(139d) Technical Advances in Slurry Hydrocracking

The slurry-hydrocracking process converts the residue from conventional crude oils and bitumen to higher value liquid products. This talk discusses some advances in the slurry hydrocracking technology. The development of advanced analytical characterization techniques have been necessary to further progress the technology. More specifically, advances in FT-ICR-MS, GC x GC and other analytical technologies have provided additional insights into the slurry hydrocracking process. A highly automated and flexible pilot plant unit has been designed and constructed to perform studies to support and develop the technology. The pilot plant's integrated fractionation and product recycle sections have provided valuable data. Finally, several processing variations have been studied to address specific refinery needs.