Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable conversion of crude oil feeds with several processing units in an integrated manner into petrochemicals. The designs utilize minimum capital expenditures to prepare suitable feedstocks for the steam cracker complex. The integrated process for converting crude oil to petrochemical products including olefins and aromatics, and fuel products, includes mixed feed steam cracking and gas oil steam cracking. Feeds to the mixed feed steam cracker include one or more naphtha fractions from hydroprocessing zones within the battery limits, including vacuum residue hydrocracking, within the battery limits, recycle streams from the C3 and C4 olefins recovery steps, and raffinate from a pyrolysis gasoline aromatics extraction zone within the battery limits. Feed to the gas oil steam cracker in certain embodiments includes gas oil range intermediates from the vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. In addition, a base oil production center is integrated to provide base oils product used for production of synthetic lubes or corresponding lube oil feedstocks

Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable conversion of crude oil feeds with several processing units in an integrated manner into petrochemicals. The designs utilize minimum capital expenditures to prepare suitable feedstocks for the steam cracker complex. The integrated process for converting crude oil to petrochemical products including olefins and aromatics, and fuel products, includes mixed feed steam cracking and gas oil steam cracking. Feeds to the mixed feed steam cracker include one or more naphtha fractions from hydroprocessing zones within the battery limits, including vacuum residue hydrocracking, within the battery limits, recycle streams from the C3 and C4 olefins recovery steps, and raffinate from a pyrolysis gasoline aromatics extraction zone within the battery limits. Feed to the gas oil steam cracker in certain embodiments includes gas oil range intermediates from the vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. In addition, a base oil production center is integrated to provide base oils product used for production of synthetic lubes or corresponding lube oil feedstocks

Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable conversion of crude oil feeds with several processing units in an integrated manner into petrochemicals. The designs utilize minimum capital expenditures to prepare suitable feedstocks for the steam cracker complex. The integrated process for converting crude oil to petrochemical products including olefins and aromatics, and fuel products, includes mixed feed steam cracking and gas oil steam cracking. Feeds to the mixed feed steam cracker include one or more naphtha fractions from hydroprocessing zones within the battery limits, including vacuum residue hydrocracking, within the battery limits, recycle streams from the C3 and C4 olefins recovery steps, and raffinate from a pyrolysis gasoline aromatics extraction zone within the battery limits. Feed to the gas oil steam cracker in certain embodiments includes gas oil range intermediates from the vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. In addition, a base oil production center is integrated to provide base oils product used for production of synthetic lubes or corresponding lube oil feedstocks.

Process scheme configurations are disclosed that enable conversion of crude oil feeds with several processing units in an integrated manner into petrochemicals. The designs utilize minimum capital expenditures to prepare suitable feedstocks for the steam cracker complex. The integrated process for converting crude oil to petrochemical products including olefins and aromatics, and fuel products, includes mixed feed steam cracking and gas oil steam cracking. Feeds to the mixed feed steam cracker include one or more naphtha fractions from hydroprocessing zones within the battery limits, including vacuum residue hydrocracking, within the battery limits, recycle streams from the C3 and C4 olefins recovery steps, and raffinate from a pyrolysis gasoline aromatics extraction zone within the battery limits. Feed to the gas oil steam cracker in certain embodiments includes gas oil range intermediates from the vacuum residue hydrocracking zone. In addition, a base oil production center is integrated to provide base oils product used for production of synthetic lubes or corresponding lube oil feedstocks.

A process for upgrading a naphtha feed includes separating the naphtha feed into at least a light naphtha fraction, contacting the light naphtha fraction with hydrogen in the presence of at least one cyclization catalyst, and contacting the cyclization effluent with at least one cracking catalyst. Contacting the light naphtha fraction with hydrogen in the presence of at least one cyclization catalyst may produce a cyclization effluent comprising a greater concentration of naphthenes compared to the light naphtha fraction. Contacting the cyclization effluent with at least one cracking catalyst under conditions sufficient to crack at least a portion of the cyclization effluent may produce a fluid catalytic cracking effluent comprising light olefins, gasoline blending components, or both. A system for upgrading a naphtha feed includes a naphtha separation unit, a cyclization unit disposed downstream of the naphtha separation unit, and a fluid catalytic cracking unit disposed downstream of the cyclization unit.

A process for upgrading a naphtha feed includes separating the naphtha feed into at least a light naphtha fraction, contacting the light naphtha fraction with hydrogen in the presence of at least one cyclization catalyst, and contacting the cyclization effluent with at least one cracking catalyst. Contacting the light naphtha fraction with hydrogen in the presence of at least one cyclization catalyst may produce a cyclization effluent comprising a greater concentration of naphthenes compared to the light naphtha fraction. Contacting the cyclization effluent with at least one cracking catalyst under conditions sufficient to crack at least a portion of the cyclization effluent may produce a fluid catalytic cracking effluent comprising light olefins, gasoline blending components, or both. A system for upgrading a naphtha feed includes a naphtha separation unit, a cyclization unit disposed downstream of the naphtha separation unit, and a fluid catalytic cracking unit disposed downstream of the cyclization unit.

A process for producing light olefins comprising thermal cracking. Hydrocracked streams are thermally cracked in a steam cracker to produce light olefins. A pyrolysis gas stream is separated into a light stream and a heavy stream. A light stream is separated into an aromatic naphtha stream and a non-aromatic naphtha stream. The aromatics can be saturated and thermally cracked. The integrated process may be employed to obtain olefin products of high value from a crude stream.

A process for producing light olefins comprising thermal cracking. Hydrocracked streams are thermally cracked in a steam cracker to produce light olefins. A pyrolysis gas stream is separated into a light stream and a heavy stream. A light stream is separated into an aromatic naphtha stream and a non-aromatic naphtha stream. The aromatics can be saturated and thermally cracked. The integrated process may be employed to obtain olefin products of high value from a crude stream.

The invention relates to a process for producing benzene, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a hydrocracking feed stream comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons, (b) contacting the hydrocracking feed stream in the presence of hydrogen with a hydrocracking catalyst comprising 0.01-1 wt-% hydrogenation metal in relation to the total catalyst weight and a zeolite having a pore size of 5-8 ? and a silica (SiO.sub.2) to alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) molar ratio of 5-200 under process conditions including a temperature of 425-580? C., a pressure of 300-5000 kPa gauge and a Weight Hourly Space Velocity of 0.1-15 h.sup.?1 to produce a hydrocracking product stream comprising benzene, toluene and C8+ hydrocarbons, (c) separating benzene, toluene and the C8+ hydrocarbons from the hydrocracking product stream and (d) selectively recycling back at least part of the toluene from the separated products of step (c) to be included in the hydrocracking feed stream.

The invention relates to a process for producing benzene, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a hydrocracking feed stream comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons, (b) contacting the hydrocracking feed stream in the presence of hydrogen with a hydrocracking catalyst comprising 0.01-1 wt-% hydrogenation metal in relation to the total catalyst weight and a zeolite having a pore size of 5-8 ? and a silica (SiO.sub.2) to alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) molar ratio of 5-200 under process conditions including a temperature of 425-580? C., a pressure of 300-5000 kPa gauge and a Weight Hourly Space Velocity of 0.1-15 h.sup.?1 to produce a hydrocracking product stream comprising benzene, toluene and C8+ hydrocarbons, (c) separating benzene, toluene and the C8+ hydrocarbons from the hydrocracking product stream and (d) selectively recycling back at least part of the toluene from the separated products of step (c) to be included in the hydrocracking feed stream.