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Residue upgrading

S
olvent deasphalting (SDA) has a key role
in todays refnery, as the technology can
be used in a variety of ways for residue
upgrading. It is less expensive to build and oper-
ate than other residue conversion processes and
is especially useful in recovering large quantities
of high-quality oils, which can be further
upgraded via traditional FCC and hydrocracking
units. The ft for a particular location is depend-
ent on fnding a use for the SDA pitch, and
various options are discussed.
While SDA has been used for more than 50
years to upgrade non-volatile residues, the tech-
nology continues to evolve over time. It is a
robust, economical process that uses an aliphatic
solvent to separate the typically more valuable
oils and resins from the more aromatic and
asphaltenic components of its vacuum residue
feedstock. The earliest commercial applications
of SDA used propane as the solvent to extract
high-quality lubricating oil bright stock from
vacuum residue. These applications were called
propane deasphalting (or propane deresining
when used to separate high molecular weight
resins from Pennsylvania-grade vacuum resi-
due). SDA processes have gradually extended to
include the preparation of feedstocks for
catalytic cracking, hydrocracking and hydrodes-
ulphurisation units, as well as the production of
specialty asphalts.
In 1996, UOP and Foster Wheeler USA
Corporation (FW) entered into a collaboration
agreement to merge their SDA technologies. The
merging of both companies experience in
designing solvent deasphalters represents a total
capacity of more than 500 000 bpsd and more
than 50 commercial units, with capacities rang-
ing from 50045 000 bpsd These include all
applications of solvent deasphalting, such as:
Edward J Houde UOP LLC Michael J McGrath Foster Wheeler USA
Production of lube oil feedstocks
Recovery of incremental feedstock for down-
stream FCC and hydrocracking units
Production of road bitumen, including two-
product (deasphalted oil [DAO] and pitch) and
three-product (DAO, resin and pitch) process
confgurations.
Technology overview
SDA, whether for the production of lubricating
oil or cracking stocks, uses a light hydrocarbon
solvent specifcally tailored to ensure the most
economical deasphalting design. For example,
propane solvent may be specifed for a low deas-
phalted oil yield operation such as lube
production, while a solvent containing hydrocar-
bons as heavy as hexane may be used to obtain a
high deasphalted oil yield for the production of
additional conversion unit feedstock. Plant
designs have been developed using heavy
solvents at elevated temperatures in order to
maximise the yield of usable deasphalted oil and
minimise the yield of pitch having a softening
point of 350F or higher.
UOPs SDA experience has principally focused
on the use of butane and heavier-type solvents
that can obtain higher DAO recoveries. There is
a distinct advantage to the use of supercritical
separation for the recovery of the solvent and
DAO when using these types of solvents.
Consequently, UOP developed supercritical
solvent-DAO separation technology. The other
area UOP focused its development efforts on
involved minimising the solvent-to-oil ratio while
still producing a reasonably high-quality DAO.
FW SDA technology development emphasis
was initially more focused on lower lift, very
high-quality applications, such as the production
of lube oil feedstocks for hydrocracking and
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An examination into the feedstock and process conditions where solvent
deasphalting is the most appropriate technology for upgrading residue
further solvent refning. Consequently, its tech-
nology originally focused on propane/butane
deasphalting using optimised extraction tech-
niques for those specifc applications. In addition,
FW has made available its detailed design and
construction experiences from a multitude of
SDA projects.
SDA advantages
SDA technology has several advantages,
including:
Extraction devices tailored to the specifc
application:
UOP/FW/Sulzers structured packing and
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proprietary internals in both the
multi-stage counter current
extractor as well as the DAO and
resin separators. This technology
provides state-of-the-art contact-
ing and separation devices to
maximise extraction effciency as
well as the optimal recovery of
clean products
FWs multi-stage rotat-
ing disk contactor (RDC). The
RDC is specifcally designed to
achieve high product yields and
quality by incorporating both
stripping and rectifcation of the oil feed.
Superior-quality DAO is obtained from the RDC
even at DAO recovery rates exceeding 85%, with
an even greater difference in quality being seen
at lower DAO yields.
Supercritical solvent recovery (of the solvent)
allows more effcient utilisation of the systems
thermodynamic characteristics, while also reduc-
ing the units operating costs
Multiple product recovery designs that take
advantage of the changes in liquid-liquid equilib-
rium, which result from changes in operating
conditions between those utilised during extrac-
tion and those used for solvent recovery
Lower solvent requirements used to achieve
processing objectives. Although increasing the
amount of solvent used in the extraction
improves the extraction effciency, it also has a
major impact on the units operating costs.
Consequently, the lowest solvent-to-oil ratio
necessary to achieve the desired product separa-
tion is typically specifed
Optimal design of heat-exchange systems.
Combined design experience in optimising SDA
10
0
20
30
40
50
60
70
DAO yield
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 20
M
e
t
a
l
s

i
n

D
A
O
,

p
p
m
3/1
5/1
8/1
Figure 1 Effect of solvent-to-oil ratio
Sub-critical Super-critical Difference
Electricity, kWh/bbl feed 1.2 2.0 0.8
Steam, lb/bbl feed 125.0 12.2 -112.8
Fuel, M Btu/bbl feed 55.0 115.0 60.0
Comparative utility requirements
Option 1 2 Delta
Case High solvent-to-oil ratio Low solvent-to-oil ratio
Solvent-to-oil ratio (S/O) 8 5 3
Solvent C
4
mix C
4
mix
Size, bpd 28 000 28 000
% equip. assoc. with S/O 60 60
Equip. assoc. with S/O $20 520 000 $15 700 000 $4 820 000
Other equipment cost $15 680 000 $15 680 000
Installed cost, $MM $36 200 000 $31 380 000 $4 820 000
Unit cost, $/bbl 1290 1120 170
UOP/FW SDA advantage capital costs
Table 1
Table 2
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heat-exchange systems allows the SDA user to
select a multitude of heat-exchange options,
depending on the project-specifc objectives and
opportunities.
Extraction devices
The effciency of the extraction process is the key
equipment design variable impacting both the
capital and operating costs of SDA. The extrac-
tors role in SDA is to separate the precipitate
(pitch phase) from the continuous fuid stream
(DAO/solvent).
Both single-stage co-current extraction, where
the bulk of the solvent is mixed with the feed
prior to the extractor, and multi-stage counter-
current extraction, where the bulk of the solvent
enters the bottom of the extractor separate from
the feed, have been used in the industry.
Structured packing or RDCs used in multi-
stage counter-current extraction provide both
the contacting area and time required for extrac-
tion as well as segregation of the stages to reduce
back mixing below the feed stage. Above the feed
stage, structured packing or coils provide for the
coalescing of entrained droplets of feed or pitch.
Super-critical solvent recovery
Although often referred to as super-critical
extraction, it is the solvent separation, not the
extraction, that is carried out in the super-criti-
cal region of the solvent. The use of super-critical
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solvent recovery results in a simpler process
fow. Gone is the need for multiple fash towers
and condensers associated with conventional
multiple-effect evaporative-type solvent-recovery
systems.
Super-critical solvent recovery allows for more
effcient utilisation of the systems thermody-
namic characteristics. Presented in Table 1 is a
comparative tabulation of the utility require-
ments of conventional sub-critical evaporative
and super-critical solvent-recovery systems. Note
that the difference from sub-critical to super-
critical indicates a shift from steam to fuel. When
the latent heat content of the steam is consid-
ered, the comparison indicates a signifcant
reduction (20%) in heat input into the super-
critical system as compared to the sub-critical
system. This can translate into a total utility cost
savings of about 30% relative to sub-critical
recovery.
Lower solvent requirements
With highly effcient extraction technology, the
solvent-to-oil ratio can be minimised for the
same objectives of DAO yield and quality. The
impact of the solvent-to-oil ratio on both capital
and operating costs is conservatively refected in
Tables 2 and 3. These tables summarise an inter-
nal study undertaken by UOP and FW to assess
the relative costs of different solvent-to-oil ratios.
The cost of fuel has signifcantly increased since
Option 1 2 Delta
Case High solvent-to-oil ratio Low solvent-to-oil ratio
Solvent-to-oil ratio 8 5 3
Solvent C
4
mix C
4
mix
Average utility consumptions,
per barrel of feed
Fuel, MMBtu 0.075 0.056 0.019
Steam, lb 12.0 10.5 1.5
Power, kW 2.67 1.77 0.90
Incremental cost, $bbl feed
Fuel 0.293 0.206 0.087
Steam 0.00006 0.00005 0.000
Power 0.179 0.119 0.060
Total 0.342 0.248 0.094
Yearly cost (28 000bpd) $3 600 000 $2 500 000 $1 100 000
Unit cost reference
Fuel, MMBtu $3.82
Steam, 103lb $4.83
Power, $/kW $0.067
UOP/FW SDA advantage capital costs
Table 3
this study was performed and the savings at
lower solvent ratios would be even more
pronounced. While the cost benefts at a lower
solvent ratio can be substantial, the solvent-to-
oil ratio also has an impact on DAO quality
(Figure 1). Consequently, the optimal solvent
ratio is based on the DAOs downstream process-
ing needs.
Optimal design of heat-exchange systems
From a heat-exchange perspective, there are
several ways in which a SDA units operating and
capital costs can be signifcantly changed. Careful
analysis of the application, its associated utility
costs, the refners preferences and process fexi-
bility requirements is needed to ensure the best
design is applied for the specifc application.
For example, the heat exchange between the
DAO/solvent phase and the solvent will have an
optimal temperature of approach. Pinch analysis
expertise will ensure the SDA units design opti-
mises the trade-off between capital and operating
costs. Other areas where heat-exchange costs can
be signifcantly altered are with heat exchange of
the pitch and DAO products, as will be discussed
in further detail.
Process description
In non-lube oil production applications, regard-
less of whether a two- or three-product
confguration is employed, the units design
would employ structured pack-
ing, super-critical solvent
recovery and the fexibility to
utilise a range of solvent types to
achieve the desired separation.
In lube oil production applica-
tions, the preferred extraction
device is the multi-stage RDC,
although at high capacities struc-
tured packing can also be
employed. The RDC, coupled
with super-critical solvent recov-
ery and the fexibility to utilise a
range of solvent types, can
achieve the desired separation
while producing a superior-qual-
ity product.
The following brief description
of the process fow scheme is
based on a two-product confgu-
ration. A process schematic
(Figure 2) is provided for reference. The UOP/
FW SDA unit consists of essentially three major
process operations extraction, DAO/ solvent
and asphalt recovery which occur within the
unit.
The extraction section consists of the extrac-
tion vessel, which typically contains structured
packing with proprietary internals. In the extrac-
tor, pre-diluted feed is contacted with a
counter-current fow of solvent. Deaphalted oils
and resins are selectively recovered overhead
with the bulk of the solvent, and the asphaltenes
and more polar resins are rejected (along with a
small amount of solvent) in the bottoms stream.
The extractors overhead DAO/ solvent mix
fows to the DAO separator and solvent-recovery
section, where its temperature is raised above
the solvents critical conditions. At these condi-
tions, the DAO is no longer soluble in the solvent
and separates from the solvent by gravity. This
section includes heat exchange, a fnal DAO mix
heater (steam, hot oil or direct-fred heater), a
DAO separator containing proprietary internals
and a DAO product steam stripper.
The pitch phase, containing some of the
solvent, fows to the pitch-recovery section,
where it is heated, fashed and steam stripped to
remove any remaining solvent from the pitch
product. The pitch- and solvent-recovery sections
consist of a pitch mix heater (hot oil or direct-
fred heater) and a pitch product steam stripper.
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Extractor
DAO
separator
DAO
stripper
Pitch
stripper
DAO Pitch
Vacuum
residue
charge
Figure 2 Super-critical SDA process
The recovered solvent streams from the DAO
and pitch-recovery sections are cooled/condensed
and recycled back to the extraction section for
reuse.
Optional resin recovery:
three-product confguration
As the DAO/solvent mix is heated, oils become
less soluble in the mix. Initially, these oils are
the feedstocks heavier resin fraction, but they
eventually become the lighter DAO components.
This provides an opportunity to produce more
than one DAO product and add fexibility in
processing options. If the option to recover an
intermediate resin stream is attractive, a resin
settler may be added between the extractor and
DAO separator. This settler can be included in
the units initial design or can be added at a later
date. In this three-product confguration, the
DAO/ solvent mixture exiting the extractor vessel
is directed to the resin settler. There, the
mixtures temperature is raised to the point at
which the desired intermediate-quality resin
stream would be separated.
This material would then be heated, typically
by hot oil exchange, before fowing to the resin
stripper for solvent recovery.
The proper operation of the SDA process is
affected by several process variables, including
solvent selection, extraction temperature, extrac-
tion pressure and solvent recirculation rate.
Solvent selection
The yield and quality of the products that are
recovered in a SDA unit are directly related to
the solvent composition. As the molecular weight
of the solvent increases, the yield of DAO also
increases. At the same time, however, the quality
of the DAO declines slightly. Since the DAO is
usually further processed in a conversion unit
designed to utilise highly active, metals-sensitive
catalysts, which are incapable of economically
processing feedstocks containing more than a
few parts-per-million of organometallics, proper
solvent selection must consider both the desired
quantity and quality of the recovered products.
Solvents normally used in the SDA process
include single components such as propane,
butanes and pentanes, as well as mixtures of
these components. In most cases, the solvent is
supplied from LPG products within the refnery,
and at times includes the corresponding olefns.
Since these materials are typically available
within a refnery, their use as SDA solvents is
relatively inexpensive. In addition, because the
majority of the solvent is recirculated within the
unit, solvent make-up rates are small.
Propane, being the most selective of the
solvents normally considered for a SDA unit, is
specifed when the highest quality of recovered
DAO is required. This typically results in rela-
tively low yields of DAO. Butanes are used either
individually or as a mixture of SDA solvents
when a reasonably high yield of high-quality
DAO is desired. Finally, pentanes are used when
the maximum yield of DAO is desired. When
compared to the quality of a DAO recovered with
a butane solvent, the DAO recovered from a
pentane solvent is heavier, contains more orga-
nometallics and Conradson carbon, and requires
more severe downstream processing. This is due
to the presence of the heavier, more resinous
components of the feedstock, as these materials
generally have relatively high contaminant
contents.
The SDA unit design typically includes the
capability to operate within a range of solvent
compositions. During actual operation of the
unit, however, it may be diffcult to quickly
adjust solvent composition to offset a change in
feedstock quality. This is because of the quantity
of solvent present in the unit. Consequently,
when frequent feedstock changes might occur, it
is generally more practical to operate the SDA
unit with a constant solvent composition and
adjust the operation of the extractor. This
assumes, however, that the new feedstock will
not be processed continuously for an extended
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Extractor temperature
Low High
DAO
Yield High Low
Quality Low High
Contaminants High Low
Pitch
Yield Low High
Penetration Low High
Softening point High Low
Affect of extraction temperature on SDA yield and
product quality
Table 4
period of time, in which case adjustments to the
solvent composition may be warranted to provide
optimum product recovery and product quality.
Extraction temperature
During normal operation, when both the solvent
composition and the extraction pressure are
fxed, the yields and qualities of the various
products recovered in the SDA unit are control-
led by adjusting the extractors operating
temperature. For a given solvent composition,
Table 4 summarises the affect of extraction
temperature on both the SDA yields and product
quality.
Increasing the extraction temperature reduces
the solubility of the heavier components of the
feedstock, improving DAO quality but reducing
DAO yield. Subsequent increases in the extractor
temperature can further improve the quality of
the DAO by causing additional rejection of the
asphaltenic components.
There is, however, an upper limit to the extrac-
tion temperature that may be used. As the
extraction temperature approaches the solvents
critical temperature, the DAO rapidly becomes
less and less soluble in the solvent. Since it is
diffcult to maintain a stable operation in these
conditions, the extraction temperature is typi-
cally maintained below the solvents critical
temperature.
Extraction pressure
The effect of operating pressure is opposite to
temperature, but to a lesser extent. In general,
the higher the operating pressure the more DAO
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is extracted at a specifc tempera-
ture. The operating pressure of
the extractor is based on the
composition of the solvent that is
being used. As indicated previ-
ously, suffcient operating
pressure must be maintained to
ensure the solvent/ residue
mixture in the extractor is in the
liquid state. Although the unit
may be designed for a range of
operating pressures, once it is in
operation the extractor pressure
is typically not considered a
control variable.
Solvent recirculation rate
The quantity of solvent contained in the solvent/
residue mixture that is charged to the extractor
vessel has an impact on extraction effciency. As
shown in Figure 1, increasing the amount of
solvent in the extractor while maintaining a
constant DAO yield improves the degree of sepa-
ration of the individual components and results
in the recovery of a higher-quality DAO.
However, since the quantity of solvent that is
recirculated within the unit is signifcantly
greater than the amount of feedstock being proc-
essed, any improvement in product quality that
results from an increased solvent recirculation
rate must be balanced against the additional
operating costs associated with the increased
solvent recirculation and solvent recovery
requirements, plus the increased capital costs
associated with the larger equipment sizes.
However, once the required solvent-to-oil ratio
is established, it is usually not adjusted unless
the feed rate is increased and the solvent circula-
tion becomes the limitation on unit capacity, or
if there is some other major feedstock change.
Yield and product quality
The SDA process selectively extracts the more
paraffnic components from vacuum residues
while rejecting the condensed ring aromatics.
The DAO product quality is characterised by:
Higher paraffnicity Solvent DAO show viscosity
indices 2040 points higher than the corre-
sponding distilled overhead cylinder oils
Lower carbon/hydrogen ratios The data indicate
carbon/hydrogen ratios of seven, or lower, are
obtainable because of the high rejection of
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
10
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Deaspha|ted oi| yie|d, vo|
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0
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Figure 3 SDA quality selectivity
condensed ring aromatics to the pitch
Reduced sulphur and nitrogen content Pilot
plant and commercial data indicate concentra-
tions of these components in the DAO are almost
always lower than in the corresponding feed.
Blended feeds could be an exception
Reduced metal content DAO with as little as
1wppm nickel plus vanadium content has been
produced even from Venezuelan residues
containing 7001000 wppm of these metals
Reduced carbon residue The carbon residue in
DAO is signifcantly lower than for distilled oils
of equivalent viscosity or mid-boiling point.
The DAO product yield-quality relationships
obtained when solvent deasphalting typical
vacuum residues are shown in Figure 3. This
data is based on UOP and FWs extensive library
of pilot plant and commercial SDA data.
Utility requirements
For many processing units, it is possible to
develop utility consumptions based on either the
feed capacity or the amount of products
produced. This is not a realistic approach for
SDA, since most of the utility consumptions are
related to the circulation and recovery of the
solvent. Consequently, SDA utility consumptions
depend more on the solvent circulation rate than
on the DAO yield or the unit feed capacity. An
accurate estimate of SDA utility consumptions
requires defnition of all three of these
parameters.
Summarised in Table 5 are typical continuous
utility requirements for SDA units using super-
critical solvent recovery, as previously described.
The lube oil case is a low DAO yield, relatively
high solvent-to-oil ratio operation using steam
as the primary process heat source. The cracking
stock case is a high DAO yield, low solvent-to-oil
ratio operation using fred heat as the major
process heat source.
Evaluation of the units many heat integration
options, which is typically done during the basic
design phase, may improve utility and capital
requirements. Table 6 illustrates the impact of
several of these options on the units utility
requirements, based on a two-product UOP/FW
SDA unit operating at 100% of design capacity
(28 200bpsd) at normal operating conditions.
The base case for this comparison minimises
heat integration and takes a conservative
approach to equipment sizing, heat recovery and
capital costs. The other options include:
Option 1 Heat exchange of the DAO product
with the pitch stripper feed. This option reduces
fred fuel requirements by approximately 11.9
MM Btu/hr
Option 2 Heat exchange of the pitch product
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Lube oil Cracking stock
Fuel liberated, Btu (LHV) 81 000 55 500
Power, kWH 1.5 1.77
Steam (150 psig), lb 116 10.5
Cooling water (25F rise), gal 15 Nil
Solvent deasphalting typical utility requirements,
per barrel of feed
Table 5
Utility Base Option 1 Option 2
Fuel fred, MMBtu/hr 35.2 23.3 35.2
Electric power, kW 1192 1163 1192
Steam, x 103 lb/hr HP
(consumed) 78.5 78.5 60.0
Cooling water, gpm 925 925 360
Estimated utility requirements
Table 6
Pilot plant Commercial
operation
Feed inspections
Gravity, API 6.6 7.2
Viscosity @ 210F, SSU 7129 7229
Concarbon res, wt% 20.1 19.2
Sulphur, wt% 4.92 5.14
Nickel + vanadium, ppm 129
Deasphalted oil yield, vol% 32.0 31.0
Deasphalted oil inspections
Gravity, API 19.8 19.5
Viscosity @ 210F, SSU 185 194
Concarbon res, wt% 1.67 1.64
Sulphur, wt% 2.61 2.88
Nickel + vanadium, ppm 1.0 1.0
Pitch inspections
Specifc gravity @ 60/60F 1.07 1.06
Penetration @ 77F 8 10
Softening point, F, R&B 155 151
Feedstock: Kuwait vacuum residue (1020F TBP cut point)
Solvent deasphalting pilot plant vs commercial
RDC operation
Table 7
with the DAO phase. This option reduces the
DAO phase steam heater requirements by about
18 500 lb/hr
Option 3 Designing the DAO/ solvent mix to
solvent exchanger for a specifc temperature
approach. The base case assumes a fve shell
arrangement and a 20F temperature approach.
Reducing the temperature approach to, say, 11F
would result in a similar energy saving as in
Option 2. However, the number of shells would
increase anywhere from two to three times that
of the base case.
SDA application
In determining the best application of SDA, the
process should be thought of as a physical sepa-
ration process analogous in some respects to
vacuum distillation, but not limited by the vola-
tility of its products and selective to certain
molecular types.
It is analogous to vacuum distillation in that it
only provides separation of products, not conver-
sion of products. If there is a change to a
lower-quality feed, it will result in a lower qual-
ity of DAO or a lower yield or both. It is not
analogous in that it separates by molecular types
rather than volatility. The result in general is
that higher boiling components are recovered in
the units pitch product, and the lower boiling
components are recovered in the units DAO
product. Due to solvent selectivity, however, the
pitch will contain low-boiling, highly aromatic
components, while the DAO will contain high-
boiling, paraffnic components. For a fuels-type
solvent deasphalter, the pitch production will be
minimised for a specifc cracking stock (DAO
plus VGO) quality by maximising the lift in the
vacuum unit to the limit of VGO quality. This
also minimises the size of the solvent
deasphalter.
SDA is less expensive to build and operate
than other residue conversion processes,
although, as noted earlier, it does not provide
any actual conversion. Therefore, it is most
applicable to recovering the large quantity of
high-quality oils in light residues, while rejecting
the small quantity of asphaltenes and impurities
such as metals and those components that
contribute to carbon residue. In addition, unlike
residue conversion units, which beneft from
economy of scale, SDA can be economically
applied at very small feed rates. Finally, SDA has
good applicability where the demand for a low-
value residual fuel is signifcantly smaller than
the production of residual fuel oil based on
vacuum tower bottoms production.
Utilisation of pitch
The utilisation of SDA pitch is very much
dependent on the local market. The primary
outlet for the pitch is as fuel, mainly as a blend
component in the residual oil market. Another
signifcant market is as a blend component in
the production of road bitumen or other specialty
asphalts. For instance, where a delayed coker is
available, the pitch may be sent to
the coker for fnal conversion and recovery of
the remaining oil value. Pitch has also been used
commercially as feedstock for IGCC and hydro-
gen production.
Recent application case
A recent project that has started up in the Far
East is a good example of the applicability of
SDA in an existing refnery. In this case, the
refner desired to recover additional cracking
stock from a residual fuel stream. The SDA unit
was designed to process 6000 bpsd (approxi-
mately 40 000 kg/hr) of a Middle Eastern crude
blend to recover a 50% yield of DAO. As previ-
ously noted, the latest state-of-the-art proprietary
internals and structured packing were used in
both the units extractor and DAO separator.
The addition of the SDA unit allowed the
refner to increase the amount of transportation
fuels produced from the refnery. The recovered
pitch, along with some clarifed slurry oil, 20
liq vol% of the blend) was used as a high viscos-
ity residual fuel by an existing nearby IPP to
produce power. In order to compensate for the
higher viscosity of the IPPs fuel blend for this
application, the fuel system and burner tempera-
tures were higher than from a typical SDA
operation.
SDA pilot plant
Experience with various pilot plant confgura-
tions has confrmed the ability to produce DAO
and pitch products having physical properties
comparable to those produced in commercial
units operating at similar conditions. An exam-
ple of this is illustrated in Table 7, where pilot
plant data and commercial operating results for
deasphalting Kuwait vacuum residue are
8 PTQ Q2 2006 www.digitalrefning.com/article/1000081
compared. Both FW and UOP have extensive
pilot plant experience processing a wide range of
feedstocks using solvents ranging from propane
through to hexane. This includes deep deasphalt-
ing of vacuum residues derived from Heavy
Arabian (Safaniya), Kuwait, Tia Juana, Heavy
Iranian (Gach Saran), Light Iranian (Agha-Jari,
Sassan and Ahwaz), Delta, Heavy Canadian and
Canadian crudes, as well as tar sand oil.
FW has also accumulated more than 2500
hours of operation producing pitch above 250F
softening point and has produced 400F capil-
lary melting point pitch (which is estimated to
correspond to 500F ring & ball softening point).
In addition, FW has run, in the laboratory, a
water-cooled belt to confrm the feasibility of
faking high melting point pitch directly from the
pitch stripper. This type of belt is used commer-
cially to solidify coal tar pitch and could fnd
successful commercial application with high
melting point pitch.
This article is based on a presentation prepared for the 7th
International Downstream Technology & Catalyst Conference &
Exhibition in London, February 2006.
Edward J Houde is a technology manager in UOPs engineering,
services and equipment department in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA.
He has authored numerous papers on black oil upgrading and
conversion, hydroprocessing and gasoline desulphurisation.
Houde holds a chemical engineering degree from the University
of Illinois. Email: edward.houde@uop.com
Michael J McGrath is director of refning for Foster Wheeler USA
Corporation, Houston, Texas, USA. He has authored several
papers on heavy oil processing. McGrath received his BSChE from
Texas A&M University. Email: Michael_mcgrath@fwhou.fwc.com
www.digitalrefning.com/article/1000081 PTQ Q2 2006 9 8 PTQ Q2 2006 www.digitalrefning.com/article/1000081

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