Despite the present economic crisis, demand for diesel fuels

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1 Originally appeared in: November 2009, pgs Used with permission. Refining Developments Hydrocracking solutions squeeze more ULSD from heavy ends New processing alternatives enable upgrading vacuum residuals into higher-value products F. Morel, J. Bonnardot and E. Benazzi, Axens, Rueil-Malmaison, France Despite the present economic crisis, demand for diesel fuels is forecast to increase through 2020, albeit at a slower rate. Various forecasts indicate that world demand for diesel fuels should reach about 28.2 million bpd (MMbpd) by 2020 as compared to the present demand of 24.3 MMbpd. It is foreseen that the gap between demand for diesel and gasoline, which during 2008 was 2.6 MMbpd, will double to approximately 5 MMbpd by Diesel market. There are two elements within the diesel market: off-road, and on-road sales. Off-road sales relate to diesel for marine inland waterways, for heating, and for locomotives and tractors. This market is expected to experience an annual 0.4% growth rate. On-road use of diesel fuel for light-duty vehicles (LDVs), heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) and buses is anticipated to increase 1.8% annually through Off-road diesel consumption will decline as a proportion of total sales. By 2020, off-road diesel usage will represent only 40% of the global market, compared to 58% in This change is mainly due to reduced gasoil consumption for domestic heating (Fig. 1). Worldwide on-road diesel consumption is essentially due to freight movement via trucks. In 2008, HGVs accounted for 74% of diesel purchases, with buses and LDVs each consuming 13% Worldwide diesel/consumption, % % On-road diesel Light duty vehicles (LDVs)* Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) Buses AAGR %/y 40 44% Off-road diesel 40% AAGR Marine +0.4 %/y 20 Railways Heating oil 0 Others *LDVs = Passenger cars (PCs) + sports utility vehicles (SUVs) + light trucks (LTs) Source: Axens & other sources (2009) (Fig. 2). By 2020, demand is projected to expand by 24% and reach 16.8 MMbpd. Within this increase, fuel consumption by LDVs will have grown by 82%, and will account for 19% of total demand. Asia-Pacific and EU-25 regions fuel demand. The highest demand growth for diesel is expected in Asia-Pacific and EU-25 regions, expanding by 0.7 MMbpd and 1.04 MMbpd, respectively, over a 12-year period (see Fig. 3). Consequently, the worldwide ratio of gasoline to on-road diesel will decrease from 1.9 in 2000, to about 1.3 by Europe will continue its established trend, falling to a very low ratio of 0.4. Conversely, North America will remain a gasoline-oriented marketplace. Specifications will continue to be tightened, with an on-road ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) with less than 10 parts per million (ppm), low polyaromatics content and high cetane. These requirements appear necessary to meet the environmental targets for nitrous oxide (NO x ) and particulate matter (PM) imposed on engine emissions in regions such as Europe. During the next 15 years, sulfur will virtually disappear from all diesel fuels. To complete the fuel market picture, jet fuel demand will increase, while heavy-fuels demand will diminish. Differential price between diesel and heavy fuel oil will continue to make resid and vacuum gasoil () processes attractive opportunities. The challenge will be to produce more quality middle distillates, to convert refractory feeds and to upgrade lower-quality refinery streams. Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) Buses Light-duty vehicles (LDVs) 13% 13% 74% 2008: 13.5 MMbpd +24% 10% 19% 71% 2020: 16.8 MMbpd *LDVs = Passenger cars + Sports utility vehicles + Light trucks Source: Axens (2009), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2004) Fig. 1 Worldwide on-road and off-road diesel consumption. Fig. 2 Worldwide on-road diesel demand.

2 Source: Axens Fig. 3 Crude oil 0.41 MMbdoe North America 0.29 MMbdoe Latin America 0.7 MMbdoe Europe On-road diesel incremental demand. CFHT* MHC** RDS*** Ebullated bed SDA HCGO *CFHT = Cat feed hydrotreating; Pitch **MHC = Mild ***RDS = Residual desulfrization unit Fig. 4 Vac. dist. Topping VR 0.46 MMbdoe 0.29 Middle East MMbdoe Africa 0.10 MMbdoe FSU Global on-road diesel incremental demand MMbdoe DAO DAO LCO FCC Residue FCC and residue conversion processes. Hydrocracking Ebullated bed Technical way forward. Hydrocracking technology offers an excellent solution to these issues that can upgrade a variety of feedstocks to be upgraded, including from conventional and heavy crude, deasphalted oil (DAO) from solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit of vacuum residue (VR), coker distillates, light-cycle oil (LCO), and heavy-cycle oil (HCO) from fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) units and vacuum distillates from vacuum resid (VR) units (Fig. 4). Depending on the feedstock impurities and conversion level required, several proven processes can provide upgrading from low to medium conversion through high to full conversion and yields of high-quality middle distillates. There is no universal solution. So, different technologies are required to meet various refinery conversion needs. Mild-. For example, a mild process integrated with a finishing middledistillate hydrotreater can upgrade and DAO -based feeds, LCO and light and heavy coker gasoil (LCGO and HCGO) streams. This process increases the refinery s ULSD production while minimizing capital expenditure (CAPEX). In addition, unconverted is an excellent FCC feedstock, having a lower sulfur and higher hydrogen content. High-pressure high-conversion processes. To achieve higher conversion levels, a high-pressure (HP) high-conversion fixed-bed can provide full conversion of based feedstocks, HCGO, or light C 3 or C 4 -DAO, mainly to topquality middle-distillate products. This method can upgrade FCC effluents such as LCO and HCO. The technology can be engineered for liquid recycle, one-stage and two-stage processes. HP high-conversion fixed-bed processes have successfully produced ULSD from when integrated with a VR unit. Ebullated-bed technology can be applied for deep conversion of high refractory feedstocks such as C 5 -DAO-based feeds particularly difficult s mainly converting them to middle distillates. In addition, new-generation catalysts have been developed for a wide range of feedstock characteristics, product 1.04 MMbdoe Asia Pacific Table 1. Arabian heavy derived feeds Conradson Carbon Residue in feed, % Fig. 5 MHC with guard bed Heavy DAO-based feeds Ebullated bed Mild Integrated / hydrotreating Low asphaltene /DAO feeds Net conversion, % and DAO conversion mapping. vgo + HCGO LCO C 5 DAO Yield on VR, wt% 70 Sp. gr Sulfur, wt% Nitrogen, ppm 1, ,600 Conradson carbon residue, wt% < 1 < Nickel + vanadium, ppm < 2 < C 7 insolubles, wt% < 0.05 < 0.05 < 0.05 ASTM distillation, C T 5% T 50% T 95% Note: The HCGO blend is a typical feed containing 24% HCGO.

3 Lights, naphtha Table 2. The refractory nature of diesel from MHC is due to high nitrogen and aromatics contents sr diesel already Converted diesel hydrotreated from MHC Sulfur, ppm ,6-DBT, % of total sulfur Nitrogen, ppm Aromatics, wt% H 2 Diesel from CDU, FCC, VB, coker, etc. Fig. 6 Diesel HDT Integrated MHC and diesel hydrotreater process. Low S 10 ppm S diesel to stripping slates and quality targets. These catalysts can maximize diesel selectivity, improve diesel and jet fuel quality, as well as upgrade the quality of the unconverted bottoms for lube-oil production. Guidance for selecting these technologies is listed in Fig. 5. The X-axis represents the conversion level. The Y-axis defines the refractory level of the feedstock to be converted, expressed as Conradson Carbon Residue (CCR) content. VR and residue desulfurization technologies will not be discussed in this article. Integrated solution for ULSD production. Conventional mild (MHC) has a low to medium conversion rate within typically 20% to 40% of the feedstock being converted mainly to diesel. Unconverted oil is a high-quality FCC feedstock producing higher gasoline yields, higher octane retention and low-sulfur products. Although providing remarkable improvements in FCC operations, MHC is not a panacea. The low hydrogen partial pressure (typically, 40 bar to 80 bar) do not achieve a ULSD below 10 wt ppm. The diesel obtained, owing to higher aromatics and organic-nitrogen content, is more refractory to hydrotreating than straight-run (SR) diesel and requires further hydrotreating. This has resulted in the integrated MHC development. The integrated MHC process resolves the problem by disassociating the quality of the diesel cut from the conversion level, thereby achieving ULSD specifications while avoiding the production of over-quality FCC feed. Table 2 shows the higher aromatics and organic nitrogen species between MHC and SR diesel, which inhibit hydrodesulfurization reactions, making it more suitable for refractory than for further hydrotreating. 1 In the integrated MHC process flow diagram (Fig. 6), feedstock is fed to the MHC reaction section. The reactor effluent is stripped and fractionated. The hydrotreated cut is dispatched to the FCC unit or storage, while the MHC diesel receives the entire hydrogen make-up required for both reaction sections, after which it is polished with the reactor in a oncethrough mode. The highest hydrogen partial pressure within the polishing reactor enables to convert the highly refractory nitrogen and sulfur compounds remaining in the hydrocracked diesel cut. Regardless of operating variations in the MHC section, diesel quality is guaranteed to remain constant throughout the entire process Table 3. Mild product results Characteristics vgo section Polishing section Sp. gr Sulfur, wt% Nitrogen, ppmw 1,392 TBP cut point, C Yields vs. feed, vol% Diesel Hydrotreated 70.7 H 2 consumption, wt% HDT (FCC feed) properties Diesel properties Sp. gr < Sulfur, ppm < 400 < 10 Cetane number > 51 Hydrogen, wt% 13.0 cycle. Disassociating diesel quality from the MHC operation makes it possible to improve other characteristics such as density or polyaromatics content. In engineering terms, the integrated MHC process eliminates two compressors and an air cooler, while providing better heat integration than would two separate units. Systems can be designed to co-process other difficult refinery feedstocks, typically LCO, LCGO and visbroken GO. Commercial experience. Over 40 MHC units have been licensed four of which use integrated diesel hydrotreating techniques. CAPEX ranges between $1,700/bbl and $3,200/bbl depending on capacity, feedstock properties and conversion levels. Table 3 lists the results of a commercial integrated MHC unit using a blend of heavy from Arabian/Russian crude, operating at 30% conversion and processing at the same time in the integrated polishing section a blend of heavy SRGO with LCO. The diesel cut exiting the section is not inline with Euro V specifications. This diesel cut is then co-hydrotreated in the polishing section with a blend of LCO and heavy SRGO. The final diesel cut achieves Euro-V specification with a specific gravity lower than 0.845, a cetane number higher than 51 and a sulfur content under 10 ppm. The unconverted oil (UCO) is used as an FCC feedstock, with hydrogen content of 13 wt% providing a gasoline production boost to the FCC of about 14 wt%. Additional UCO hydrogen content would only lead to a small increase in gasoline yield. In that case, the integrated MHC technology can produce at the same time, optimum feed to FCC and Euro-V specification diesel stream while minimizing CAPEX and hydrogen consumption.

4 Fig. 7 HDT Integrated / hydrotreating FG/LPG SEP Liquid recycle Frac Single-stage high-pressure process once-through or with liquid recycle. pool/ccr Kerosine Jet A1 Diesel Euro V Purge Fig. 9 HDT Fixed-bed FG/LPG SEP 2nd stage Fixed-bed Frac Two-stage high-pressure process. CCR/Isom Kerosine Jet A1 Diesel Euro V Purge Fig. 8 HDT1 High-conversion solutions. The HP high-conversion, fixed-bed technology is appropriate when maximizing middle distillate production from and light DAO, and it can provide excellent characteristics and high conversion rates for distillates. Twenty-five HP high-conversion, fixed-bed units, including all three configurations, have been licensed. Investment cost per barrel of feedstock is $4,100 to $6,700. The choice of configuration is determined by product slate and investment strategy. Table 4. HP high-conversion fixed-bed results vgo + HCGO +HCGO+LCO + HCGO + HCGO Scheme 1-stage 1-stage 1-stage 2-stage once-through Once-through Recycle Conversion% Full Full Yields vs. feed, vol% H 2 S + NH 3 SEP1 HDT2 Integrated reaction section Hydrocracking Base FG/LPG pool/ccr Kerosine Jet A1 Diesel Euro V UCO Lube oil Base -2 Base +0.5 Base -8 Middle distillate (kerosine + diesel) Base +2 Base +15 Base +24 UCO Base -3 < 4 < 2 H 2 consumption, wt% Base +0.2 Base +0.1 Base +0.1 Middle distillate properties (kerosine + diesel) Sp. gr Sulfur, ppm < 10 < 10 < 10 < 10 Cetane number UCO properties Sp. gr Sulfur, ppm < 50 < 50 < 50 Hydrogen, wt% BMCI < 10 < 10 < 10 Viscosity Index after dewaxing > 120 > 120 > 120 SEP2 Frac Single-stage high-pressure process using once-through with intermediate separation. Single-stage once-through configuration. stock flow is sent through two reactors in series containing hydrorefining and catalysts, respectively. Up to 90% feedstock conversion is attained, as shown in Fig. 7. When needing to process feedstocks with nitrogen content of 5,000 + ppm, the refining technology licensor proposed the addition of a hydrotreatment reactor and separator, to reduce ammonia pressure in the main process section, can be installed to maximize activity (Fig. 8). Single-stage with liquid recycle. By recycling unconverted residue to the reactor (Fig. 7) a full-conversion level can be reached. Conversion-per-pass is typically around 60 vol%, and higher selectivity to middle distillation is achieved compared to a once-through configuration. A small purge prevents heavy polynuclear-aromatics (PNAs) accumulating in the recycle oil loop. Two-stage. The first stage operates as a oncethrough process for a mild conversion, and the unconverted fraction is separated for second-stage processing (Fig. 9). The process offers a maximum yield of middle distillates, along with a good diesel vs. kerosine ratio. Case study three process configurations. The three different process configurations were compared using the + HCGO feedstock, as defined in Table 1. In all instances, the middle distillate products, including kerosine, jet fuel and a ULSD cut, surpassed the international specifications. Table 4 lists the yields and product properties. Single-stage once-through configuration. This is the lowest-cost configuration and it provides high yields of naphthaplus-middle distillates along with UCO. With a typical octane of 80, the light naphtha is sent to the gasoline pool, while the heavy naphtha, with a naphthene content of over 50%, makes an excellent catalytic reforming feedstock. Middle distillates yield typically is between 65 vol% and 70 vol% and meets ULSD specifications. The product can be divided between on-specification kerosine with a smoke point of 25 mm, and heavy diesel with a cetane number higher than 60 (Table 4, column 1).

5 UCO with a Bureau of Mines Correlation Index number less than 10 is indicative of a highly hydrogenated product that can be used as a steam-cracker feedstock. 2 After dewaxing, UCO exceeding 120 on the viscosity index is suitable as a Group III lube oil base stock. To meet middle distillates demand, some refineries maximize LCO production from the FCC unit, despite needing to upgrade the LCO before being blended with the diesel pool. One solution is to co-process LCO with a -based stream in the same hydrocracker. LCO content in the feedstock depends on the capacity of the FCC and HP high-conversion, fixed-bed units. Column 2 of Table 4 indicates yields Fig. 10 and products obtained when 20% LCO is blended with + HCGO, and hydrocracked in a once-through mode. Most of the LCO remains as middle distillate, with the rest converted to naphtha. The overall gasoline quantity is reduced, with middle distillate yields increased as compared to the previous case. The cetane number of the middle distillate is lower, but it remains acceptable. Hydrogen consumption is marginally higher, owing to the higher aromatic level in the LCO stream. Single-stage configuration with liquid recycle. Single-stage recycle and two-stage configurations are both suitable for full-feed conversion. Each produce similar volumes of C 5 +, but the two-stage configuration yields a higher diesel/ kerosine ratio. With the single-stage and liquid recycle scheme, the middle distillates yield is typically 80 vol% to 85 vol%, and the quality remains high. A small purge is needed to prevent heavy PNA concentration in the recycle loop, and the purge can subsequently be processed as part of the FCC feedstock, or as feed for a steam cracker. Hydrogen consumption is slightly higher than consumption for the once-through configuration. Two-stage configuration. This configuration provides an optimum yield of middle distillates that can surpass 90 vol% with a maximum share of diesel in middle distillates. Product quality exceeds the fuel specifications. A limited purge is needed, and hydrogen consumption is similar to other configurations. Comprehensive reaction progress 3D gas chromatography. Hydrocracking catalyst developments. A typical hydrocracker can use three new-generation catalysts developed to treat a wide variety of feedstocks for the production of diverse product slates, with high quality outcomes. 3 Hydrorefining catalysts are highly stable and promote hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) reactions to protect the downstream catalysts. They also ensure hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and aromatic saturation reactions. 4 Amorphus catalysts (HDK series) offer high cracking activity and excellent selectivity, while being very active for removing the ultimate organic nitrogen compounds. These catalysts orient selectivity toward middle distillates, and create better UCO characteristics in high VI base lube oil production. Very high activity and selectivity coupled with full conversion, even with refractory feedstocks, are provided by a new generation of zeolite-based catalysts (HYK series) as shown in Fig. 10. Product quality remains excellent throughout the cycle without a noticeable change in cetane number, or kerosine smoke point. Depending on the level of metal and other impurities in the feedstock, a demetallization catalyst could be required at the top of the first reactor to ensure long cycle length. Knowledge of inhibiting species, refractory compounds, and feedstocks is necessary to determine pretreatment operating conditions and select the most adapted catalysts. An understanding of the relative kinetic reactivity of feedstock molecules is desirable to accurately tune the hydrogenation/acidity balance, which improves middle distillate selectivity and qualities (Fig. 10). These are key parameters for a successful unit design and catalyst selection providing higher operability and profitability. Integrating high conversion process with VR technology. Residue processes use ebullated-bed technology to manage heavy feedstock containing high metal traces, sulfur, nitrogen, asphaltenes and solids. They can achieve conversion without producing coke material. The VR ebullated-bed hydrocrackers reactor converts over 75% of residue, while producing high-quality distillate, and unconverted bottoms that can be incorporated to low- or mediumsulfur fuel oil storage. Further hydroprocessing units are necessary to upgrade primary products from residue. Integrating HP high-conversion, fixed-bed methods with ebullated-bed technology is an interesting solution to convert both resulting from residue and SR into diesel (Fig. 11). This solution is based on an optimized management of the high-pressure pure hydrogen network feeding the two units and including the amine section. The developed solution can reduce CAPEX, while guaranteeing flexibility and independent operation. The and VR units are both equipped with a separation and fractionation section, thus maximizing diesel production. This is owing to the full recovery of coming from the VR unit (no loss in the fuel-oil cut), the absence of ammonia and light hydrocarbons, and no asphaltene carry-over from the ebullated-bed unit to the integrated /hydrotreating unit.

6 H 2 1st stage 2nd stage Common makeup compressor 3rd stage H 2 rich gas Common HP and MP amine PSA and MPU To FG Catalyst addition Gas to hydrogen separation and purification Separator Oil to separation and fractionation VDU full conversion fixed-bed separation and fractionation Euro V ULSD Ebullated-bed hydrocracker VR Ebullated-bed hydrocracker reactor Separation and fractionation and gasoil LSFO Catalyst withdrawal Hydrogen Ebullating pump Fig. 11 Simplified scheme for ebullated-bed VR with. Fig. 13 Ebullated-bed reactor system. FG CDU AR VDU VR SRGO Integrated Fixed-bed hydrocracker Ebullated-bed hydrocracker HDT FCC LPG C 3 = Gasoline Middle distillate LSFO VR DAO (100) SDA at 75% (89) Ebullated-bed Products (74) DAO lift hydrocracker at 85% conversion Fig. 14 Asphalt (26) Unconverted DAO (15) Overall conversion on Ural feed: 74% SDA plus residual ebullated-bed recycle scheme. Fig. 12 HCO Existing/revamped New Middle distillate 52% Refinery configuration selected. C 3 1% LPG 7% LSFO 7% 33% and gasoline East European case study. The ebullated-bed/ integrated configuration was chosen by an East European refiner. The objective is to obtain a 70% VR conversion so as to maximize Euro V diesel production and to produce a heavy fuel oil with less than 1% sulfur. The ebullated-bed unit will process 43,000 bpd of VR with a sulfur content of 2.9%, plus nickel and vanadium metal traces of approximately 350 ppm. The integrated /hydrotreating unit is designed to treat 36,000 bpd of a blend of SR and produced within the ebullatedbed unit. Fig. 12 also shows the benefit of upgrading HCO produced by the existing FCC unit. The investment will allow the refinery to increase its Euro V diesel and middle distillates production, which represents 52% of the crude oil, and will reduce low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) production to 7%. Hydrocracking DAO. Using DAO streams from the SDA unit can increase product output. Blended with, C 3 to C 5 DAOs can be processed using modified MHC and integrated /hydrotreating technologies with adapted operating conditions. In case the heavier C 5 DAO contains high metal traces (often above 50 ppm) and a the CCR exceeds 10 wt%, the ebullated-bed hydroconversion unit is more adapted to produce light products. The DAO ebullated-bed hydroconversion unit is the equivalent of the VR ebullated-bed hydrocracker unit. DAO ebullated-bed requires online catalyst replacement and is designed for both heavy and DAO conversion. The typical investment is approximately $4,500 to $5,500 per barrel of feedstock. The process uses one or several ebullated-bed reactors in series with an upward fluid flow (Fig. 13). A circulation pump maintains the catalyst in optimum mix and suspension, with a constant low pressure drop. The bed is backward-mixed in terms of both catalyst movement and reactor liquid composition. Continuous movement of the catalyst grains and an isothermal temperature profile inside the reactor mitigate catalyst bed plugging as compared to a fixed bed. Higher reactor temperatures can be maintained in a moving bed system than in the fixed type, with the former achieving a higher conversion of feedstock to light fractions. Conversion levels over 80% can be achieved by balancing operating temperature, residence time and catalyst replacement rates, and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) levels of 90% to 98% are obtained. Controlling conversion and the HDS activity level in the reac-

7 Table 5. Hydroconversion of heavy DAO with ebullated-bed process C 5 DAO technology Yields vs. DAO, vol% 10.3 Middle distillate (kerosine + diesel) Vacuum residue H 2 consumption vs. DAO feed, wt% 3.03 Yield of asphalt vs. VR feed, wt% 33.5 Middle distillate properties Sp. gr Sulfur, ppm < 300 Cetane number 45 properties Sp. gr Sulfur, wt% < 0.20 Hydrogen, wt% 12.5 CCR, wt% < 0.5 Nickel + vanadium, ppm < 0.1 tor is obtained by continuous catalyst renewal from the top of the reactor, and a discharge unit at the bottom. Adding small daily quantities of catalyst to the ebullated-bed reactor is a key feature that promotes constant product quality. Unlike a fixed-bed system, the unit s operating period is not a function of catalyst activity or pressure drop across the bed; rather, it is is determined by inspection and turnaround schedules set at between 24 and 36 months. Catalysts with high mechanical properties have been developed to minimize fines production; achieve high HDS activity, metals removal and retention capacity; and ensure selective conversion of DAO into diesel-boiling fractions. During the processing of C 4 and C 5 DAO, one option is to recycle unconverted VR fractions blended with fresh VR in the SDA unit. This scheme succeeds in the near full conversion of the DAO to lighter products, such as gasoline, diesel and, with only a slight increase in asphalt yield (Fig. 14). Case study: Combining residual ebullated-bed and SDA. Table 5 provides performance details of C 5 -DAO derived from Arabian Heavy crude processed through an ebullated-bed hydrocracker. The net conversion levels of 80% can be achieved from a single-stage, once-through ebullated-bed hydrocracker. However, unconverted DAO, using VR product, would not be highly upgraded, and could only be used as low-grade-sulfur fuel oil. A more attractive option is to recycle the low asphaltene content VR product to the SDA unit along with fresh VR feed. This will lead to a slight increase in asphalt production from 30% to 33.5%. The major benefit of the recycling scheme is the total elimination of heavy DAO and VR through conversion into higher value products, as shown in Table 5. The small volume of available naphtha is a good reformer feedstock. Although the middle distillate (50 vol% yield) has an acceptable cetane level, further treatment in an integrated hydrotreater is required to obtain a ULSD cut. With its low-sulfur content and a good hydrogen level, the can be sent to the FCC or hydrocracker to further increase middle distillate production. 1. Mild with an integrated finishing hydrotreater can upgrade -based feedstocks, enabling production of low-sulfur FCC feed while producing additional ULSD and constraining low-sulfur gasoline output. 2. The high-conversion fixed-bed hydrocracker produces near full conversion of -based feedstocks to top-quality middle distillate products. 3. Integrated with a residue hydrocracker, the high-conversion fixed-bed hydrocracker can maximize ULSD throughput and reduce the refinery s fuel oil output. 4. Ebullated-bed technology is adaptable for deep conversion of refractory feedstocks such as C 5 -DAO-containing feeds. Adding a SDA unit ensures nearly full conversion of the DAO into lighter products with only a marginal increase in asphalt yield. HP LITERATURE CITED 1 Sarrazin, P., J. Bonnardot, C. Guéret, F. Morel and S. Wambergue, Direct Production of Euro-IV Diesel at 10 ppm Sulfur via HyC-10 Process, ERTC, Prague, Nov , Fernandez, M., J. Bonnardot, F. Morel and P. Sarrazin, Advantageously Integrating a High Conversion Hydrocracker with Petrochemicals, ERTC, London, Nov , Benazzi, E., L. Leite, N. Marchal-George, H. Toulhoat and P. Raybaud, New Insights into Parameters Controlling the Selectivity in Hydrocracking Reactions, Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 217, No. 2, pp , July 25, Axens website Frederic Morel is product line manager for and resid conversion. Mr. Morel is working at Axens in technology department as a product line manager for and resid conversion. He was formerly manager of Axens Hydroprocessing and Conversion Technical Services. He has 30 years of experience in oil refining, having worked previously with IFP Lyon Development Center as a research engineer, as a project leader of distillates and residues hydroprocessing and as development department manager. Mr. Morel holds a degree in chemical engineering from Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle de Lyon and a graduate degree from Institut d Administration des Entreprises. Jérôme Bonnardot is deputy product line manager for hydroconversion. Dr. Bonnardot joined IFP in 1994 as research engineer at its Lyons Development Center. He moved to Axens in 2001 where he began as a process design engineer in the field of distillates hydroprocessing and hydroconversion, and technical manager for technology, before attaining his current position. Dr. Bonnardot is a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle de Lyon (ESCIL). He holds an MS degree in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame (USA) and received his PhD from the Université de Lyon (France). Eric Benazzi is Axens marketing director. He has over 21 years experience in catalysis applied to fuels and petrochemicals. Dr. Benazzi joined Axens in 2004 as strategic marketing manager in charge of market analysis, business planning and acquisition evaluation. He started his professional career as a research engineer at IFP, where he worked in the field of catalysis, specializing in zeolites and in processes. Later, he moved to the economic department, where he was responsible for investment profitability studies for refining and petrochemicals projects. Dr. Benazzi holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Paris, and he graduated as a chemical engineering from the ENCSP. Squeezing more from the bottom of the barrel. Different process alternatives are available for of s, HCGOs and DAOs, wherein the options are a function of the demand for specific finished products and CAPEX constraints; Article copyright 2009 by Gulf Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Not to be distributed in electronic or printed form, or posted on a Website, without express written permission of copyright holder.

8 TM HyK technologies to lighten-up your heavy ends Axens technologies weigh in with the right products: clean, high cetane middle distillates from heavy oil fractions. HyK (High Kay) does for middle distillates what Prime-G+ does for gasoline; it delivers the highest quality products based on operational best practices, grading materials, catalysts and reactor internals combined with unparalleled basic engineering design excellence and technical services. Improving your performance with the most effective refinery solutions is our only business. Axens the quality fuels technology provider. Single source ISO 9001 technology and service provider Beijing Houston Moscow Paris Tokyo