AM-00-17 MAINTAINING ON-SPEC PRODUCTS WITH RESIDUE HYDROPROCESSING

Description:

Increasingly stringent specifications are driving the market towards lower sulfur transportation fuels. With the recent return of crude oil prices to more typical levels, residue hydrotreatment for catalytic cracker feed conditioning is again a current subject. The inherent characteristics of heavy feeds and residues – asphaltenes, CCR, nitrogen, sulfur, and metals – dictate treatment prior to FCC processing and greatly affect the performance of hydrotreating processes in terms of cycle length, conversion and desulfurization level. The IFP HyvahlTM and T-StarSM processes offer a unique combination of innovative modes of operation and well-adapted catalyst management systems to increase cycle length and maintain on-spec products compatible with downstream units. Particular focus is given to on-stream catalyst replacement, Permutable Reactor System (PRS) design, and the stability of a new residue HDS catalyst as key parameters to improve run length while maintaining product quality.