AM-01-43 INNOVATION KEY TO NEW TECHNOLOGY PROJECT SUCCESS PHILLIPS S ZORB BECOMES LOW SULFUR GASOLINE SOLUTION

Description:

FCC gasoline is responsible for 85 to 95 percent of the sulfur in finished gasoline produced in a typical U.S. refinery. Currently, the sulfur concentrations in FCC gasoline produced in U.S. refineries range from approximately 100 ppm to 3000 ppm, with an average of 750 ppm. Refineries with higher levels (300-3000 ppm) will require 90 to 99+ percent sulfur removal to meet the regulatory limits. If conventional hydrotreating technology is used to remove sulfur, there will be significant loss of octane number; coupled with the uncertainty over the use of MTBE, this exacerbates the refiner’s ability to meet the octane challenge. In 1998, Phillips began developing breakthrough technology that will allow refiners to meet the Tier II and European regulations. Phillips S Zorb Sulfur Removal Technology (SRT) substantially removes the sulfur from FCC gasoline, with minimal loss of the octane. A 6000 BPD S Zorb SRT unit was constructed at the Phillips refinery in Borger, Texas, to produce low sulfur gasoline and demonstrate to the industry the value of the S Zorb SRT. The key to the project was an execution approach that provided the lowest capital cost and most efficient execution schedule. The S Zorb project team successfully achieved these project goals and established a project execution approach that can be duplicated for future S Zorb SRT projects.