Systems and processes for upgrading and converting crude oil to petrochemicals through steam cracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11384299-B2
Application number	US-201916720240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed, such as crude oil or other heavy oils, may include hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feed in a hydrotreating unit to produce a hydrotreated effluent that includes asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both. The process further includes hydrocracking the hydrotreated effluent in a hydrocracking unit to produce a hydrocracked effluent, adsorbing at least a portion of the asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both, from the hydrotreated effluent, the hydrocracked effluent, or both, separating the hydrocracked effluent into at least an upgraded lesser-boiling effluent and a greater-boiling effluent in a hydrocracked effluent separation system, and steam cracking the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent to produce olefins, aromatic compounds, or combinations of these. The process may further include recycling the greater boiling effluent back to the hydrotreating unit and hydrocracking a middle distillate effluent from the hydrocracked effluent separation system. Systems for conducting the processes are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed, the process comprising:
hydrotreating the hydrocarbon feed to produce a hydrotreated effluent, where the hydrotreated effluent comprises asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both;
hydrocracking the at least a portion of the hydrotreated effluent to produce a hydrocracked effluent;
adsorbing at least a portion of the asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both, from the hydrotreated effluent, the hydrocracked effluent, or both;
separating the hydrocracked effluent into at least an upgraded lesser-boiling effluent and a greater-boiling effluent; and
contacting the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent with steam at a temperature sufficient to cause hydrocarbons in the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent to react to produce olefins, aromatic compounds, or combinations of these.

2. The process of claim 1 , where the hydrocarbon feed comprises a whole crude or a de-salted whole crude.

3. The process of claim 1 , where adsorbing the at least a portion of the asphaltene, coke precursors, or both comprises contacting the hydrotreated effluent with an adsorbent, where contact with the adsorbent causes at least a portion of the asphaltene, coke precursors, or both to adsorb onto the adsorbent.

4. The process of claim 3 , where the adsorbent includes at least one of spherical alumina, clay, metal nanoparticles, or combinations of these.

5. The process of claim 3 , further comprising regenerating the adsorbent by contacting the adsorbent with a solvent capable of dissolving asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both.

6. The process of claim 1 , comprising adsorbing at least 95 percent by weight of the asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both, from the hydrotreated effluent.

7. The process of claim 1 , comprising:
separating the hydrocracked effluent into the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent, a middle distillate effluent, and the greater-boiling effluent; and
contacting the middle distillate effluent with a secondary hydrocracking catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to produce a secondary hydrocracked effluent.

8. The process of claim 7 , further comprising combining the secondary hydrocracked effluent with the hydrocracked effluent to produce a combined hydrocracked effluent and separating the combined hydrocracked effluent into the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent, the middle distillate effluent, and the greater-boiling effluent.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising passing the greater-boiling effluent into contact with the hydrocarbon feed and hydrotreating the greater-boiling effluent and the hydrocarbon feed.

10. The process of claim 1 , where hydrotreating comprises contacting the hydrocarbon feed with at least one hydrotreating catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in at least one hydrotreating zone.

11. The process of claim 1 , where hydrotreating removes at least one or more metals, nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, or combinations of these.

12. The process of claim 1 , where hydrocracking comprises contacting the portion of the hydrotreated effluent with a hydrocracking catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to produce the hydrocracked effluent, where the hydrocracked effluent has a greater concentration of hydrocarbons having boiling point temperatures less than or equal to 180° C. compared to the hydrotreated effluent.

13. The process of claim 1 , comprising:
separating a steam cracking effluent into at least one product effluent and a pyrolysis oil effluent;
combining the pyrolysis oil effluent with at least a portion of the hydrocracked effluent; and
separating the combined pyrolysis oil effluent and hydrocracked effluent into at least the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent and the greater-boiling effluent.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Ding Lianhui
• Ballesteros Alberto Lozano
• Al-Nutaifi Ibrahim
• Bourane Abdennour

Classifications

• C10G69/06 Primary

  including at least one step of thermal cracking in the absence of hydrogen · CPC title

• C10G67/06

  including a sorption process as the refining step in the absence of hydrogen · CPC title

• C10G65/12

  including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps · CPC title

• C10G47/00

  Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions (C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06) · CPC title

• C10G45/00 Primary

  Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds · CPC title