Embodiments of the disclosure include processes for hydroconversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks in ebullated bed reactor systems. In particular, the systems comprise two or more ebullated bed reactors comprising catalyst particles, one or more inter-stage separation vessels, which are in fluid communication, and allow for the introduction of an additional solvent into the system between the final inter-stage separation vessel and the final ebullated bed reactor in the flow path. The processes include the addition of a solvent comprising water to an inter-stage liquid product prior to contact with the final ebullated bed reactor, which improves catalytic performance.

Embodiments of the disclosure include processes for hydroconversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks in ebullated bed reactor systems. In particular, the systems comprise two or more ebullated bed reactors comprising catalyst particles, one or more inter-stage separation vessels, which are in fluid communication, and allow for the introduction of an additional solvent into the system between the final inter-stage separation vessel and the final ebullated bed reactor in the flow path. The processes include the addition of a solvent comprising water to an inter-stage liquid product prior to contact with the final ebullated bed reactor, which improves catalytic performance.

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.

The present invention relates to a hydroconversion process of a heavy oil feedstock comprising: (a) preparing a conditioned feedstock (103) by mixing said heavy oil feedstock (101) with a catalyst precursor formulation (104) so that a colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed when it reacts with sulfur, said catalyst precursor formulation (104) comprising a catalyst precursor composition (105) comprising Mo, an organic additive (102) comprising a carboxylic acid function and/or an ester function and/or an acid anhydride function, and a molar ratio organic additive (102)/Mo from formulation (104) ranging between 0.1:1 and 20:1; (b) heating said conditioned feedstock; (c) introducing the heated conditioned feedstock (106) into at least one hybrid ebullated-entrained bed reactor comprising a hydroconversion porous supported catalyst and operating said reactor in the presence of hydrogen and at hydroconversion conditions to produce an upgraded material (107), the colloidal or molecular catalyst being formed during step (b) and/or (c).

The present invention relates to a hydroconversion process of a heavy oil feedstock comprising: (a) preparing a conditioned feedstock (103) by mixing said heavy oil feedstock (101) with a catalyst precursor formulation (104) so that a colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed when it reacts with sulfur, said catalyst precursor formulation (104) comprising a catalyst precursor composition (105) comprising Mo, an organic additive (102) comprising a carboxylic acid function and/or an ester function and/or an acid anhydride function, and a molar ratio organic additive (102)/Mo from formulation (104) ranging between 0.1:1 and 20:1; (b) heating said conditioned feedstock; (c) introducing the heated conditioned feedstock (106) into at least one hybrid ebullated-entrained bed reactor comprising a hydroconversion porous supported catalyst and operating said reactor in the presence of hydrogen and at hydroconversion conditions to produce an upgraded material (107), the colloidal or molecular catalyst being formed during step (b) and/or (c).

The present invention is related to the application of solid polymers or copolymers prepared from monomers having in their structure a polycyclic aromatic ring, an aromatic ring of the type of naphthalene, or polyesters, polyethers, polyamides or polyvynil derivatives having naphthalene units in their structure, in the hydrotreatment or hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbons, such as heavy or extra-heavy crude oils or residues from the distillation of petroleum; these polymers or copolymers may be supported, anchored or in a physical mixture with metallic oxides such as alumina, silica, titania or kaolin, and they have an application as heterogeneous hydrogen donors in reactions of hydrotreatment or hydrocracking of heavy or extra-heavy crude oils, residues from the distillation of petroleum and cuts and streams deived from this distillation. These solid polymers or copolymers operate in the presence of hydrogen or methane-rich gas. These hydrogen donor polymers, being solid, may be recovered from the reaction mixture to be reused and have a thermal stability that allows for their use in reactions at temperatures above 450 C. These heterogeneous hydrogen donors improve the physical properties of crude oils, such as API gravity, viscosity, and distillates yield, inhibiting the formation of coke.

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to produce less fouling sediment. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts sediment-forming precursors to produce sediment that is less fouling than sediment produced using only the heterogeneous catalyst and not the dispersed metal sulfide particles. The dual catalyst system provides for a lower rate of equipment fouling for a given sediment production rate and/or concentration. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be maintained or increased while equipment fouling is reduced. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be increased without increasing equipment fouling.

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to produce less fouling sediment. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts sediment-forming precursors to produce sediment that is less fouling than sediment produced using only the heterogeneous catalyst and not the dispersed metal sulfide particles. The dual catalyst system provides for a lower rate of equipment fouling for a given sediment production rate and/or concentration. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be maintained or increased while equipment fouling is reduced. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be increased without increasing equipment fouling.

According to an embodiment disclosed, a feedstock hydrocarbon may be processed by a method which may include separating the feedstock hydrocarbon into a lesser boiling point hydrocarbon fraction and a greater boiling point hydrocarbon fraction, cracking the greater boiling point hydrocarbon fraction in a high-severity fluid catalytic cracking reactor unit to form a catalytically cracked effluent, cracking the lesser boiling point hydrocarbon fraction in a steam cracker unit to form a steam cracked effluent, and separating one or both of the catalytically cracked effluent or the steam cracked effluent to form two or more petrochemical products. In one or more embodiments, the feedstock hydrocarbon may include crude oil and one of the petrochemical products may include light olefins.