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 light and heavy fractions utilizing convection heat from heaters used in steam cracking. 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 either an ebullated bed reactor with extrudate catalysts or a slurry hydrocracking reactor using a homogeneous catalyst system, such as a molybdenum based catalysts which may optionally be promoted with nickel. Products from the upgrading operations can be finished olefins and/or aromatics, or, for heavier products from the upgrading operations, may be used as feed to the steam cracker.

Abstract: Integrated processes and systems for the production of distillate hydrocarbons and coke. The process may include feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising a residuum hydrocarbon fraction, to a residue hydrocracking reactor system to convert hydrocarbons therein, producing a hydrocracked effluent. The hydrocracked effluent may then be fed to a separation system, separating the hydrocracked effluent into one or more distillate hydrocarbon fractions and a vacuum residue fraction. The vacuum residue fraction may be fed to a coker system, converting the vacuum residue fraction into a coke product and a coker vapor effluent, recovering the coke product, and feeding the coker vapor effluent to the separation system. The one or more distillate hydrocarbon fractions are hydroprocessed to produce a hydroprocessed effluent, and the hydroprocessed effluent is separated into product distillate hydrocarbon fractions.

Abstract: Systems and processes herein improve the conversion of propylene to ethylene via metathesis. On a mass basis, embodiments herein may be used to convert greater than 40% propylene, on a mass basis, to ethylene, such as 43% to 75%, on a mass basis. In one aspect, processes for the conversion of propylene to ethylene herein may include introducing a propylene feed stream to a metathesis reactor, and contacting the propylene with a metathesis catalyst in the metathesis reactor to convert the propylene to ethylene and 2-butene. An effluent from the metathesis reactor may be recovered, the effluent including ethylene, 2-butene, and unconverted propylene. The effluent may then be separated in a fractionation system to recover an ethylene fraction, a propylene fraction, a c4 fraction, and a C5+ fraction. The propylene fraction and the C4 fraction may then be fed to the metathesis reactor to produce additional ethylene.

Abstract: A process for the production of alkyl ethers including feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock and a first alcohol feedstock to a fixed bed reactor containing an etherification catalyst. The hydrocarbon feedstock and the first alcohol feedstock are contacted in the first fixed bed reactor to react the isoolefins with the alcohol in the presence of the etherification catalyst to produce a first product stream. The first product stream is fed together with a hydrogen feedstock and a second alcohol feedstock to a catalytic distillation reaction system containing a trifunctional catalyst to concurrently isomerize at least a portion of the alpha-olefins, hydrogenate at least a portion of the diolefins, and etherify at least a portion of the isoolefins and alcohol, producing a bottoms product comprising the one or more ethers and an overhead product comprising n-alkanes, isoalkanes, unreacted alpha-olefins, unreacted internal-olefins, unreacted isoolefins, and unreacted alcohol.

Abstract: Systems and methods for the production of a high purity isoamylene product. The isoamylene in a mixed hydrocarbon stream may initially be converted to TAME via etherification, and a subsequent decomposition of the TAME may result in a high purity isoamylene stream with very low impurities that is suitable for a variety of petrochemical applications, such as for use in the production of fragrances, pesticides, peroxides, polymer antioxidants, UV stabilizers and hydrocarbon resins.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides natural gas and petrochemical processing systems including oxidative coupling of methane reactor systems that integrate process inputs and outputs to cooperatively utilize different inputs and outputs of the various systems in the production of higher hydrocarbons from natural gas and other hydrocarbon feedstocks.

Abstract: Systems and processes for the flexible production of gasoline and jet fuel via alkylation of C4 and C5 olefins.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides natural gas and petrochemical processing systems, including oxidative coupling of methane reactor systems that may integrate process inputs and outputs to cooperatively utilize different inputs and outputs in the production of higher hydrocarbons from natural gas and other hydrocarbon feedstocks. The present disclosure also provides apparatuses and methods for heat exchange, such as an apparatus that can perform boiling and steam super-heating in separate chambers in order to reach a target outlet temperature that is relatively constant as the apparatus becomes fouled. A system of the present disclosure may include an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) subsystem that generates a product stream comprising compounds with two or more carbon atoms, and a dual compartment heat exchanger downstream of, and fluidically coupled to, the OCM subsystem.

Abstract: Systems and processes disclosed may be used to produce a high purity isobutane stream and a high purity 1-butene stream from mixed C4 streams having disparate starting compositions.

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.

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.

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 light and heavy fractions utilizing convection heat from heaters used in steam cracking. 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 either an ebullated bed reactor with extrudate catalysts or a slurry hydrocracking reactor using a homogeneous catalyst system, such as a molybdenum based catalysts which may optionally be promoted with nickel. Products from the upgrading operations can be finished olefins and/or aromatics, or, for heavier products from the upgrading operations, may be used as feed to the steam cracker.

Abstract: A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

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.

Abstract: Systems and methods for the production of a high purity isoamylene product. The isoamylene in a mixed hydrocarbon stream may initially be converted to TAME via etherification, and a subsequent decomposition of the TAME may result in a high purity isoamylene stream with very low impurities that is suitable for a variety of petrochemical applications, such as for use in the production of fragrances, pesticides, peroxides, polymer antioxidants, UV stabilizers and hydrocarbon resins.

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.

Abstract: Integrated pyrolysis and hydrocracking systems and processes for efficiently cracking of hydrocarbon mixtures, such as mixtures including compounds having a normal boiling temperature of greater than 450° C., 500° C., or even greater than 550° C., such as whole crudes for example, are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and processes for the efficient conversion of high concentration isoolefin streams to tertiary alkyl ethers are disclosed. The systems and processes may include a feed system to advantageously divide the high concentration isoolefin feed to multiple fixed bed reactors and a catalytic distillation reactor to control the reaction exotherm and achieve a high isoolefin conversion.

Abstract: A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

Abstract: In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for the oxidative coupling of methane to generate hydrocarbon compounds containing at least two carbon atoms (C2+ compounds). The method can include mixing a first gas stream comprising methane with a second gas stream comprising oxygen to form a third gas stream comprising methane and oxygen and performing an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction using the third gas stream to produce a product stream comprising one or more C2+ compounds.