(96c) Optimization of Refinery Configuration Processes for Maximizing Gasoline Based on Crude Oil Characterization

Refineries today have become increasingly more efficient and efforts across the globe are being made to invest in better performing technologies and processes that save energy and decrease each refineries environmental impact whilst meeting increasingly more stringent fuel product specifications. The demand for high value petroleum products is increasing, while the demand for low value products such as fuel oil and residue based products is decreasing. Therefore, maximizing of liquid products yield from various processes and valorization residues is of immediate attention to refineries.

In this work, two refinery configurations are investigated for upgrading projects to increase gasoline production for local market demand. Different alternatives for the upgrading can be tackled. Either direct upgrading of the atmospheric residue, or first subject the atmospheric residue to vacuum distillation then upgrade the vacuum residue and vacuum gas oil to more valuable and lighter products.

This work provides the techno-economic feasibility study based on characterization of different crude oils and optimum selection of the conversion process units to produce more gasoline to cover the local consumption. Selection of optimum conversion process is based on some physical properties (conradson carbon residue, and metal content (i.e. vanadium and nickel) of atmospheric residue for sixteen crude oil samples. Obtained results show that, the scenario which included residue fluidized catalytic cracking (RFCC) has shown the optimum in terms of both maximum gasoline and less capital cost compared with configuration that included the delayed coking process.