AM-14-23 Capturing Maximum Values for Processing Tight Oil Through Optimization of FCC Catalyst Technology for Processing Tight Oil

Description:

Tight oil production has changed the refining landscape for major portions of the United States and market forecasts show dramatic changes in the international refining community as tight oil production rates continue to ramp up. According to Hart Energy estimates, the tight oil production will represent 46% of domestic crude oil production in 2020.1 While tight oils are of higher quality, many US refineries have been configured to process the increasingly heavy sour crudes previously projected to be available. Fluidized catalytic crackers (FCCs) at refineries processing tight oil have seen serious operating changes, and choice of catalyst and overall catalyst management strategy are critical factors in achieving successful optimization. BASF is the market leader in supplying FCC catalysts to refineries processing tight oil. In general, tight oil FCC feeds are light, paraffinic, have different contaminants, and are low in vacuum gasoil (VGO) and residuum content. The challenges facing FCCs processing these crudes can be very different depending on the specific unit operation. Some units need to manage: high amounts of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); maintaining stable heat balance; higher alkali metals; increased iron loadings; and reduced feed rates. In other units, the low VGO content of tight oil led to a shortage of feed to FCC. To keep the FCC unit fully utilized, refiners need to purchase VGO feedstock or introduce residue feedstock into the FCC. This paper will illustrate how BASF is helping our customers capture maximum value with tight oil feeds through operating strategies, innovative catalysts and our strong commitment to technical service. BASF has a diverse catalyst portfolio that can provide the flexibility required to help solve these problems with catalyst characteristics such as high activity, optimum delta coke, and high iron tolerance.