The invention relates to an improved apparatus and methods for managing and utilizing light hydrocarbons utilized and created during the hydroprocessing of biological feedstocks in the making of middle distillate fuels.

A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to increase rate of production of converted products. The rate of production is achieved by increasing reactor severity, including increasing the operating temperature and at least one of throughput or conversion. The dual catalyst system permits increased reactor severity and provides increased production of converted products without a significant increase in equipment fouling and/or sediment production. In some cases, the rate of production of conversion products can be achieved while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

In a method of hydroprocessing, hydrogen gas for the hydroprocessing reaction is combined with a liquid feed composition comprising a feedstock to be treated and a diluent to form a feed stream, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas being dissolved in the liquid feed composition of the feed stream, with non-dissolved hydrogen gas being present in the feed stream in an amount of from 1 to 70 SCF/bbl of the liquid feed composition. The feed stream is contacted with a hydroprocessing catalyst, within a reactor while maintaining a liquid mass flux within the reactor of at least 5000 lb/hr.Math.ft.sup.2 to form a hydroprocessed product.

In a method of hydroprocessing, hydrogen gas for the hydroprocessing reaction is combined with a liquid feed composition comprising a feedstock to be treated and a diluent to form a feed stream, at least a portion of the hydrogen gas being dissolved in the liquid feed composition of the feed stream, with non-dissolved hydrogen gas being present in the feed stream in an amount of from 1 to 70 SCF/bbl of the liquid feed composition. The feed stream is contacted with a hydroprocessing catalyst, within a reactor while maintaining a liquid mass flux within the reactor of at least 5000 lb/hr.Math.ft.sup.2 to form a hydroprocessed product.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.