Convert Heaviest Crude and Bitumen into Extra-Clean Fuels via EST - Eni Slurry Technology

Description:

The Eni Slurry Technology “EST” is based on the slurry hydrotreatment of the feedstock - heavy residue or oil sands bitumen - at a relatively low temperature in the presence of hydrogen and of thousands ppm of a molybdenum-based dispersed catalyst, which is recycled to the slurry reactor via solvent deasphalting together with the asphaltenic stream. The process configuration is characterized by the possibility of performing the upgrading and the conversion of the residue in two separate and optimized stages: hydrotreatment and solvent deasphalting. The experimental results - in batch mode at laboratory level as well as on a pilot plant operating in continuous mode and reproducing the whole process scheme - confirmed the high performances of the process: the nearly complete conversion (>98%) of the feedstock was obtained. Part of the feedstock is directly converted to light and middle distillates, while the other products, namely the Vacuum Gasoil and the Deasphalted Oil, represent suitable feedstock for conventional catalytic processes such as Fluid Catalytic Cracker or Hydrocracker. The overall technology performances are: HDS>80%, HDM>99% and HDCCR>96%). The main advantages of this process configuration are the following: feedstock flexibility (even the heaviest, highest metals content feedstock can be successfully upgraded), optimal hydrogen utilization/consumption, product slate flexibility (maximum gasoline from FCC or maximum high quality diesel oil from Hydrocracker). A Commercial Demonstration Plant is under construction in a Coastal Refinery in Italy.