AM-19-TECH2 Advances in Crude to Chemicals

Description:

The Refinery of the Future will have the flexibility to meet rapidly changing market needs, will be integrated into petrochemicals to unlock new value, and will also contain the connected technology required to optimize performance every day. Today, US refineries have access to a host of new technologies that create an alternative path to profitability. They can unlock new value from the heavy end of crude, as well as manage molecules efficiently to produce immediately marketable products or their own intermediates for petrochemicals. This paper presents a potential stepwise integration strategy that unlocks $30/barrel of additional value from crude. The strategy utilizes the latest bottom-of-barrel, maximum conversion hydrocracking and aromatics technologies. Integrating these technologies enables an existing refiner to profitably diversify into petrochemicals and create their own Refinery of the Future.