Method for increasing the net present value of fuel production while producing low sulfur fuels

Abstract

A method is provided for increasing the net present value of fuel production while reducing the sulfur content of one or more fuel products produced in a refinery. The method includes converting at least one existing reformer into a hydrodesulfurization system; and replacing the at least one hydrocarbon reformer with a continuous catalytic reformer.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method for increasing the net present value of fuel production while reducing the sulfur content of one or more fuel products produced in a refinery having a first production capacity, comprising: 
 converting at least one hydrocarbon reformer into a desulfurization system; and    replacing the at least one hydrocarbon reformer with a modem reformer, to form a second production capacity;    wherein the net present value of the second production is greater than the net present value of the first production capacity.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the desulfurization system produces one or more fuel products with a sulfur content to 30 ppm or less.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the desulfurization system reduces one or more fuel product's sulfur content to a level in compliance with a published government standard.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the modem reformer produces a higher percentage of high octane gasoline per barrel in comparison to the percentage produced by the refinery using the at least one hydrocarbon reformer and the desulphurization system.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the increase in the percentage of high octane gasoline produced per barrel of is greater than about 3-5% per barrel.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the increase in the percentage of high octane gasoline produced per barrel is between 5% to 27%.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the increase in the percentage of high octane gasoline produced per barrel is from about 60-80% for the fuel catalytic reformer to about 90-98% for the high efficiency catalytic cracking reformer.  
     
     
         8 . A method for reducing the sulfur content of diesel fuel and gasoline in a fuel production process to comply with government standards, comprising the steps of: 
 converting at least two catalytic reformer units into hydrodesulfurization units;    adding a continuous catalytic reformer to the refinery infrastructure; and    wherein the net present value of fuel produced by the fuel production process using the CCR and the desulfurization systems, is greater than the net present value of the fuel produced by the fuel production process using at least two catalytic reformers.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the desulfurization system reduces the sulfur content of the gasoline produced by the refinery to about 30 ppm or less.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the desulfurization system reduces the sulfur content of the diesel fuel produced by the refinery to about 15 ppm or less.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the hydrodesulfurization system reduces the sulfur content of the gasoline and diesel fuel produced by the refinery to levels in compliance with a published government standard.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the CCR reformer increases in the refinery's overall output of a gasoline product, an ultra low sulfur diesel product, produced per barrel, or both, and the desulfurization systems enable the refinery to reduce the sulfur content of the low sulfur gasoline and ultra low sulfur diesel produced to about 30 ppm or less and about 15 ppm or less respectively.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the increase in the overall output as a percentage of a high octane fraction produced per barrel is greater than about 5%.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the increase in the percentage of high octane gasoline produced per barrel is between 5% to 27%.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the increase in the percentage of high octane gasoline produced per barrel is from about 60-80% for the at least two catalytic reformers to about 90-98% for the CCR reformer.  
     
     
         16 . A method for producing low sulfur gasoline and ultra low sulfur diesel in a refinery process having a gasoline production stream, a diesel fuel production stream, or both, with said streams having as part of their refining production streams at least one reforming step, comprising: 
 converting the at least one reforming step of the gasoline production stream into one or more hydrodesulfurization steps, and    replacing the at least one reforming step in the process with a higher efficiency catalytic reforming step, to produce an increase in value of the production stream or streams which offsets at least in part an initial cost for the step of converting the at least one reforming step of the gasoline production stream into one or more hydrodesulfurization systems.