Patent ID: 8491779
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for improving throughputs of a refinery, wherein the process comprises the steps of: introducing a virgin crude oil stream in the presence of hydrogen gas to an HDM reaction zone, wherein the virgin crude oil stream is at a process temperature between about 350 and about 450 degrees Celsius, the HDM reaction zone containing an HDM catalyst, the HDM catalyst being operable to remove a substantial quantity of metal compounds from the virgin crude oil stream resulting in a combined effluent stream; removing the combined effluent stream from the HDM reaction zone; introducing the combined effluent stream to a HDS reaction zone, the HDS reaction zone containing an HDS catalyst, the HDS catalyst being operable to remove a substantial quantity of sulfur components from the combined effluent stream resulting in an HDS effluent stream; removing the HDS effluent stream from the HDS reaction zone; feeding the HDS effluent stream to a separation unit, the separation unit operable to separate the HDS effluent stream into a process gas component stream and an intermediate liquid product, wherein the intermediate liquid product contains reduced amounts of sulfur, metals, and Conradson carbon as compared to the virgin crude oil stream, wherein the intermediate liquid product has an increased API gravity as compared to the virgin crude oil stream; recycling at least a portion of the process gas component stream to the HDM reaction zone; and introducing the intermediate liquid product from the separation unit into a delayed coking facility, a final liquid product is produced from the intermediate liquid product, such that the final product has an increased diesel content as compared to the virgin crude oil stream, wherein the delayed coking facility's throughput has at least a 10 percent increase when using the intermediate liquid product as opposed to the virgin crude oil stream.