Upgrading atmospheric residue or a blend of atmospheric and vacuum residue in an ebullated bed resid hydrocracker to produce residue fluid catalytic cracker feed

Abstract

A process for converting whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures including feeding crude oil to an atmospheric distillation column, separating the hydrocarbon mixture, feeding an atmospheric residue fraction to a vacuum distillation column, and separating the mixture. The process includes feeding and contacting hydrogen and a resid hydrocarbon mixture in an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit with a hydroconversion catalyst before separating a hydroprocessed residue. The process includes feeding a hydroprocessed mixture to a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit, contacting the unconverted residue fraction with a cracking catalyst, and separating the cracked residue fraction before recycling one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit. A system for upgrading whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures including an atmospheric distillation column, vacuum distillation column, ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit, separator, residue fluid catalytic cracking unit, and fractionation unit.

Description

UPGRADING ATMOSPHERIC RESIDUE OR A BLEND OF ATMOSPHERIC AND VACUUM RESIDUE IN AN EBULLATED BED RESID HYDROCRACKER TO PRODUCE RESIDUE FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKER FEED FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to systems and processes for upgrading petroleum feedstocks, such as vacuum residue and atmospheric residue.BACKGROUND

[0002] Hydrocracking processes can be used to upgrade lower value higher boiling materials, such as residue, typically present in heavy crude oil, by converting the residue into more valuable lower boiling materials. Hydrocracking reactors used in various processes for upgrading residuum include among others, fixed bed reactors and ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors.

[0003] Primarily, fixed bed residue treating technology is used to upgrade atmospheric residue or a blend of atmospheric residue and vacuum residue to suitable feed for a residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) or very low sulfur fuel oil. Residual fluid catalytic crackers are commonly used in refineries to upgrade heavier hydrocarbon residual cuts from the oil barrel into gasoline and propylene and other valuable refined products. To improve refining margins, refiners have been cracking heavier hydrocarbon residues from the oil barrel, such as vacuum residue. The challenge, however, with treating vacuum residue in the feed in a fixed bed residue treating technology is that in order to achieve the desired treating severity suitable for residue fluid catalytic cracking feed, there will be significant catalyst fouling, significant pressure drop build-up in the reactors, and catalyst deactivation in the fixed bed.

[0004] Existing solutions to treat hydrocarbon residue may include multiple reactors of fixed bed sometimes with upflow configuration to process higher metal residual feed suitable for a residual fluid catalytic cracker. Typically, a fixed bed residue treating unit may require two trains with at least 8 to 10 reactors (4-5 reactors per train) for a capacity of about 30,000 to 35,000 BPSD for treating vacuum residue and 45,000-50,000 BPSD for treating atmospheric residue. Additionally, depending on feed properties, fixed bed residue treating units may require a shutdown of at least one train of reactors every 11 to 15 months for catalyst replacement.

[0005] One type of hydrocracking reactor used in upgrading hydrocarbon residue streams includes an ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor. Commercial application of using ebullated bed residue hydrocracking units includes converting vacuum residue to distillates with optional vacuum gas oil to FCC (or RFCC), where the vacuum gas oil sent to the RFCC excludes 540 to 565 °C+. boiling point unconverted oil.

[0006] Currently, unconverted oil from ebullated bed hydrocracking reactors is utilized to make low value products such as pet coke, anode coke, or high sulfur fuel oil. In rare occasions, ebullated bed hydrocracking unconverted oil is sent to solvent deasphalting (SDA) to make deasphalted oil (DAO) and solid pitch, where the DAO is sent to a hydroprocessing unit and the pitch is sent to a coker. Conventionally, ebullated bed hydrocracking reactors are currently operated at high severity (conversion) and the resulting unconverted oil is not suitable as a feed for a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit. Additionally, residue upgrading processes that are currently used commercially to make residue fluid catalytic unit feed typically involve fixed bed residue treating units including residue desulfurization (RDS) units that primarily upgrade atmospheric residue. Residue desulfurization units are usually limited to feed viscosity, metal content, and Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) values much lower than ebullated bed reactor units. Due to the high fouling that may be caused by vacuum residue, vacuum residue is not a predominate feed in residue treating units such as residue desulfurization units. Contaminants such as metals may negatively affect the catalyst and lead to more frequent shutdowns. Thus, refiners are limited to processing feeds such as hydroprocessed atmospheric residue in residue fluid catalytic crackers unless a pretreating system is in place, such as a residue desulfurization unit.SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identifykey or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a process for converting whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures. In the process, a crude oil is fed to an atmospheric distillation column, separating the hydrocarbon mixture into one or more distillate fractions and an atmospheric residue fraction. Either a portion or the entirety of the atmospheric residue fraction is fed to a vacuum distillation column to separate the atmospheric residue fraction into two or more fractions including a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum residue fraction. Hydrogen and a resid hydrocarbon mixture containing the atmospheric residue fraction and optionally a portion of the vacuum residue fraction are fed to an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit. The hydrogen and resid hydrocarbon mixture are contacted in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit, containing one or more ebullated bed reactors, with a hydroconversion catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed residue. The hydroprocessed residue is separated to recover one or more distillate fractions and an unconverted residue fraction. A hydroprocessed mixture, containing an unconverted residue fraction, is fed to a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit. Within the residue fluid cracking unit, the unconverted residue fraction is contacted with a cracking catalyst to produce a cracked residue fraction and the cracked residue fraction is separated into two or more fractions including light hydrocarbon fractions and heavy hydrocarbon fractions. The heavy hydrocarbon fractions are recycled into the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit.

[0009] In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system for upgrading whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures. The system includes an atmospheric distillation column for separating the crude oil into one or more distillate fractions, including an atmospheric residue fraction. A vacuum distillation column separates the atmospheric residue fraction into two or more fractions including a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum residue fraction. An ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit, including one or more ebullated bed reactors, contacts a resid hydrocarbon mixture containing the atmospheric residue fraction and optionally a portion of the vacuum residue fraction with hydrogen. The ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit also contains a hydroconversion catalyst to convert aportion of the resid hydrocarbon mixture to a hydroprocessed residue. A separator separates the hydroprocessed residue to recover one or more distillate fractions and an unconverted residue fraction. A residue fluid catalytic cracking unit contacts the unconverted residue fraction with a cracking catalyst to produce a cracked residue fraction. A fractionation unit fractionates the cracked residue fraction into two or more fractions including one or more light hydrocarbon fractions and one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions.

[0010] Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified process flow diagram of the process of upgrading atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, and combinations thereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified process flow diagram of the process of upgrading atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, and combinations thereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified process flow diagram of the process of upgrading atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, and combinations thereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a simplified process flow diagram of an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking system useful in accordance with one or more embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In one aspect, embodiments herein relate generally to the processes and systems of distilling heavy hydrocarbons, residue fluid catalytic cracking, and hydroconversion including processes for hydrocracking residuum hydrocarbons and other heavy hydrocarbons. Further, embodiments disclosed herein relate to processes and systemsfor processing heavy crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures in atmospheric and vacuum distillation, further processing distillate hydrocarbon residuum streams in an ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor unit to produce a hydroprocessed mixture, including a hydroprocessed residue. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to upgrading atmospheric residue, and optionally a mixture of atmospheric residue and vacuum residue, in an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit.

[0016] The hydrocracked residue may include gas oil products with boiling points greater than about 300 °C., such as greater than 343 °C. that may be further processed in a downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker. In one or more embodiments, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may be included in processes or systems for producing unconverted oil with a boiling point between 500 and 550 °C. The systems and processes of one or more embodiments herein may advantageously achieve or exceed desired downstream RFCC feed requirements or very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) requirements as feed becomes primarily atmospheric with heavier residues where thermal severity is reduced while running to maximum catalytic severity such as required during hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrometallization (HDM), and removal of Conradson Carbon Residue (HDCCR). Such RFCC feed requirements may include sulfur, metals, and Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) values including but not limited to less than about 3.4 mass% S, less than 50 ppm metals, and a CCR value of up to 30.

[0017] The systems and processes of one or more embodiments may advantageously offer a reduced number of reactors, longer uninterrupted operating periods, and reduced required physical plot space than that required with the fixed bed RDS. Optionally, the systems and processes of one or more embodiments may allow for the hydrocracked product of the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit to be processed in a residue fluid catalytic cracker without the need for a vacuum distillation immediately upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker, as the resulting hydrocracked residue produced according to embodiments herein and used as a suitable feed to a residue fluid catalytic cracker may include gas oil products with boiling points greater than 343 °C. For example, in the systems and processes of one or more embodiments, a single separator may be utilized to process the hydrocracked product of the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker. Inone or more embodiments, the separator may be a flash drum, a stripper, or a fractionator. Finally, in another option, the systems and processes of one embodiment may allow for both an atmospheric distillation column and vacuum distillation column to process the hydrocracked product of the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker.

[0018] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and processes that include an atmospheric distillation column, a vacuum distillation column, an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit, a hydrotreating unit, and a separator to treat the feed immediately upstream of a residue fluid catalytic cracker. Optionally, embodiments disclosed herein may include processing the feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker in an RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column and an RFCC feed vacuum distillation column. The systems and processes of one or more embodiments may upgrade either atmospheric residue or any blend of atmospheric residue and vacuum residue utilizing an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit to feed a downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker that produces high value products such as propylene, ethylene, butylenes, alkylation feed, and Benzene-Toluene-Xylene-rich (BTX-rich) naphtha or gasoline. The ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include one, two, three, or more ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages. The ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may also include an interstage separator between the first and second stages where there is more than one stage.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the process may include processing whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures through an atmospheric distillation column and separating the hydrocarbon mixture into one or more distillate fractions and an atmospheric residue. The whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures fed to the atmospheric distillation column may include but are not limited to any number of crudes or combinations of crudes, including sweet crude, sour crude, light crude, medium crude, heavy crude, and synthetic crude oils.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1, a simplified flow diagram of a process for upgrading atmospheric residue and optionally vacuum residue, according to embodiments herein is illustrated. Prior to introduction into the flash zone of atmospheric distillation column 26, the crude feed including whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures 100 may be processed in a desalter 20, if necessary, to form desalted crude oil102. Once out of the desalter 20, the desalted crude oil 102 may be pre-heated in a heat exchanger network 22 that cross-exchanges one or more hot atmospheric hydrocarbon fractions 110 including kerosene, diesel, and / or gas oil, against the cooler desalted crude oil 102. The pre-heated and desalted crude oil 104 is fed to a furnace 24 that further heats the crude oil, such as to a temperature in a range from 330 to 380 °C.

[0021] The heated crude oil 106 is fed to a flash zone of an atmospheric distillation column 26. Atmospheric distillation columns are known in the art to separate crude feed into heavier products such as an atmospheric residue fraction and lighter products. Naphtha 108 and other atmospheric distillate fractions 110, such as including kerosene, diesel, or gas oil, and an atmospheric residue fraction 112 may be recovered from the atmospheric distillation column 26. The atmospheric distillate fraction(s) 110 is (are) sent to the heat exchanger network 22 to be cooled by the incoming desalted crude oil 102 to make cooled atmospheric hydrocarbon fractions 188. The heat exchanger network 22 may include pump-around circuit streams where atmospheric distillate fractions 110 are cooled in one or more heat exchangers in heat exchanger network 22 utilizing incoming desalted crude oil 102 as coolant.

[0022] Although not shown in the figure, the atmospheric distillation column 26 may include any number of side strippers in order to accommodate the particular type of crude feed 100. The atmospheric distillation column 26 may produce an atmospheric residue fraction with an initial boiling point from between 340 and 427 °C., such as a lower limit of 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, and 420 °C., to an upper limit of 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, and 427 °C., where any lower limit may be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit. In one or more embodiments, the atmospheric residue fraction 112 includes hydrocarbons having an initial boiling point from about 340 °C. to about 380 °C.

[0023] The atmospheric residue fraction 112 from the atmospheric distillation column 26 may be further processed in a vacuum distillation column 30 and separated into one or more fractions 118 and a vacuum residue fraction 120. Prior to entry into the vacuum distillation column 30, the atmospheric residue fraction 112 may be preheated in a furnace 28. The vacuum distillation column 30 may then separate the preheated atmospheric residue fraction 116 into two or more fractions including a vacuum gas oil fraction 118 and a vacuum residue fraction 120.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, at least a portion of the atmospheric residue fraction 112 may be fed to vacuum distillation column 30. In some embodiments, there may be a bypass flow path 114 around the vacuum distillation column 30, allowing the atmospheric residue fraction 112, or a portion thereof, to bypass the vacuum distillation column 30 and flow to a downstream ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33. In one or more embodiments, some or all of the atmospheric residue fraction 112 from the atmospheric distillation column 26 may bypass the vacuum distillation column 30. In one or more embodiments, some, all, or none of the atmospheric residue fraction 112 from the atmospheric distillation column 26 may feed the vacuum distillation column 30. In some embodiments, only a portion of the atmospheric residue fraction 112 from the atmospheric distillation column 26 may feed the vacuum distillation column 30, and the remaining portion may bypass the vacuum distillation column 30 through the bypass flow line 114. Therefore, in some embodiments, the atmospheric distillation column 26 may be the only column in service upstream of the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33. In other embodiments, the atmospheric distillation column 26 and the vacuum distillation column 30 may both be in service upstream of the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33.

[0025] When utilized in some embodiments, the vacuum distillation column 30 may separate the heated atmospheric residue fraction 116 into a vacuum gas oil fraction 118 and a vacuum residue fraction 120, among other fractions (not illustrated). The vacuum gas oil fraction 118 from the vacuum distillation column 30 may include straight run vacuum gas oil, including both straight run light vacuum gas oil and straight run heavy vacuum gas oil. In one or more embodiments, the vacuum residue fraction 120 may include hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 540 °C., and the straight run vacuum gas oil may have a boiling point range from between about 300 °C. and about 540 °C., such as a lower limit of 320, 340, 360, 380, 400, 420, 440, 460, 480, 500, 520 °C. to an upper limit of 340, 360, 380, 400, 420, 440, 460, 480, 500, 520, and 540 °C., where any lower limit can be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 from the vacuum distillation column 30, including hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 343° C., may be received by the hydrotreating unit 32 to remove (convert) undesirablecomponents from the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 and produce a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122. Hydrotreating involves the reaction of organic compounds in the presence of hydrogen to remove oxygen, i.e., deoxygenating, along with removal of other heteroatoms such as nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the hydrotreating unit 32 may receive the vacuum gas oil fraction(s) 118 with a boiling point above 300 °C., such as above 320 °C., and contact the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst and hydrogen at a temperature of between 200 °C. and 500 °C. in the hydrogen treating zone to form a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122. In other embodiments, the vacuum gas oil 118 may be hydrotreated with hydrogen at a temperature of at least 370 °C.

[0028] The purpose of the hydrotreating unit 32 is primarily to remove sulfur and other contaminants, including but not limited to trace quantities of arsenic, lead, copper, nickel, vanadium, tungsten, and other materials which may be present in untreated hydrocarbon fractions and which may be detrimental to downstream processing operations. A suitable catalyst for hydrotreating hydrocarbons including the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 may include alumina, silica, a Group VIII metal, a Group VIB metal, or any combination of metals thereof.

[0029] In the hydrotreating unit 32, the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 may be mixed with the hydrogen in the presence of suitable catalyst at an operating pressure from about 100 to 1,500 psig. or even higher. Hydrogen may be present at a concentration of from about 100 standard cubic feet per barrel (SCFB) of hydrocarbon charge to about 3,000 SCFB, or even higher.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122 may be fed to a residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 to be further processed. In one or more embodiments, the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 may bypass the hydrotreating unit 32 through hydrotreating unit bypass flow line 168 and be fed to residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 without being hydrotreated.

[0031] The atmospheric residue fraction 112 flowed through the bypass flow path 114 from the atmospheric distillation column 26 and optionally the vacuum residue fraction 120 from the vacuum distillation column 30 may be fed to an ebullated bedhydrocracking reaction unit 33 as a “resid hydrocarbon mixture.” As used herein, a “resid hydrocarbon mixture” may refer to hydrocarbon fractions having an initial boiling point above 340°C. A resid hydrocarbon mixture that may be used with processes disclosed herein may include, in addition to atmospheric residue fraction 112 and vacuum residue fraction 120, various refinery and other hydrocarbon streams from other nearby units in the refinery (not illustrated), such as atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, hydrocracked atmospheric residue, hydrocracked vacuum residue, straight run vacuum gas oil, hydrocracked vacuum gas oil, fluid catalytically cracked slurry oils, vacuum gas oil from ebullated bed processes, or a combination of these, of which may be straight run, process derived, hydrocracked, partially desulfurized, and / or low-metal streams. A resid hydrocarbon mixture may also include shale oils, coal-derived oils, tar sands bitumen, tall oils, black oils, as well as other similar hydrocarbon streams, or a combination of these, of which may be straight run, process derived, hydrocracked, partially desulfurized, and / or low-metal streams.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, a resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 fed to ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may include the atmospheric residue fraction 112 flowed through the bypass flow path 114 and optionally the vacuum residue fraction 120. The atmospheric residue fraction 112 may be fed to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 through a bypass flow line 114, allowing all, some, or none of the atmospheric residue fraction 112 to bypass the vacuum distillation column 30.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the combined resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 fed to ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may include hydrocarbons having a normal boiling point from between 480 and 565 °C., such as a lower limit of 480, 500, 520, 540, and 560 °C. and an upper limit of 500, 520, 540, 560, and 565 °C., where any lower limit may be mathematically combined with any upper limit. In some embodiments, the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 may include hydrocarbons having a normal boiling point of at least 565 °C.

[0034] Additionally, in one or more embodiments, slurry oil component 186 recovered from the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit 48 may be fed to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 through a slurry oil recycle flow line. Theslurry oil component 186 may include slurry oil produced by a downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, including a light cycle oil 164 and a heavy cycle oil 166 rich in aromatics. In one or more embodiments, the light cycle oil 164, the heavy cycle oil 166, and the slurry oil component 186 may all include hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 360 °C. Due to the aromatic solvent-like characteristics of slurry oil component 186, recycling this stream back into the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may aid in reducing sedimentation that may occur with the mixing of heavy hydrocarbon streams. It is desirable to avoid sedimentation in the ebullated bed hydrocracking reaction unit 33 because sedimentation may cause operational issues and tar formation causing a fouling of the processing equipment.

[0035] Therefore, the ebullated bed hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may in one or more embodiments receive stream 186 including one or both light cycle oil 164 and heavy cycle oil 166 from the downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, a resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 which may include the atmospheric residue fraction from the bypass flow path 114, and optionally a vacuum residue fraction 120 from the vacuum distillation column 30, in any combination thereof. Heated hydrogen 134 and catalyst may also be fed to the ebullated bed hydrocracking reaction unit 33.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, a resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 fed to an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may include from between 1 and 100 wt% atmospheric residue fraction 112, such as a lower limit of 1 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 90 wt%, to an upper limit of 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 90 wt%, 100 wt%, where any lower limit may be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, a resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 fed to an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may include from between 0 and 99 wt% vacuum residue fraction 120, such as a lower limit of 0 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 90 wt%, to an upper limit of 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 90 wt%, 99 wt%, where any lower limit may be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit. Thus, the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 may include from between 1 and 100 wt% atmospheric residue fraction 112, and between 0 and 99 wt%vacuum residue fraction 120, based on the total amount of vacuum and atmospheric residue.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 of atmospheric residue and vacuum residue fed to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may be upgraded in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit from a CCR value between 15 to 30 to a CCR value of less than 6, such as to a CCR value of less than 5.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 may be hydrocracked in a hydrocracking reactor system, including an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33, having one or more hydrocracking reactors. For example, the hydrocracking reaction system may include a single reaction stage having a single hydrocracking reactor, such as an ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor or a fluidized bed hydrocracking reactor. As featured in FIG. 1, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 may include a first ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage 34, a second ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage 38, and a third ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage 174.

[0039] In some embodiments, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include a single train of one or more ebullated bed reactors in series to produce a hydroprocessed hydrocarbon mixture. In some embodiments, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include two or more ebullated bed reactor stages in series or in parallel. The first and second hydrocracking reaction stages may perform one or more of metals removal, denitrogenation, desulfurization, hydrogenation, CCR Reduction, and / or other hydroconversion reactions in addition to hydrocracking. The reactivity for varied reactions noted may be provided by a single hydrocracking catalyst or multiple hydrocracking catalysts.

[0040] In some embodiments, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include two or more ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors in series with an interstage separator to recover a portion of the converted hydrocarbons. The interstage separator may remove the partially hydrocracked product in a liquid or vapor phase and send the heavier liquid hydrocarbons to the downstream reactor (including an ebullatedbed residue hydrocracking reaction unit) and send the lighter vapor components to a gas cooling, purification, separation, and compression system.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include a single train of two to three ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors in series, with an interstage separator between a first ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage and a second ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage. Such a train of reactors may have a significant capacity, such as having a throughput of 50,000 BPSD or higher.

[0042] As illustrated by FIG. 1, the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 may be contacted with heated hydrogen 134 and a hydroconversion catalyst, provided by a catalyst source 194, in the first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34. First stage hydrocracked effluent 126 may be separated in an interstage separator 36 where the vapor overheads 136 may be sent to a gas purification, separation, and compression system 44, and the separated liquid 128 may be fed to a second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 38 for further hydrocracking conversion. Second stage hydrocracked product 178 may be fed to a third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 174 for further hydrocracking conversion to be processed into hydroprocessed residue 138.

[0043] In first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively, the hydrocarbons and hydrogen may be contacted with fresh hydroconversion catalyst 194 through the first fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 124, the second fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 142, and the third fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 184, which may be the same or different than catalyst in catalyst feed stream 194, to react at least a portion of the unreacted vacuum residue with hydrogen to form lighter hydrocarbons, i.e., hydrocracking, and to demetallize the resid hydrocarbon mixture 190 and the slurry oil component 186, remove CCR, or otherwise convert the aforementioned to useful products, including products suitable for feed to a residue fluid catalytic cracker. The final hydrocracked product, the hydroprocessed residue 138, from the third ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stage 174 is sent as in FIG. 1 to separator 46A.

[0044] Target conversions in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34 and 38 may be in a range from about 30 to about 80 wt%, such as about 40 to 70 wt%, depending upon the feedstock being processed, to make the objective feed suitable for RFCC. Target conversions should be maintained below the level where sediment formation becomes excessive and thereby prevents continuity of operations. In addition to converting the residue hydrocarbon mixture to lighter hydrocarbons, sulfur removal may be in the range from about 40 to about 90 wt%. Metals removal may be in the range from about 60 to about 95 wt%. CCR removal may be in the range from about 30 to about 80 wt%, such as about 30 to 75 wt%.

[0045] The ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may include a catalyst system with fresh catalyst delivery to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors and a spent catalyst withdrawal. The spent catalyst may be further processed in a catalyst recovery and handling system. The ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit may generate a quantity of spent or partially spent catalyst.

[0046] As described above, processes and systems herein may utilize “spent” and “partially spent” catalyst. As used herein, partially spent catalyst may refer, for example, to catalyst purged from an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit that is fed with fresh catalyst. Spent catalyst may refer, for example, to catalyst recovered from an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit that is fed with partially spent catalyst, and having essentially no activity. An intermediate spent catalyst may refer, for example to catalyst recovered from an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit that is fed with a blend of spent and partially spent catalyst, which may have an activity greater than a fully spent catalyst but lower than that of a partially spent catalyst; the term “partially spent” catalyst is intended to include “intermediate spent” catalysts herein. The level of the net activity of the fresh catalyst, partially spent catalyst, or intermediate spent catalyst may impact the reaction severity required in the hydrocracking reactors needed to achieve the targeted conversions, where such operating conditions should be maintained at or below the point of critical sediment formation.

[0047] Partially spent catalyst may be recovered from the first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34 via the first catalyst removal stream 130, from thesecond ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 38 via the second catalyst removal stream 132, from the third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 174 via the third catalyst removal stream 176. Partially spent catalyst is removed from the reactors through the first catalyst removal stream 130, the second catalyst removal stream 132, and the third catalyst removal stream 176 and further processed in the catalyst handling section 42. In some embodiments, the fresh catalyst sent to first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34 is different than the fresh catalyst sent to the second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 38 and the third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 174 to take advantage of the higher metals contents and CCR contents of the residuum feed. The differences in these catalysts may include pore volume and pore size distribution differences, surface area differences and metals loading differences.

[0048] The characteristics of the residue fraction 190 and the reaction severity used in the first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34 may impact the selection of properties of the first fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 124 as well as the rate of partially spent catalyst removal through first catalyst removal stream 130, second catalyst removal stream 132, and third catalyst removal stream 176. For ease of process operations, the catalyst feed rates to first fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 124, second fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 142, and third fresh hydroconversion catalyst feed stream 178 to respective ebullated bed hydrocracking reactor stages may be linked. For example, where fresh catalyst feed to first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34, second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 38, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 174 are increased, the spent catalyst withdrawal rate necessarily increases. The rate of partially spent catalyst feed may be thus increased by a similar rate as to avoid an overall accumulation of spent catalyst in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33.

[0049] Catalysts useful in the hydrocracking reactors and ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit which include ebullated bed reactors may be any catalyst useful in the hydroconversion processes of hydrotreating or hydrocracking a hydrocarbon feedstock. A hydrotreating catalyst, for example, may include catalyst compositions that may be used to catalyze the hydrogenation of hydrocarbonfeedstocks, wherein hydrogenation means increasing the hydrogen content of hydrocarbon feedstocks and / or removing heteroatom contaminants from hydrocarbon feedstocks. A hydrocracking catalyst, for example, may include any catalyst composition that may be used to catalyze the addition of hydrogen to large or complex hydrocarbon molecules. A hydrocracking catalyst composition may be used to crack molecules into distillate range hydrocarbons, or smaller lower molecular weight molecules.

[0050] In some embodiments, catalysts that may be useful in the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively, may include one or more elements selected from Groups 4-12 of the Periodic Table of Elements. In some embodiments, the catalysts may include one or more of nickel, cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, and combinations thereof. Further, the catalysts may be unsupported or supported on a porous substrate such as silica, alumina, titania, or combinations thereof. For example, as supplied from the manufacturer or as resulting from a regeneration process, the catalysts may be in the form of metal oxides. If necessary or desired, the metal oxides may be converted to metal sulfides prior to or during use. In some embodiments, the hydrocracking catalyst may be pre-sulfided and / or pre-conditioned prior to introduction to the reactor.

[0051] Reaction conditions in the first, second and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively may include: (a) a hydrogen partial pressure of greater than about 50 bar in some embodiments, or greater than about 70 bar in some embodiments; (b) a temperature greater than about 350 °C. in some embodiments, greater than about 360 °C. in some embodiments, greater than about 370 °C. in some embodiments, and greater than about 380 °C. in other embodiments; and (c) a liquid hourly space velocity greater than about 0.05 h'1in some embodiments, and greater than about 0.1 h'1in other embodiments.

[0052] In some embodiments the hydrogen partial pressure, and thus the pressure in the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively may be in a range from about 70 to 170 bar. In one or more embodiments, the temperature in the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively may be in a range from about 380 to about 450 °C., such as a lower limit of 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440 °C., toan upper limit of 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, and 450 °C., where any lower limit may be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the liquid hourly space velocity may be in the range from about 0.01 to about 0.4 h’1, such as a lower limit of 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 h’1, to an upper limit of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 h’1, where any lower limit may be combined with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0053] Temperatures in the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174 respectively may be selected to achieve conversions at or below the level where sediment formation would otherwise become excessive and thereby prevent continuity of operations, which may vary depending upon the composition of the feed.

[0054] Following conversion in the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174, the partially converted and hydroprocessed residue 138 may be recovered as a mixed vapor / liquid effluent, or a hydroprocessed hydrocarbon mixture. The hydroprocessed residue 138 may be fed to and separated in a separator 46A to recover one or more fractions (e.g., naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel oil, diesel fuel oil, and (light / heavy) atmospheric gas oil fractions) and a residue fraction 192. The hydroprocessed residue fraction 192 may include hydrocarbons boiling in a range of light vacuum gas oil fraction or a heavy vacuum gas oil fraction as may be produced by the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33.

[0055] The vacuum gas oil products may have a boiling point of greater than 343 °C.In one or more embodiments, the vacuum gas oil products include hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 300 °C.

[0056] In the simplest embodiments, separator 46A processing the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent may include flash drum consisting of minimal to no internals, where the overheads include but are not limited to an offgas fraction, a light naphtha fraction, a heavy naphtha fraction, and a kerosene fraction. In one or more embodiments, the overhead to the flash drum may be sent to the residue fluid catalytic cracker. In some embodiments, the overhead to the flash drum may be collected as a product. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the bottoms to the separator, theunconverted residue fraction, may be sent to the resid fluid catalytic cracker, and converted to ethylene, propylene, naphtha, and / or diesel. In one or more embodiments, the unconverted residue fraction may be sent to a RFCC feed hydrotreating unit prior to entering the resid fluid catalytic cracker.

[0057] In other embodiments, the separator 46A processing the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent may include a fractionator, atmospheric distillation column, or stripper with any number of trays required to separate the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent into an offgas fraction, a light naphtha fraction, a heavy naphtha fraction, a kerosene fraction, a diesel fraction, a light vacuum gas oil, a heavy vacuum gas oil fraction, and an unconverted residue fraction. Each of the offgas fraction, a light naphtha fraction, a heavy naphtha fraction, a kerosene fraction, a diesel fraction, a light vacuum gas oil, a heavy vacuum gas oil fraction, and an unconverted residue fraction may be sent to the residue fluid catalytic cracker. Additionally, the light naphtha fraction, heavy naphtha fraction, kerosene fraction, diesel fraction, light vacuum gas oil, heavy vacuum gas oil fraction, and the unconverted residue fraction may be hydrotreated and combined in any combination prior to entry into the residue fluid catalytic cracker.

[0058] In yet another embodiment, the separator 46A processing the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent may include an RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column and be followed by an RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B. Either the RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column 46A or the RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B, may include any number of trays required to separate the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent into one or more streams. The RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column 46A may separate the hydroprocessed residue 138 into a light naphtha fraction, heavy naphtha fraction, kerosene fraction, diesel fraction, and an unconverted atmospheric residue fraction. The unconverted atmospheric residue fraction may be fed to the RFCC feed vacuum distillation column, which may separate the atmospheric residue fraction into a light vacuum gas oil fraction, heavy gas oil fraction, and an unconverted vacuum residue fraction. The light naphtha fraction, heavy naphtha fraction, kerosene fraction, diesel fraction, light vacuum gas oil fraction, heavy gas oil fraction, and the unconverted vacuum residue fraction may be sent in any combination to the residue fluid catalytic cracker. Prior to being cracked in the residuefluid catalytic cracker, the light naphtha fraction, heavy naphtha fraction, kerosene fraction, diesel fraction, light vacuum gas oil fraction, heavy gas oil fraction, and the unconverted vacuum residue fraction may be hydrotreated individually or in combination with one another.

[0059] In FIG. 1, the separator may be a flash drum 46 A, where the hydroprocessed residue 138 is separated into an offgas fraction 144, which may be recovered, and an unconverted liquid fraction 192. In or more embodiments, the overhead to the flash drum 46 A may additionally include hydrocarbons boiling in the range of light naphtha, heavy naphtha, or kerosene.

[0060] In one or more embodiments, such as where the crude feed 100 may be sour crude with high sulfur content, the unconverted liquid fraction may require processing in a RFCC feed hydrotreating unit 196 before being processed in the residue fluid catalytic cracker. Alternatively, while not shown in FIG. 1, when crude feed 100 is sour crude, the unconverted liquid fraction 192 may be sent to a hydrotreating unit 32 for collective or separate processing along with vacuum gas oil fraction 118. Finally, hydrotreatment of the unconverted liquid fraction 192 prior to being fed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may not be required at all due to the lack of sulfur and other contaminants in the stream. In one or more embodiments, unconverted liquid fraction 192 may be a mixture including light hydrocarbon components (e.g., naphtha to kerosene range hydrocarbons) thereby allowing for the dissolution of the heavier residues and thereby reducing sedimentation within hydrotreater 196 and residue fluid catalytic cracker48.

[0061] The residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may include one or more reactors specifically designed to crack high-molecular-weight, high boiling fractions of petroleum into more valuable fuels such as gasoline, diesel, olefinic gases, and liquified petroleum gas. The feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may include fractions with boiling points greater than 200 °C., such as gas oil with an initial boiling point greater than 343 °C., gas oil including hydrocarbons having a boiling point between about 500 and 550 °C., heavy vacuum gas oil, light vacuum gas oil, hydrotreated vacuum gas oil 122 from the vacuum distillation column 30, non-hydrotreated vacuum gas oil 118 that flowed through hydrotreating unit bypass flow line 168, the unconverted liquid fraction 192 whether hydrotreated or not, or combinations thereof.

[0062] In one or more embodiments, the feed(s) to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may have a CCR value of less than 10. In other embodiments, blending the feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker with on-specification products may be required to meet the feed specifications of the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48. In some embodiments, the collective feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker feed 48 may include a CCR value of less than 5.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, the cracked residue fraction produced by the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may be separated in a fractionation unit (internal to unit 38, not explicitly shown in FIG. 1) into two or more fractions. The two or more aforementioned fractions may be one or more light hydrocarbon fractions and one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions.

[0064] The one or more light hydrocarbon fractions produced in the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may include but not be limited to ethylene, propylene, naphtha, and diesel. Further, in some embodiments, the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may crack the feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 into LPG 162, gasoline 170, and light gas 160.

[0065] The one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions produced in the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may include but not be limited to light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, and unconverted oil. Further, the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 may crack the feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 into slurry oils including light cycle oil 164 and heavy cycle oil 166, among other hydrocarbon products. The slurry oil component 186, including light cycle oil 164 and heavy cycle oil 166, and unconverted oil is recovered from the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 and may be recycled into the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 to be hydroprocessed as an aromatic diluent, to minimize coke and sediment formation.

[0066] In one or more embodiments, the slurry oil component 186 may have an initial boiling point of greater than 200 °C., such as a boiling point of greater than 360 °C. and may be fed into the second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 38. In other embodiments not shown in FIG. 1, the slurry oil component 186 may be fed to the first ebullated residue bed hydrocracking reactor stage 34, combined with the first stage hydrocracked effluent 126, or combined with the separated liquid 128 from theinterstage separator 36 situated between the first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage 34 and the second ebullated residue bed hydrocracking reactor stage 38.

[0067] Turning to FIG. 2, the description of the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174; the atmospheric distillation column 26 and the vacuum distillation column 30; and except for the feeds to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, all detailed under FIG. 1 respectively apply. FIG. 2 shows the option of the separator 46A including a single stripper or a single fractionator with any number of separation stages required to separate the ebullated bed reactor hydrocracking unit effluent into multiple streams, hydrotreated or non-hydrotreated, individual or combined, in any combination with an unconverted residue fraction upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker.

[0068] In some embodiments, the hydroprocessed residue 138 may be fed to and separated in a single separator 46A to recover one or more distillate fractions and an unconverted residue fraction 192. The separator 46A may include a stripper with one or more reboilers or a fractionator with both one or more reboilers and one or more condensers. In one or more embodiments, the separator 46A is a fractionator or stripper, and may separate the hydroprocessed residue 138 into one or more fractions including an offgas fraction 144, a light naphtha fraction 146, a heavy naphtha fraction 148, and a kerosene fraction 150. Additionally, the separator 46A as a fractionator or stripper, may separate the hydroprocessed residue 138 into a diesel fraction 152, a light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, a heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, and an unconverted residue fraction 192. In one or more embodiments, the light naphtha fraction 146, heavy naphtha fraction 148, kerosene fraction 150, diesel fraction 152, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, and heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156 may be sent to another section of the plant for downstream processing, collected as a product, and / or sent offsite. Finally, in some embodiments, the light naphtha fraction 146, heavy naphtha fraction 148, kerosene fraction 150, diesel fraction 152, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, and heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156 may be directly routed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, without the need for any hydrotreating, and without being mixed with unconverted residue fraction 192.

[0069] In one or more embodiments, the hydrotreater light naphtha fraction 146 A, the hydrotreater heavy naphtha fraction 148A, and the hydrotreater kerosene fraction 150Amay be hydrotreated in hydrotreater 32, collectively or separately. In one or more embodiments, the hydrotreater diesel fraction 152A, hydrotreater light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and hydrotreater heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A may be sent collectively or separately to the hydrotreating unit 32. Therefore, in one or more embodiments, the hydrotreating unit 32 may include one or more reactors that may be used to hydrotreat incoming streams either separately or combined. For example, the hydrotreater light naphtha fraction 146 A may be hydrotreated in a separate hydrotreating unit from the hydrotreater heavy naphtha fraction 148 A, which may be hydrotreated in a separate hydrotreating unit from the hydrotreater kerosene fraction 150A. Additionally, the hydrotreater diesel fraction 152A may be hydrotreated in a separate hydrotreating unit from the aforementioned fractions and the hydrotreater light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, which may be hydrotreated in a separate hydrotreating unit from the hydrotreater heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A.

[0070] Explained another way, the hydrotreater light naphtha fraction 146 A, hydrotreater heavy naphtha fraction 148A, hydrotreater kerosene fraction 150A, hydrotreater diesel fraction 152A, hydrotreater light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and the hydrotreater heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A may be hydrotreated in any combination together or individually, which may involve one, two, three, four, five, or six hydrotreaters. Thus, the stream exiting the hydrotreating unit 32, could be a collective hydrotreated fraction 122 or it could include one or more separately processed product streams, either of which may be routed directly to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, or may be sent to a lighter fractions slip stream 200 to be combined with unconverted residue fraction 192. Additionally, the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 from the vacuum distillation column 30, which bypasses hydrotreating unit 132 through the hydrotreating unit bypass flow line 168, may be combined with unconverted residue fraction 192. Alternatively, vacuum gas oil fraction 118 from the vacuum distillation column 30 which bypasses hydrotreating unit 32 through hydrotreating unit bypass flow line 168 may be sent separately from unconverted residue fraction 192 directly to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48. The option used for processing of the streams may depend upon the type and properties of crude feed 100, as well as the resulting properties (content of S, N, O, metals, CCR, etc.) resulting from the hydroprocessing in ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33.

[0071] Finally, in either the option of the separator 46A as a stripper or as a fractionator, the light naphtha fraction 146, the heavy naphtha fraction 148, the kerosene fraction 150, the diesel fraction 152, the light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, the heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, and their associated hydrotreater-bound counterparts (146A, 148A, 150A, 152A, 154A, and 156A) may be represented by fewer streams, either due to collective recovery (wider boiling fraction recovered), consolidation, or mixing, in any combination, or due to fewer side-draw streams.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, some, none or all of a portion of the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122 or the one or more streams included in the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122, may be diverted through lighter fractions slip stream 200 to be combined with unconverted residue fraction 192. The purpose of routing the light naphtha fraction 146, heavy naphtha fraction 148, kerosene fraction 150, diesel fraction 152A, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A to the hydrotreating unit 32 is to reduce the sulfur content and reduce sedimentation in the unconverted residue fraction 192 to make it more suitable for processing in the downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker 48.

[0073] In one or more embodiments, the diverted fraction or stream of the hydrotreated vacuum gasoil fraction 122 combined with unconverted residue fraction 192 will be referred to as the lighter fractions slip stream 200. The lighter fractions slip stream 200 may include a fraction of the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122 as a single stream, or the one or more of the hydrotreated streams of the diesel fraction 152A, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A. As another option, the unconverted residue fraction 192 may be hydrotreated in the RFCC feed hydrotreating unit 196 prior to being mixed with either the lighter fractions slip stream 200 and / or the hydrotreating unit bypass flow line 168. RFCC feed hydrotreating unit 196 may operate similarly utilizing similar catalysts as hydrotreating unit 32 as described in FIG. 1.

[0074] Finally, there may also be a residue filter 198 installed immediately upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 to remove any metals, solids, catalyst fines, or contaminants from the unconverted residue fraction 192 and to protect the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48. As another option, instead of bypassing hydrotreating unit 32 andcombining with unconverted residue fraction 192, individually or collectively the diesel fraction 152, the light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, and / or the heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, may be directly sent to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 separately or in any combination as shown in FIG. 2.

[0075] Turning to FIG. 3, the description of the first, second, and third ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34, 38, and 174; the atmospheric distillation column 26 and the vacuum distillation column 30; and except for the feed streams to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, all detailed under FIG. 1 respectively apply. Additionally, the descriptions of diesel fraction 152A, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and heavy gas oil fraction 156A, and the optionality of processing one or more of the streams individually or combined in one or more hydrotreaters in the hydrotreating unit 32 from FIG. 2 applies. Specifically, descriptions from FIG. 2 of the vacuum gas oil fraction 122, the lighter fractions slip stream 200 for reducing sedimentation and diluting sulfur content, the RFCC feed hydrotreating unit 196, and the resid filter 198 all apply.

[0076] FIG. 3 shows the option of utilizing an atmospheric distillation column and a vacuum distillation column instead of the separator 46A as shown in FIG. 2. This option may be utilized, depending on the operating conditions, and expected conversion, for a particular crude feed 100. Thus, in some embodiments, the hydroprocessed residue 138 may be firstly fed to and separated in an RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column 46A, and the downstream unconverted atmospheric residue fraction 140 may be secondly fed to an RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B. The hydroprocessed atmospheric distillate fractions recovered in the RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column 46A may include, among other possible fractions, an offgas fraction 144, a light naphtha fraction 146, a heavy naphtha fraction 148, a kerosene fraction 150, and an unconverted atmospheric residue fraction 140.

[0077] Then, following separation in the RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column 46 A, the hydroprocessed and unconverted atmospheric residue fraction 140 may be fed to a RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B. The hydroprocessed vacuum distillate fractions recovered in the RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B may include, among other possible fractions, a light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, a heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, and an unconverted vacuum residue fraction 140. Followingfractionation in the RFCC feed atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns 46A, 46B, the diesel fraction 152, the light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, the heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, and the unconverted vacuum residue fraction 192 may all be fed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 to be contacted, separately or collectively, with a cracking catalyst to produce one or more cracked residue fractions.

[0078] In one or more embodiments of FIG. 3, the unconverted vacuum residue fraction 192, utilizing the lighter fractions slip stream 200, may be diluted with the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction 122 as a fraction or as one or more streams including the hydrotreater light naphtha fraction 146 A, hydrotreater heavy naphtha fraction 148 A, hydrotreater kerosene fraction 150A, hydrotreater diesel fraction 152A, the hydrotreater light vacuum gas oil fraction 154A, and the hydrotreater heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156A. The addition of these aforementioned streams may reduce the overall sulfur content of the unconverted vacuum residue fraction 192 to an acceptable level for feed to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48, allowing processing and upgrading of the vacuum residue range hydrocarbons. In other embodiments, the sulfur content may be high enough to require individually hydrotreating the unconverted vacuum residue fraction 192, or a mixture of the unconverted vacuum residue and other hydrocarbon fractions, to an acceptable level in RFCC feed hydrotreating unit 196 prior to feeding the vacuum residue fraction to residue fluid catalytic cracker 48.

[0079] Finally, following RFCC feed vacuum distillation column 46B, the vacuum gas oil fraction 118 from the vacuum distillation column 30, the light naphtha fraction 146, heavy naphtha fraction 148, kerosene fraction 150, diesel fraction 152, light vacuum gas oil fraction 154, heavy vacuum gas oil fraction 156, unconverted vacuum residue fraction 192, and / or their associated hydrotreated counterparts, may all be fed, separately, or combined, in any combination, to the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 to be contacted with a cracking catalyst to produce a cracked residue fraction. In one or more embodiments, immediately upstream of the residue fluid catalytic cracker 48 will be a residue filter 198 designed to protect the cracker and collect any catalyst fines, contaminants, metals, or solids.

[0080] Turning to FIG. 4, a configuration including two stages in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit 33 is illustrated. While FIGs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate configurations including two and three stages, the disclosed embodiments are notlimited to configurations of two and three stages and may include any number of stages required to produce a hydrocracked reaction product suitable for processing in a downstream residual fluid catalytic cracker 48 as referred to earlier in FIG. 1. For example, the disclosed embodiment may include only a first stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 34 with no interstage separator; a first stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 34, an interstage separator 36 and a second stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 38; a first stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 34, an interstage separator 36, a second stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 38, and a third stage ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor 174. If there is only one ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stage, then there is no need for an interstage separator.

[0081] With respect to FIG. 4, the description of the first and second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages 34 and 38 respectively as detailed under FIG. 1 apply. Here, hydroprocessed residue 138 has only been hydrocracked in two stages instead of three. In addition, the configuration of two ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor stages may apply to all configurations discussed in FIGs. 1, 2 and 3.

[0082] As described above, embodiments disclosed herein may provide an integrated process for upgrading a resid hydrocarbon mixture, including solely atmospheric residue or any blend of atmospheric residue and vacuum residue, using ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors to produce feed within a feed specification range for a downstream residue fluid catalytic cracker. Advantageously, embodiments herein may reduce the number of reactors required for hydrocracking any blend of atmospheric and vacuum residue, thereby reducing unit investment cost. Additionally, embodiments herein may provide for longer uninterrupted operating periods, and thereby reduce recurring operating costs. Further, embodiments herein provide for process integration wherein slurry oil products including light cycle oil and heavy cycle oil are recycled through a slurry oil recycle flow line into the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit as aromatic diluent.

[0083] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these systems, apparatuses, methods, processes and compositions belong.

[0084] The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0085] As used here and in the appended claims, the words “comprise,” “has,” and “include” and all grammatical variations thereof are each intended to have an open, non-limiting meaning that does not exclude additional elements or steps.

[0086] “Optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where the event or circumstance does not occur.

[0087] When the word “about” is used, this term may mean that there can be a variance in value of up to ±10%, of up to 5%, of up to 2%, of up to 1%, of up to 0.5%, of up to 0.1%, or up to 0.01%.

[0088] Ranges may be expressed as from about one particular value to about another particular value, inclusive. When such a range is expressed, the range is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value to the other particular value, along with all particular values and combinations thereof within the range.

[0089] While the disclosure includes a number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, while multiple process schemes are illustrated with varying process steps, embodiments contemplated herein may utilize process steps, such as catalyst handling, gas purification, separation, and compression, among others, although not explicitly illustrated and / or described. Accordingly, the scope should be limited only by the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A process for converting whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures, the process comprising:feeding a crude oil to an atmospheric distillation column and separating the hydrocarbon mixture into one or more distillate fractions and an atmospheric residue fraction;feeding a portion or an entirety of the atmospheric residue fraction to a vacuum distillation column and separating the atmospheric residue fraction into two or more fractions including a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum residue fraction; feeding hydrogen and a resid hydrocarbon mixture comprising the atmospheric residue fraction and optionally a portion of the vacuum residue fraction to an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit;contacting the hydrogen and the resid hydrocarbon mixture, in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit, with a hydroconversion catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed residue, the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit comprising one or more ebullated bed reactors;separating the hydroprocessed residue to recover one or more distillate fractions and an unconverted residue fraction;feeding a hydroprocessed mixture comprising the unconverted residue fraction to a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit;in the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit, contacting the unconverted residue fraction with a cracking catalyst to produce a cracked residue fraction and separating the cracked residue fraction into two or more fractions including one or more light hydrocarbon fractions and one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions; and recycling the one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions into the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the resid hydrocarbon mixture comprises at least 60 wt% atmospheric residue.

3. The process of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising:hydrotreating the vacuum gas oil fraction in a hydrotreating unit to produce a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction;wherein the hydroprocessed mixture fed to the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit comprises the unconverted residue fraction and the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the one or more distillate fractions is hydrotreated in the hydrotreating unit and combined with the unconverted residue fraction in any combination.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the unconverted residue fraction is hydrotreated in a RFCC feed hydrotreating unit.

6. The process of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the resid hydrocarbon mixture comprises from 50 to 90 wt% atmospheric residue and from 10 to 50 wt% vacuum residue.

7. The process of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the resid hydrocarbon mixture further comprises slurry oil, the process further comprising mixing a slurry oil comprising aromatic hydrocarbons with the vacuum residue fraction.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the resid hydrocarbon mixture comprises from 50 to 100 wt% atmospheric residue, from 0 to 20 wt% slurry oil, and from 0 to 50 wt% vacuum residue.

9. The process of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the slurry oil is recovered from the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit and fed to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit.

10. The process of any one of claims 1-9, wherein conversion of the resid hydrocarbon mixture in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit is between 40 wt % and 90 wt %.

11. The process of any one of claims 1-10, wherein temperatures in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors are maintained between 350 °C. and 450 °C.

12. The process of any one of claims 1-11, wherein pressures in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors are maintained between 70 and 170 bar.

13. The process of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the liquid hourly space velocity in the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactors is between 0.01 h'1and 1.0 h'1.

14. A system for upgrading whole crudes and other wide boiling hydrocarbon mixtures, the system comprising:an atmospheric distillation column for separating the crude oil into one or more distillate fractions including an atmospheric residue fraction;a vacuum distillation column for separating the atmospheric residue fraction into two or more fractions including a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum residue fraction; an ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit comprising of one or more ebullated bed reactors, contacting a resid hydrocarbon mixture comprising of the atmospheric residue fraction and optionally a portion of the vacuum residue fraction with hydrogen, and a hydroconversion catalyst to convert at least a portion of the resid hydrocarbon mixture to a hydroprocessed residue;a separator for separating the hydroprocessed residue to recover one or more distillate fractions and an unconverted residue fraction;a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit for contacting the unconverted residue fraction with a cracking catalyst to produce a cracked residue fraction;a fractionation unit for fractionating the cracked residue fraction into two or more fractions including one or more light hydrocarbon fractions and one or more heavy hydrocarbon fractions.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a slurry oil recycle flow line conveying slurry oil from the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit to the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit.

16. The system of claim 14 or claim 15, further comprising:a hydrotreating unit for contacting the vacuum gas oil fraction from the vacuum distillation column with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst and hydrogen to remove sulfur and other contaminants to produce a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction; the residue fluid catalytic cracking unit contacting the unconverted residue fraction and the hydrotreated vacuum gas oil fraction with a cracking catalyst to produce the cracked residue fraction.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a hydrotreating unit bypass flow line which allows vacuum gas oil to bypass the hydrotreating unit and flow directly to the residue fluid catalytic cracker.

18. The system of any one of claims 14-17, further comprising:a bypass flow line around the vacuum distillation column wherein atmospheric residue may bypass the vacuum distillation column and mix with downstream vacuum residue to form a resid hydrocarbon mixture of atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, and slurry oil.

19. The system of any one of claims 14-18, wherein the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reaction unit comprises of a single train of one or more ebullated bed reactors in parallel or in series.

20. The system of any one of claims 14-19, wherein the ebullated bed residue hydrocracking unit comprises of two or more ebullated bed reactors in parallel or in series.

21. The system of any one of claims 14-20, further comprising:an interstage separator between a first ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor and a second ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor for recovering and separating a partially hydrocracked product into liquid and vapor phase;sending the heavier liquid hydrocarbons to the downstream ebullated bed residue hydrocracking reactor;sending the lighter components to a gas cooling, purification, separation, and compression section.

22. The system of any one of claims 14-21, wherein the separator comprises a flash drum, stripper, or fractionator.

23. The system of any one of claims 14-22, wherein the separator comprises a serial configuration of an RFCC feed atmospheric distillation column and an RFCC feed vacuum distillation column.

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