A process for upgrading vacuum residuum and vacuum gas oil hydrocarbons is disclosed. The process may include: contacting a heavy distillate hydrocarbon fraction and hydrogen with a zeolite selective hydrocracking catalyst in a first ebullated bed hydrocracking reaction zone to convert at least a portion of the vacuum gas oil to lighter hydrocarbons. Contacting a residuum hydrocarbon fraction and hydrogen with a non-zeolite base metal hydroconversion catalyst in a second ebullated bed hydroconversion reaction zone may produce a vapor stream containing unconverted hydrogen, acid gases and volatilized hydrocarbons which may be fed along with the vacuum gas oil in the first ebullated bed hydrocracking zone.

A multi-stage process is described for upgrading pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, by hydroprocessing in at least two stages. Hydroprocessing in a first stage is performed in the presence of a utility fluid. The utility fluid has a boiling point distribution from about 120 C. to about 480 C. and is separated from the first stage product.

A multi-stage process is described for upgrading pyrolysis tar, such as steam cracker tar, by hydroprocessing in at least two stages. Hydroprocessing in a first stage is performed in the presence of a utility fluid. The utility fluid has a boiling point distribution from about 120 C. to about 480 C. and is separated from the first stage product.

A multi-stage process for upgrading tars is provided. A predominantly hydrotreating stage can be applied before a cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage. Alternatively, a predominantly cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage, can be applied before a hydrotreating stage. Apparatus suitable for performing the method is also provided.

A multi-stage process for upgrading tars is provided. A predominantly hydrotreating stage can be applied before a cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage. Alternatively, a predominantly cracking stage, which can be a hydrocracking or a thermal cracking stage, can be applied before a hydrotreating stage. Apparatus suitable for performing the method is also provided.

The invention relates to a process for converting a feedstock comprising pyrolysis oil and a heavy hydrocarbon-based feedstock, with: a) a step of hydroconversion in a reactor; b) a step of separating the liquid effluent obtained from step a) into a naphtha fraction, a gas oil fraction, a vacuum gas oil fraction and an unconverted residue fraction; c) a step of hydrocracking of the vacuum gas oil fraction; d) a step of fractionating the hydrocracked liquid effluent obtained from step c) into a naphtha fraction, a gas oil fraction and a vacuum gas oil fraction; e) a step of steam cracking of a portion of the naphtha fraction obtained from step d); f) a step of fractionating at least a portion of the steam-cracked effluent obtained from step e); g) a step in which the pyrolysis oil fraction obtained from step f) is sent into step a).

The disclosure describes refinery processes and process units for suppressing the precipitation and deposition of heavy polynuclear aromatic (HPNA) compounds in a process unit of a refinery, by combining the effluent from a hydrocracking unit with an aromatic solvent stream. Certain costly HPNA treatment processes can be eliminated, downtime can be reduced, and overall distillate yield can be increased by suppressing HPNA precipitation. The aromatic bottomswhich are suitable solvents for this purposeof an aromatic recovery complex can be used in certain embodiments to dissolve HPNAs and suppress HPNA precipitation.

Techniques for processing residuum include receiving a feed stream that includes a residuum hydrocarbon fraction at an ebullated bed hydroconversion reactor; contacting the residuum hydrocarbon fraction with hydrogen and a hydroconversion catalyst in the ebullated bed hydroconversion reactor to produce a partially converted reactor effluent product; separating, in a first separation zone, the partially converted reactor effluent product into a distillate stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream; feeding the distillate stream to a bottom portion of an integrated hydrocracking/hydrofinishing reactor; and feeding the heavy hydrocarbon stream to a top portion of the hydrofinishing reactor.

Techniques for processing residuum include receiving a feed stream that includes a residuum hydrocarbon fraction at an ebullated bed hydroconversion reactor; contacting the residuum hydrocarbon fraction with hydrogen and a hydroconversion catalyst in the ebullated bed hydroconversion reactor to produce a partially converted reactor effluent product; separating, in a first separation zone, the partially converted reactor effluent product into a distillate stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream; feeding the distillate stream to a bottom portion of an integrated hydrocracking/hydrofinishing reactor; and feeding the heavy hydrocarbon stream to a top portion of the hydrofinishing reactor.

A process for producing benzene comprising the steps of: (a) separating a source feedstream comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons including benzene and alkylbenzenes into a first feedstream comprising a higher proportion of benzene than the source feedstream and a second feedstream comprising a lower proportion of benzene than the source feedstream and subsequently,
(b) contacting the first feedstream in the presence of hydrogen with a first hydrocracking catalyst, and
(c) contacting the second feedstream with hydrogen under second process conditions to produce a second product stream comprising benzene, wherein
i) the second process conditions are suitable for hydrocracking and step (c) involves contacting the second feedstream in the presence of hydrogen with a second hydrocracking catalyst,
ii) the second process conditions are suitable for toluene disproportionation and involve contacting the second feedstream with a toluene disproportionation catalyst or
iii) the second process conditions are suitable for hydrodealkylation.