Integrated fixed bed hydroprocessing, delayed coking and pyrolysis process to produce chemicals and petroleum coke

Abstract

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A process for converting whole crudes and other heavy hydrocarbon streams to produce olefins and/or aromatics, the process comprising:
 separating a whole crude into at least a light boiling fraction, a medium boiling fraction, and a high boiling residue fraction;   processing the high boiling fraction in a delayed coking unit to produce a delayed coking liquid product and an anode grade coke product;   destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product to produce a hydrotreated effluent;   feeding the hydrotreated effluent and the light boiling fraction to a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons therein into one or more light olefins and a pyrolysis oil.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the light boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a hydrogen content of at least 14 wt %;   a BMCI of less than 5;   an API gravity of greater than 40°;   a sulfur content of less than 1000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of less than 10 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of less than 1 cSt;   less than 1 wt % MCRT; and   less than 1 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the medium boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content in the range from about 12 wt % to about 14 wt %;   a BMCI in the range from about 5 to less than 50;   an API gravity of in the range from about 100 to about 40°;   a sulfur content in the range from about 1000 ppm to about 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content in the range from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of greater than 1 cSt;   less than 5 wt % MCRT; and   less than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the high boiling residue fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content of less than 12 wt %;   a BMCI of greater than 50;   an API gravity of less than 10°;   a sulfur content of greater than 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of greater than 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 100° C., of greater than 100 cSt;   greater than 5 wt % MCRT; and   greater than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein an overall chemicals production of the feedstock is at least 65 wt %, based on the total amount of olefins produced as compared to a total feedstock feed rate. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein destructively hydrogenating comprises converting hydrocarbons in the delayed coking liquid product to one or more steam crackable products. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein separating the whole crude comprises:
 feeding the whole crude into a heater, producing a pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock;   separating the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock in a separator into the light boiling fraction and an intermediate fraction;   feeding the intermediate fraction back to the heater, producing a heated intermediate fraction;   feeding a hydrogen stream to a hot hydrogen stripper;   separating the heated intermediate fraction in the hot hydrogen stripper into the medium boiling fraction and a hot hydrogen stripper bottoms fraction; and   cooling the hot hydrogen stripper bottoms fraction via indirect heat exchange against the intermediate fraction producing the high boiling residue fraction.   
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the light boiling fraction does not comprise hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 160° C. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising recycling the pyrolysis oil to the delayed coking unit. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the destructive hydrogenation of the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product comprises:
 destructively hydrogenation the medium boiling fraction in a first hydroprocessing unit;   destructively hydrogenation the delayed coking liquid product in a second hydroprocessing unit.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein destructively hydrogenation the medium boiling fraction comprises converting hydrocarbons in the medium boiling fraction to primarily steam crackable products. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein destructively hydrogenation the delayed coking liquid product comprises converting hydrocarbons in the delayed coking liquid product to primarily steam crackable products. 
     
     
         13 . A system for converting whole crudes and other heavy hydrocarbon streams to produce olefins, the system comprising:
 a separation unit for separating a whole crude into at least a light boiling fraction, a medium boiling fraction, and a high boiling residue fraction;   a delayed coking unit for processing the high boiling residue fraction and producing a delayed coking liquid product and an anode grade coke product;   a conditioning system for destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product to produce a hydrotreated effluent;   a steam cracker unit for converting the hydrotreated effluent and the light boiling fraction into one or more light olefins and a pyrolysis oil.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the light boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a hydrogen content of at least 14 wt %;   a BMCI of less than 5;   an API gravity of greater than 40°;   a sulfur content of less than 1000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of less than 10 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of less than 1 cSt;   less than 1 wt % MCRT; and   less than 1 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the medium boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content in the range from about 12 wt % to about 14 wt %;   a BMCI in the range from about 5 to less than 50;   an API gravity of in the range from about 100 to about 40°;   a sulfur content in the range from about 1000 ppm to about 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content in the range from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of greater than 1 cSt;   less than 5 wt % MCRT; and   less than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the high boiling residue fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content of less than 12 wt %;   a BMCI of greater than 50;   an API gravity of less than 10°;   a sulfur content of greater than 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of greater than 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 100° C., of greater than 100 cSt;   greater than 5 wt % MCRT; and   greater than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the conditioning system for hydrotreating the medium boiling fraction and the delayed coking liquid product comprises:
 a first hydroprocessing unit for hydroprocessing the medium boiling fraction; and   a second hydroprocessing unit for hydroprocessing the delayed coking liquid product.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a flow line for diverting the delayed coking liquid product to the first hydroprocessing unit. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first hydroprocessing unit comprises catalyst configured for converting hydrocarbons in the medium boiling fraction to primarily steam crackable products. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the second hydroprocessing unit comprises catalyst configured for converting hydrocarbons in the delayed coking liquid product to primarily steam crackable products. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a flow line configured for recycling the pyrolysis oil to the delayed coking unit. 
     
     
         22 . A process for converting whole crudes and other heavy hydrocarbon streams to produce olefins and/or aromatics, the process comprising:
 separating a hydrocarbon feedstock in a first integrated separation device into at least a light boiling fraction, a medium boiling fraction, and a high boiling residue fraction;   hydrocracking the high boiling residue fraction in a first resid conditioning unit, comprising a resid hydrocracking system, to produce a hydrocracked effluent;   processing the hydrocracked effluent in a delayed coking unit to recover an anode grade coke product and a delayed coking liquid product;   hydrocracking the delayed coking liquid product and a pyrolysis oil in a second resid conditioning unit, comprising a resid hydrocracking system, to produce a second hydrocracked effluent;   separating the hydrocracked effluent and the second hydrocracked effluents in a second integrated separation device to produce the resid fraction and a partially conditioned fraction;   destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the partially conditioned fraction in a second conditioning unit to produce a steam cracker feedstream;   feeding the steam cracker feedstream and the light boiling fraction to a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons therein into one or more light olefins and the pyrolysis oil.   
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the light boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a hydrogen content of at least 14 wt %;   a BMCI of less than 5;   an API gravity of greater than 40°;   a sulfur content of less than 1000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of less than 10 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of less than 1 cSt;   less than 1 wt % MCRT; and   less than 1 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the medium boiling fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 130° C. to about 200° C.;   a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content in the range from about 12 wt % to about 14 wt %;   a BMCI in the range from about 5 to less than 50;   an API gravity of in the range from about 100 to about 40°;   a sulfur content in the range from about 1000 ppm to about 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content in the range from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 40° C., of greater than 1 cSt;   less than 5 wt % MCRT; and   less than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the high boiling residue fraction has two or more of the following properties:
 a 5% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 600° C.;   a hydrogen content of less than 12 wt %;   a BMCI of greater than 50;   an API gravity of less than 10°;   a sulfur content of greater than 10000 ppm;   a nitrogen content of greater than 100 ppm;   a viscosity, measured at 100° C., of greater than 100 cSt;   greater than 5 wt % MCRT; and   greater than 50 ppm total metals.   
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the second hydrocracked effluent has a 95% boiling point temperature in the range from about 400° C. to about 560° C.   
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the high boiling residue fraction has a 5% boiling point temperature of greater than about 545° C. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the destructively hydrogenating the partially conditioned fraction comprises destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the partially conditioned fraction in a common destructive hydrogenation unit. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction and the destructively hydrogenating the partially conditioned fraction comprises:
 destructively hydrogenating the medium boiling fraction in a first destructive hydrogenation unit;   destructively hydrogenating the partially conditioned fraction in a second destructive hydrogenation unit; and   combining the effluents from the first and second destructive hydrogenation units.   
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 29 , further comprising destructively hydrogenating the partially conditioned fraction in the first destructive hydrogenation unit during a time period when catalyst is being replaced in the second destructive hydrogenation unit. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein an overall chemicals production of the feedstock is from about 60 wt % up to 85 wt %, based on the total amount of olefins produced as compared to a total feedstock feed rate. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein the residue hydrocracking reactor comprises a slurry bed reactor or an ebullated bed reactor. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein separating the whole crude comprises:
 feeding the whole crude into a heater, producing a pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock;   separating the pre-heated hydrocarbon feedstock in a separator into the light boiling fraction and an intermediate fraction;   feeding the intermediate fraction back to the heater, producing a heated intermediate fraction;   feeding a hydrogen stream to a hot hydrogen stripper;   separating the heated intermediate fraction in the hot hydrogen stripper into the medium boiling fraction and a hot hydrogen stripper bottoms fraction; and   cooling the hot hydrogen stripper bottoms fraction via indirect heat exchange against the intermediate fraction producing the high boiling residue fraction.