Patent EA-038003-B1 (EA)
Title: Method of converting crude oil into olefins and aromatic compounds
Inventor: OPRINS ARNO JOHANNES MARIA
IPC: C10G69/10
Filed: 2014-12-23
Abstract: The invention relates to a method to convert crude oil to olefins and aromatic compounds. In accordance with the invention, the method is provided where the crude oil fraction is supplied to a preflash before the crude oil distillation (CDU) to produce a light stream comprising light fractions and light naphtha, and a bottom stream; said bottom stream is supplied to an atmospheric distillation unit to produce a stream containing heavy naphtha, a stream containing atmospheric gas oil (AGO), a stream containing kerosene and diesel fuel, and a bottom stream; said bottom stream is supplied from the atmospheric distillation unit to a vacuum distillation unit to produce a stream containing vacuum gas oil and a stream containing a vacuum residue; said stream of vacuum gas oil together with said stream of atmospheric gas oil is supplied to a hydrocracker to hydrocrack these streams to produce a naphtha stream, gaseous stream containing light fractions of hydrocracking, and stream containing middle distillates of hydrocracking; said stream with the vacuum residue is processed in a bottoms hydrocracker to produce a stream containing pitch and a stream of bottoms hydrocracking product; said stream containing kerosene and diesel fuel, said stream containing medium distillates of hydrocracking, and said stream of bottoms hydrocracking product are treated in an aromatic cycle opening and gasoline hydrocracking unit to produce the first stream containing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light fractions, and the first stream containing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX); said light stream from the preflash distillation unit before the CDU, said stream of heavy naphtha and said stream of naphtha are supplied to the hydrocracker and hydrocracked therein to produce the second stream containing LPG and light fractions, and the second stream containing BTEX; said gaseous stream containing light fractions of hydrocracking, said first stream containing LPG and light fractions, and said second stream containing LPG and light fractions are supplied to a gas separation unit to produce the first stream containing CH4, the first stream containing H2, an ethane-rich stream, a propane-rich stream, and a n-butane- and i-butane-rich stream; said ethane-rich stream is supplied from the gas separation unit to a steam cracker and steam-cracked therein to produce a stream comprising olefins and aromatic compounds, the second stream containing CH4, and the second stream containing H2; at least a part of said propane-rich stream is supplied from the gas separation unit to a propane dehydrogenation unit to produce a stream containing propylene, the third stream containing CH4, and the third stream containing H2; at least a part of said n-butane- and i-butane-rich stream from the gas separation unit is supplied to a butane dehydrogenation unit to produce a stream containing butylene, the fourth stream containing CH4, and the fourth stream containing H2; said first BTEX-containing stream is mixed with said second BTEX-containing stream and supplied as a mixed stream for further processing; wherein said light stream from the preflash distillation unit before the CDU, said stream containing heavy naphtha, and said stream of naphtha are supplied to a catalytic reformer prior to being fed to the hydrocracker to produce the fifth stream containing H2.