LW-09-107 Commercial Technology to Convert Group I Facilities to Group II/III Lube Production

Description:

World lubricant production continues a trend toward higher- quality Group II and Group III products, pressuring the standard Group I material. Grass roots capacity is now targeted almost exclusively to Group II/II+ and Group III lube base oils. More Group I units are developing projects to revamp production up to the Group II/III level. For Solvent Plant (Group I) retrofits, RHCTM technology converts solvent raffinates to Group II/II+/III lubricants while maintaining wax production through existing solvent dewaxing units at lower cost than Grass Roots Hydrocracking cost with the potential for increasing production. This has the added benefit of producing a very high quality wax because of the hydrotreating step. Alternatively, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company’s (EMRE) commercially proven RHC / RHT, will provide feeds to EMRE’s Selective Isomerization Dewaxing catalytic process (MSDWTM) for grades from very light neutrals through Bright Stock, with the same superb performance as with hydrocracked feeds, again with the opportunity for increasing production.