Manufacturing hydrocarbon fluids

Abstract

A system and methods for manufacturing a base stock from a light hydrocarbon stream. An exemplary method includes cracking the light hydrocarbon stream to form a raw product stream. Water is removed from the raw product stream to form an oligomerization feed stream. The oligomerization feed stream is oligomerized to form an intermediate stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the intermediate stream. The heavy olefinic stream is hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. The hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock.

1 . A system for manufacturing a base stock from a light hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
 a cracker configured to form a raw product stream from the light hydrocarbon stream;   a separator configured to remove water from the raw product stream forming an oligomerization feed stream;   an oligomerization reactor configured to increase a molecular weight of the oligomerization feed stream forming a raw oligomer stream;   a distillation column configured to separate a heavy olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream;   a hydro-processing reactor configured to hydro-process the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream; and   a product distillation column configured to separate the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light hydrocarbon stream comprises ethane, butane, propane, or naphtha, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cracker comprises a steam cracking reactor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a quench fractionator. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a primary fractionator configured to remove tar and steam cracking gas oil (SCGO) from the raw product stream;   a caustic tower configured to remove hydrogen sulfide from the raw product stream; and   a dryer configured to remove the water from the raw product stream.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the oligomerization reactor is configured to use a heterogeneous catalyst. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the heterogeneous catalyst comprises a zeolite bound to a metal oxide. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydro-processing reactor comprises a hydrocracking unit. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydro-processing reactor comprises a hydroisomerization unit. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product distillation column is configured to separate from the hydro-processed stream a distillate stream comprising naphtha, diesel fuel, and gasoline. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product distillation column is configured to separate from the hydro-processed stream:
 a heavy neutral stream;   a medium neutral stream; and   a light neutral stream.   
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a base stock from a light hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
 cracking the light hydrocarbon stream to form a raw product stream;   removing water from the raw product stream to form an oligomerization feed stream;   oligomerizing the oligomerization feed stream to form an intermediate stream;   distilling a heavy olefinic stream from the intermediate stream;   hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream; and   distilling the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising separating naphtha, steam cracking gas oil (SCGO), or tar, or any combinations thereof, from the raw product stream. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising separating hydrogen sulfide from the raw product stream. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising separating carbon dioxide from the raw product stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein oligomerizing the oligomerization feed stream comprises contacting the oligomerization feed stream with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a zeolite bound with a metal oxide. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising controlling a composition of the intermediate stream by changing a ratio of the zeolite to a metal oxide binder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising distilling a light linear alpha olefin stream from the intermediate stream. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising distilling a heavy linear alpha olefin stream from the intermediate stream. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream comprises hydrocracking the heavy olefinic stream. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream comprises hydroisomerizing the heavy olefinic stream. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream comprises separating a distillate stream, a naphtha stream, or both from the hydro-processed stream. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream comprises forming a heavy neutral oil stock stream, a medium neutral oil stock stream, or a light neutral oil stock stream, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . A system for manufacturing a base oil stock from a light hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
 a steam cracker to form a raw product stream from the light hydrocarbon stream;   a separator configured to remove naphtha, water, steam cracker gas oil (SCGO), and tar from the raw product stream to form an oligomerization feed stream;   an oligomerization reactor configured to convert the oligomerization feed stream to a higher molecular weight stream by contacting the oligomerization feed stream with a heterogeneous catalyst;   a distillation column configured to separate a heavy olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream;   the distillation column configured to recover a light alpha-olefin stream from the higher molecular weight stream;   a hydro-processing reactor configured to demetallate the heavy olefinic stream, to crack the heavy olefinic stream, to form isomers in the heavy olefinic stream, or to hydrogenate olefinic bonds in the heavy olefinic stream, or any combinations thereof; and   a product distillation column to separate the isomers in the heavy olefinic stream to form a plurality of base stock streams.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the light hydrocarbon stream comprises ethane. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the heterogeneous catalyst comprises a zeolite bound with alumina.