A system and method for thermal cracking of crude oil is provided. The system includes a plurality of communicatively coupled components configured to support thermal cracking of crude oil and performs a method including a continuous, industrial-sized thermal cracking process used to convert heavy crude oil or extra-heavy crude oil into lighter crude oil, using a liquid catalyst to prevent coke formation and promote alkylation reactions.

A process of making an aromatization catalyst comprising: (a) mixing a zeolite, a binder, and water to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form a green extrudate; (c) drying the green extrudate to form a dried green extrudate; (d) calcining the dried green extrudate to form a support, wherein calcining the dried green extrudate is the only calcination step in the process; (e) washing the support to form a washed support; (f) drying the washed support to form a dried washed support; (g) impregnating the dried washed support with a Group 8-10 transition metal compound and at least one halide-containing compound to form a metalized-halided material; and (h) vacuum drying the metalized-halided material to form a dried metalized-halided material which is the aromatization catalyst.

A process of making an aromatization catalyst comprising: (a) mixing a zeolite, a binder, and water to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form a green extrudate; (c) drying the green extrudate to form a dried green extrudate; (d) calcining the dried green extrudate to form a support, wherein calcining the dried green extrudate is the only calcination step in the process; (e) washing the support to form a washed support; (f) drying the washed support to form a dried washed support; (g) impregnating the dried washed support with a Group 8-10 transition metal compound and at least one halide-containing compound to form a metalized-halided material; and (h) vacuum drying the metalized-halided material to form a dried metalized-halided material which is the aromatization catalyst.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system and method for producing light olefins from a crude oil. A crude oil feed is introduced to a crude distillation unit to produce a distillate fraction and a residue fraction. The distillate fraction is introduced to a non-catalytic steam cracker to produce a light olefin fraction and a pyrolysis oil fraction. The residue fraction is introduced to a supercritical water reactor to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream is introduced to a flash separator to produce a gas phase fraction and a liquid phase fraction. The gas phase fraction is introduced to a catalytic steam cracker to produce a light olefin fraction and a pyrolysis oil fraction. Optionally, the residue fraction is introduced to a vacuum distillation unit to produce a light vacuum gasoil fraction, a heavy vacuum gasoil fraction, and a vacuum residue fraction. The vacuum residue fraction is introduced to a solvent deasphalting unit to produce a deasphalted oil and a pitch fraction. The deasphalted oil fraction, optionally combined with the heavy vacuum gasoil fraction, can be introduced to the supercritical water reactor in lieu of the residue fraction.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system and method for producing light olefins from a crude oil. A crude oil feed is introduced to a crude distillation unit to produce a distillate fraction and a residue fraction. The distillate fraction is introduced to a non-catalytic steam cracker to produce a light olefin fraction and a pyrolysis oil fraction. The residue fraction is introduced to a supercritical water reactor to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream is introduced to a flash separator to produce a gas phase fraction and a liquid phase fraction. The gas phase fraction is introduced to a catalytic steam cracker to produce a light olefin fraction and a pyrolysis oil fraction. Optionally, the residue fraction is introduced to a vacuum distillation unit to produce a light vacuum gasoil fraction, a heavy vacuum gasoil fraction, and a vacuum residue fraction. The vacuum residue fraction is introduced to a solvent deasphalting unit to produce a deasphalted oil and a pitch fraction. The deasphalted oil fraction, optionally combined with the heavy vacuum gasoil fraction, can be introduced to the supercritical water reactor in lieu of the residue fraction.

In a hydrocracking process, the hydrocarbon feed is processed by a guard reactor operating at maximum severity temperatures. The processing in the guard reactor maximizes the removal of metals and performs hydrodenitrogenation steps and hydrodesulfurization steps. The demetallized and partially desulfurized and denitrogenized hydrocarbon feed is then sent to a treating reactor for further hydrodenitrogenation and hydrodesulfurization before being sent further downstream for further hydrocracking processing.

A method for upgrading a petroleum feedstock using a supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes introducing the petroleum feedstock, water and an auxiliary feedstock. The method includes operating the system to combine the petroleum feedstock and the water to form a mixed petroleum feedstock and introducing separately and simultaneously into a lower portion of an upflowing supercritical water reactor. The auxiliary feedstock is introduced such that a portion of a fluid contained within the upflowing reactor located proximate to the bottom does not lack fluid momentum. An embodiment of the method includes operating the supercritical water petroleum upgrading system such that the upflowing reactor product fluid is introduced into an upper portion of a downflowing supercritical water reactor. The supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes the upflowing supercritical water reactor and optionally a downflowing supercritical water reactor.

A method for upgrading a petroleum feedstock using a supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes introducing the petroleum feedstock, water and an auxiliary feedstock. The method includes operating the system to combine the petroleum feedstock and the water to form a mixed petroleum feedstock and introducing separately and simultaneously into a lower portion of an upflowing supercritical water reactor. The auxiliary feedstock is introduced such that a portion of a fluid contained within the upflowing reactor located proximate to the bottom does not lack fluid momentum. An embodiment of the method includes operating the supercritical water petroleum upgrading system such that the upflowing reactor product fluid is introduced into an upper portion of a downflowing supercritical water reactor. The supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes the upflowing supercritical water reactor and optionally a downflowing supercritical water reactor.

Optimizing power generation from waste heat in large industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries by utilizing a subset of all available hot source streams selected based, in part, on considerations for example, capital cost, ease of operation, economics of scale power generation, a number of ORC machines to be operated, operating conditions of each ORC machine, combinations of them, or other considerations are described. Recognizing that several subsets of hot sources can be identified from among the available hot sources in a large petroleum refinery, subsets of hot sources that are optimized to provide waste heat to one or more ORC machines for power generation are also described. Further, recognizing that the utilization of waste heat from all available hot sources in a mega-site such as a petroleum refinery and aromatics complex is not necessarily or not always the best option, hot source units in petroleum refineries from which waste heat can be consolidated to power the one or more ORC machines are identified.

Optimizing power generation from waste heat in large industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries by utilizing a subset of all available hot source streams selected based, in part, on considerations for example, capital cost, ease of operation, economics of scale power generation, a number of ORC machines to be operated, operating conditions of each ORC machine, combinations of them, or other considerations are described. Recognizing that several subsets of hot sources can be identified from among the available hot sources in a large petroleum refinery, subsets of hot sources that are optimized to provide waste heat to one or more ORC machines for power generation are also described. Further, recognizing that the utilization of waste heat from all available hot sources in a mega-site such as a petroleum refinery and aromatics complex is not necessarily or not always the best option, hot source units in petroleum refineries from which waste heat can be consolidated to power the one or more ORC machines are identified.