The present invention relates to a process for upgrading refinery heavy residues to petrochemicals, comprising the following steps of: (a) separating a hydrocarbon feedstock in a distillation unit into a to overhead stream and a bottom stream (b) feeding said bottom stream to a hydrocracking reaction area (c) separating reaction products, which are generated from said reaction area of step (b) into a stream rich in mono-aromatics and in a stream rich in poly-aromatics (d) feeding said stream rich in mono-aromatics to a gasoline hydrocracker (GHC) unit, (e) feeding said stream rich in poly-aromatics to a ring opening reaction area.

The present invention relates to a process for upgrading refinery heavy residues to petrochemicals, comprising the following steps of: (a) separating a hydrocarbon feedstock in a distillation unit into a to overhead stream and a bottom stream (b) feeding said bottom stream to a hydrocracking reaction area (c) separating reaction products, which are generated from said reaction area of step (b) into a stream rich in mono-aromatics and in a stream rich in poly-aromatics (d) feeding said stream rich in mono-aromatics to a gasoline hydrocracker (GHC) unit, (e) feeding said stream rich in poly-aromatics to a ring opening reaction area.

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 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 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.

Systems and methods are provided for block processing of a feedstock to produce multiple viscosity grades of lubricant base stocks with substantially different viscosity index values. The systems and methods can involve the use of a sweet stage hydrocracking catalyst that can maintain good aromatic saturation activity under conditions that produce substantially different levels of viscosity index uplift. Optionally, the reactor including the sweet stage hydrocracking catalyst can include additional aromatic saturation catalyst. The systems and methods can further involve using a combination of aromatic saturation catalyst and dewaxing catalyst in a second sweet stage reactor, so that additional aromatic saturation activity is available for saturation of aromatics for products that undergo lower amounts of conversion in the sweet hydrocracking stage. The systems and methods can also allow for increased control over the relative temperatures of reactors within a reaction system.

The invention relates to a process for producing C2 and C3 hydrocarbons, comprising a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon carbon stream comprising a middle distillate to first hydrocracking in the presence of a first hydrocracking catalyst to produce a first hydrocracking product stream, b) subjecting a second hydrocracking feed stream to second hydrocracking in the presence of a second hydrocracking catalyst to produce a second hydrocracking product stream, wherein the second hydrocracking is more severe than the first hydrocracking and c) subjecting a C4 hydrocracking feed stream to C4 hydrocracking optimized for converting C4 hydrocarbons into C3 hydrocarbons in the presence of a C4 hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a C4 hydrocracking product stream, wherein the C4 hydrocracking is more severe than the second hydrocracking, wherein the first hydrocracking product stream, the second hydrocracking product stream and the C4 hydrocracking product stream are fed to a separation system which provides the second hydrocracking feed stream separated from the first hydrocracking product stream, the C4 hydrocracking feed stream separated from the second hydrocracking product stream, a first recycle stream to be recycled back to the first hydrocracking, a second recycle stream to be recycled back to the second hydrocracking, a third recycle stream to be recycled back to the C4 hydrocracking, a hydrogen recycle stream of H2 or H2 and C1 to be recycled back to the first hydrocracking, the second hydrocracking and/or the C4 hydrocracking and a C2 and C3 product stream of C3 hydrocarbons, wherein the second hydrocracking feed stream is a stream of C12 hydrocarbons excluding C10-C12 hydrocarbons having di-ring structures, wherein the first recycle stream is a stream of C13+ and C10-C12 hydrocarbons having di-ring structures, wherein the C4 hydrocracking feed stream is a stream of C5, C4 or iC4, wherein the second recycle stream is a stream of C6+, C5+ or nC4+ 30 wherein the third recycle stream is a stream of nC4+ or C4+.

The present invention relates to a process for converting a feed comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons to higher BTX, LPG and methane in the presence of hydrogen in n reaction zones operated in series, wherein m reaction zones are not participating in the conversion process and only (nm) reaction zones are operated under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said a feed comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons to an effluent having said BTX. An object of the present invention is to provide a process for converting C5-C12 hydrocarbons to LPG, optionally BTX, and methane in the presence of hydrogen wherein coke formation on the catalyst is controlled and the physical movement of particulate catalyst is avoided.

According to one embodiment, a heavy oil may be processed by a method that may include upgrading at least a portion of the heavy oil to form an upgraded oil, where the upgrading includes contacting the heavy oil with a hydrodemetalization catalyst, a transition catalyst, a hydrodenitrogenation catalyst, and a hydrocracking catalyst to remove at least a portion of metals, nitrogen, or aromatics content from the heavy oil and form the upgraded oil; and passing the upgraded oil to a steam cracker and steam cracking the upgraded oil to form a steam-cracked effluent; and where the final boiling point of the upgraded oil is less than or equal to 540 C.

According to one embodiment, a heavy oil may be processed by a method that may include upgrading at least a portion of the heavy oil to form an upgraded oil, where the upgrading comprises contacting the heavy oil with a hydrodemetalization catalyst, a transition catalyst, a hydrodenitrogenation catalyst, and a hydrocracking catalyst to remove at least a portion of metals, nitrogen, or aromatics content from the heavy oil and form the upgraded oil. The method may further include passing at least a portion of the upgraded oil to a separation device that separates the upgraded oil into one or more transportation fuels; and where the final boiling point of the upgraded oil is less than or equal to 540 C.