Kerosene Sales
D DHT Jet
U SR Light Gasoil Unit
Diesel
HCU
Naphtha Diesel Sales
Wet Gas + LPG
to Sat Gas Plant

HCU Kerosene
H2

DAO HCU
HCU Diesel

V VGO
D
At Res
U SDA
Unit Bitumen
Sales
UCO

Vac Res Fuel Oil

SDA Pitch
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Agenda

Impact of heavy feeds Solvent Deasphalting Case study: Residue

on hydrocracking unit process reduces upgrading by SDA-HC
contaminants in
residue streams
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Residue Streams are Challenging to Process

• Contaminant levels increase with boiling range in most crudes
• Residue streams typically contain high sulphur, nitrogen,
Conradson carbon, organometals and asphaltenes

Stream Atmospheric Vacuum

Residue Residue
Sulphur, ppm wt 2.3 3.0
Nitrogen, ppm wt 2600 4000
Conradson Carbon, %wt 8 16.3
Ni + V, ppm wt 83 164
Asphaltenes, %wt 1.5 3.1
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Impact of Feed Contaminants on HC Unit

Operation
1. Sulphur: Converts to hydrogen sulphide over hydrotreating catalyst.
Competes for active sites on hydrocracking catalyst, reducing activity

2. Nitrogen: Converts to ammonia over hydrotreating catalyst. Reduces

activity of hydrocracking catalyst

3. Conradson Carbon: Increases coke formation and shortens catalyst

cycle

4. Metals Content: Vanadium and Nickel are catalyst poisons

5. Asphaltenes: Indicative of heavy polynuclear aromatics (HPNA)

precursors in the feed. Moderate levels cause rapid deactivation of
catalyst and short cycle length.

SDA reduces contaminants to Hydrocracker

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Solvent Deasphalting (SDA) Process

• Licensed technology for reduction of contaminants in feedstocks
such as AR, VR by physical separation

• Reduces the contaminant (sulfur, nitrogen, Conradson carbon,

asphaltene and Ni+V) contents of feedstocks to produce:
- Deasphalted Oil (DAO) containing lower levels of contaminants
- Pitch containing most of the feed contaminants

• Light liquid paraffins (typically C3 to C5 range) precipitate

asphaltenes and resins from heavy oils

• Separation of DAO and solvent under either subcritical or

supercritical conditions

• Combines commercially-proven process technology with proprietary

extractor internals

VCMStudy.ir
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Selectivity in Solvent Deasphalting

Typical
Operating
Range
Sulfur, Conradson Carbon and Metals

100
Appearing in Deasphalted Oil, %

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Deasphalted Oil Yield, Vol-%
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SDA Process (Two-Product Configuration)

Vacuum
Residue Extractor DAO
Charge Separator

Steam Steam

Pitch DAO

VCMStudy.ir
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SDA Process (Three-Product Configuration)

Vacuum
Residue Extractor Resin DAO
Charge Settler Separator

Steam Steam Steam

Pitch Resin DAO

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Uses for SDA Pitch

• Fuel for steam / power generation

• Fuel for cement manufacturing

• Bitumen manufacturing

VCMStudy.ir
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SDA Commercial Experience

• Combination of UOP and Foster Wheeler technology

• First unit licensed in 1973

• >45 units licensed with a combined capacity of >650,000 BPSD

• Both 2 product and 3 product configurations in successful operation

VCMStudy.ir
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SDA Technology is Highly Cost Effective

• Low capital cost
- Carbon steel equipment
- Low pressure
- No compressors

• Potential for very high local content

• Low solvent consumption and cost

- Solvent typically C4s from refinery LPG system

Low Cost – High Effectiveness

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Case Study: Upgrading by SDA - Hydrocracking

• Two stage hydrocracking unit licensed by a competitor
- Feed 25% DAO, 75% heavy VGO
- Full conversion
- Maximum kerosene and diesel

VCMStudy.ir
 Initial Operating Cycles Highlighted Challenges 13

with DAO Processing

• First 9 cycles used competitor

catalyst
• Average cycle length ~12
months
• Severe fouling of heat
exchangers led to heater
limiting unit
• Fouling of second stage
catalyst top bed caused high
pressure drop
• Deactivation of cracking
catalysts from HPNAs
• HPNA = Heavy Poly Nuclear • DAO contains high levels of
Aromatics HPNA pre-cursors
• Compounds with 7+ aromatic
rings, e.g. tribenzcoronene

VCMStudy.ir
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Why are HPNAs Important?

Raw Feedstock Precursors

Condensation Reactions

HPNAs on Catalyst Surface

Fouls Downstream
Forms Coke Equipment

VCMStudy.ir
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UOP Catalyst & HPNA Management Technology
Installed
• UOP catalyst loaded in Cycle 10
- Catalysts with proven track record in DAO service
- Supported with pilot plant work

• UOP HPNA-RMTM module installed on recycle to second stage

during cycle 10
- Carbon bed technology to absorb HPNA
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Step Change Improvement in Cycle Length

• Improvement achieved by:

- Implementation of HPNA
management technology
- Catalyst system improvements
- Continuous development of the
unit by the refiner (e.g. filters,
exchangers)

VCMStudy.ir
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Significant Improvement in Unit Performance

• Capacity increased by 42%
• Cycle length increased by >300% - at higher feed capacity
• Refiner chose UOP catalysts for all following cycles
• Operation now limited by factors outside unit

UOP HPNA management is proven enabler for SDA-HC scheme

Summary - Benefits of adding SDA – HC 18

Complex to an Existing Refinery

• Scenario:
- 100,000 bpsd refinery with existing vacuum distillation and recycle
hydrocracking unit
- Add a new SDA unit
- Revamp the hydrocracker - full conversion at higher capacity

• Project provides significantly higher refinery profitability

- 40% decrease in fuel oil
- 12% increase in refinery Euro V diesel production
- Increase value of refinery products by around 170 million $/year
- Payback on capital cost <4 years

• Optimisation of SDA – HC complex requires specialist knowledge

- Balance fuel oil upgrading with impact on hydrocracker
- Ensure pitch properties meet requirements for proposed use
- Managing HPNAs is critical to successful operation – UOP has
proprietary technology to achieve this

Basis: EuroV diesel 61.9 $/bbl, Fuel Oil 21.6 $/bbl

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The information contained in this presentation is provided for general information purposes only
and must not be relied on as specific advice in connection with any decisions you may make.

UOP 7200-19 UOP 7116-19