AM-17-37 Repurposing Existing Hydroprocessing Assets to Maximize Refinery Gross Margin

Description:

With the economically challenged environment facing our industry, it is absolutely imperative that refiners evaluate their existing assets and look for creative, low capital solutions to identify gross margin improvement opportunities. Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) with the expertise that comes from its parent companies (Chevron and CB&I as operating and engineering companies) has developed a number of significant revamp opportunities for North American and overseas refiners. In each of the case studies presented, we highlight significant gross margin value capture by utilizing hydroprocessing units with significant catalyst volumes that are repurposed to produce higher margin products. The case studies include the following: (1) Implementing mild hydrocracking catalyst in an existing FCC feed hydrotreater to produce diesel. (2) Increasing conversion on a two-stage recycle hydrocracker with an innovative configuration solution. (3) Converting a hydrocracker that was in Single Stage recycle operation geared for naphtha production into a single stage through operation at higher rates with conversion to middle distillates. (4) Converting a Residuum Desulfurization unit (RDS) into the first stage of a two-stage hydrocracker that maximizes diesel production.