A method for converting an alcohol to a jet-diesel hydrocarbon fraction, comprising contacting the alcohol with a pillared two-dimensional zeolite catalyst at a temperature of at least 200° C. and up to 500° C. to convert the alcohol to hydrocarbons comprising: (a) a first mixed olefin fraction containing a mixture of C.sub.2-C.sub.5 olefins; (b) a first paraffin fraction containing C.sub.3-C.sub.5 paraffins; and (c) a gasoline fraction containing C.sub.6.sup.+ hydrocarbons; and the conversion of the alcohol is energy neutral or exothermic. The first mixed olefin fraction may be subjected to an oligomerization process to result in a second paraffin fraction containing C.sub.3-C.sub.6 paraffins along with a C.sub.7.sup.+ partially unsaturated fraction, and the first and second paraffin fractions combined into a total C.sub.3-C.sub.6 paraffin fraction, which can in turn be subjected to a dehydrogenation or aromatization process with hydrogen gas as byproduct, and the hydrogen gas recycled for use in producing the jet-diesel fraction.

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.

A hydrocarbon material may be processed by a method that includes separating the hydrocarbon material into at least a lesser boiling point fraction, a medium boiling point fraction, and a greater boiling point fraction. The method may further include steam cracking at least a portion of the lesser boiling point fraction, catalytically cracking at least a portion of the medium boiling point fraction, and hydrocracking at least a portion of the greater boiling point fraction.

A hydrocarbon material may be processed by a method that includes separating the hydrocarbon material into at least a lesser boiling point fraction, a medium boiling point fraction, and a greater boiling point fraction. The method may further include steam cracking at least a portion of the lesser boiling point fraction, catalytically cracking at least a portion of the medium boiling point fraction, and hydrocracking at least a portion of the greater boiling point fraction.

A feed stream including crude oil may be processed by a method that includes separating the feed stream into at least a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction, a lower boiling point fraction, and a higher boiling point fraction. The method may further include steam cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.1-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction to form a steam cracked product, steam enhanced catalytically cracking at least a portion of the lower boiling point fraction to form a steam enhanced catalytically cracked product, and hydrocracking at least a portion of the higher boiling point fraction to form a hydrocracked product. The method may further include passing at least a portion of the steam cracked product and at least a portion of the steam enhanced catalytically cracked product to a product separator to produce one or more product streams. Systems for processing a feed stream comprising crude oil are further described herein.

A feed stream including crude oil may be processed by a method that includes separating the feed stream into at least a C.sub.1 hydrocarbon fraction, a C.sub.2-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction, and a C.sub.5+ hydrocarbon fraction. The method may further include methane cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.1 hydrocarbon fraction to form a methane cracked product, steam cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.2-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction to form a steam cracked product, and steam enhanced catalytically cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.5+ hydrocarbon fraction to form a steam enhanced catalytically cracked product. The method may further include passing at least a portion of the steam cracked product and at least a portion of the steam enhanced catalytically cracked product to a product separator to produce one or more product streams. Systems for processing a feed stream comprising crude oil are further described herein.

A feed stream including crude oil may be processed by a method that includes separating the feed stream into at least a C.sub.1 hydrocarbon fraction, a C.sub.2-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction, and a C.sub.5+ hydrocarbon fraction. The method may further include methane cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.1 hydrocarbon fraction to form a methane cracked product, steam cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.2-C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction to form a steam cracked product, and steam enhanced catalytically cracking at least a portion of the C.sub.5+ hydrocarbon fraction to form a steam enhanced catalytically cracked product. The method may further include passing at least a portion of the steam cracked product and at least a portion of the steam enhanced catalytically cracked product to a product separator to produce one or more product streams. Systems for processing a feed stream comprising crude oil are further described herein.

The invention relates to a process configuration for production of light olefins and aromatics from residual hydrocarbon streams. In this configuration a high severity catalytic cracking process is employed for producing higher yields of lighter olefins and various boiling fractions. C4 stream separated from gaseous product is subjected to metathesis and aromatized to form mono aromatics.

Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable deep hydrogenation of middle distillates. The hydrogenated middle distillates are processed in a steam cracker for conversion into light olefins. Feeds to the deep hydrogenation zone include diesel range streams from a diesel hydrotreating zone, a gas oil hydroprocessing zone, and/or a vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. The deep hydrogenation zone operates under conditions effective to reduce aromatic content in a diesel range feedstream from a range of about 10-40 wt % or greater, to a hydrogenated distillate range intermediate product having an aromatic content of less than about 5-0.5 wt %.

Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable deep hydrogenation of middle distillates. The hydrogenated middle distillates are processed in a steam cracker for conversion into light olefins. Feeds to the deep hydrogenation zone include diesel range streams from a diesel hydrotreating zone, a gas oil hydroprocessing zone, and/or a vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. The deep hydrogenation zone operates under conditions effective to reduce aromatic content in a diesel range feedstream from a range of about 10-40 wt % or greater, to a hydrogenated distillate range intermediate product having an aromatic content of less than about 5-0.5 wt %.