In some examples, hydrocarbon feed and a diluent such as steam are mixed, and heated. A vapor phase product and a liquid phase product can be separated from the heated mixture. The liquid phase product can be hydroprocessed to produce a first hydroprocessed product. A pitch and one or more hydrocarbon products can be separated from the first hydroprocessed product. The pitch can be contacted with a diluent to produce a pitch-diluent mixture. The pitch-diluent mixture can be hydroprocessed to produce a second hydroprocessed product. A hydroprocessor heavy product and a utility fluid product can be separated from the second hydroprocessed product. The diluent can be or include at least a portion of the utility fluid product. The vapor phase product can be steam cracked to produce a steam cracker effluent. A tar product and a process gas that can include ethylene and propylene can be separated from the steam cracker effluent.

Methods are provided for using a molecular sieve catalyst for dewaxing formed using a synthesis mixture comprising a morphology modifier. The catalyst may be used, for example, for production of a lubricant base stock. For example, ZSM-48 crystals formed using the morphology modifier (and/or formulated catalysts made using such crystals) can have an increased activity and/or can provide an improved yield during catalytic dewaxing of lubricant base stocks.

The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; and b) subjecting the first hydrocarbon product stream to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream comprising C2 and C3 hydrocarbons.

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.

The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide a light hydrocarbon stream comprising C4− hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the light hydrocarbon stream to C4 hydrocracking in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream comprising C2 and C3 hydrocarbons.

The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon stream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream consisting of C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking in the presence of a second hydrocracking catalyst to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, d) wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is subjected to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to produce a C4 hydrocracking product stream.

The invention relates to a process for producing LPG and BTX, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream; b) separating the first hydrocracking product stream to provide at least a light hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, a middle hydrocarbon stream comprising C4 and/or C5 hydrocarbons and a heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising at least C6+ hydrocarbons and c) subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon stream to second hydrocracking to produce a second hydrocracking product stream comprising BTX, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking, wherein at least part of the middle hydrocarbon stream is recycled back to the first hydrocracking in step a).

The process and apparatus of the present invention selectively hydrogenates a heavier olefinic naphtha stream in an upstream catalyst bed and the hydrogenated effluent and a lighter olefinic naphtha stream in a downstream catalyst bed. The heavier di-alkenes are less re-active and are contacted with more hydrogenation catalyst than the lighter di-alkenes which are more re-active.

The process and apparatus of the present invention selectively hydrogenates a heavier olefinic naphtha stream in an upstream catalyst bed and the hydrogenated effluent and a lighter olefinic naphtha stream in a downstream catalyst bed. The heavier di-alkenes are less re-active and are contacted with more hydrogenation catalyst than the lighter di-alkenes which are more re-active.