The present disclosure relates to processes, apparatuses, and systems for the removal of sulfur compounds from a heavy hydrocarbon feed as part of steam cracking processes to produce light olefins. In at least one embodiment, the process includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed having a first sulfur content to a steam cracker to produce a steam cracker effluent having a second sulfur content less than the first sulfur content. The process includes introducing the steam cracker effluent to a fractionation system to produce a light hydrocarbon product stream having a third sulfur content less than the second sulfur content.

The present disclosure relates to processes, apparatuses, and systems for the removal of sulfur compounds from a heavy hydrocarbon feed as part of steam cracking processes to produce light olefins. In at least one embodiment, the process includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed having a first sulfur content to a steam cracker to produce a steam cracker effluent having a second sulfur content less than the first sulfur content. The process includes introducing the steam cracker effluent to a fractionation system to produce a light hydrocarbon product stream having a third sulfur content less than the second sulfur content.

Processes for producing olefins include passing a hydrocarbon feed to a hydrocarbon cracking unit that cracks the hydrocarbon feed to produce a cracker effluent, passing the cracker effluent to a cracker effluent separation system that separates the cracker effluent to produce at least a cracking C4 effluent including 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, and isobutene, passing the cracking C4 effluent to an SHIU that contacts the cracking C4 effluent with hydrogen in the presence of a selective hydrogenation catalyst to produce a hydrogenation effluent having a 2-butenes concentration greater than or equal to the sum of the concentrations of 1-butene and isobutene. The processes include passing the hydrogenation effluent to a metathesis unit that contacts the hydrogenation effluent with a metathesis catalyst and a cracking catalyst downstream of the metathesis catalyst to produce a metathesis reaction effluent comprising at least propene.

A process for increasing conversion and selectivity to normal paraffins is achieved by reducing the hydrogen to hydrocarbon ratio for paraffin feeds with substantial butanes. A separator may be used to remove excess hydrogen from a first isomerate before a second isomerization step that may isomerize additional butanes perhaps generated in the first isomerization step.

Systems and methods are provided for partial upgrading of heavy hydrocarbon feeds to meet transport specifications, such as pipeline transport specifications. The systems and methods can allow for one or more types of improvement in heavy hydrocarbon processing prior to transport. In some aspects, the systems and methods can produce a partially upgraded heavy hydrocarbon product that satisfies one or more transport specifications while incorporating an increased amount of vacuum gas oil and a reduced amount of pitch into the partially upgraded heavy hydrocarbon product. In other aspects, the systems and methods can allow for increased incorporation of hydrocarbons into the fraction upgraded for transport, thereby reducing or minimizing the amount of hydrocarbons requiring an alternative method of disposal or transport. In still other aspects, the systems and methods can allow for reduced incorporation of external streams into the final product for transport while still satisfying one or more target properties.

An upgraded crude composition is provided, along with systems and methods for making such a composition. The upgraded crude composition can include an unexpectedly high percentage of vacuum gas oil boiling range components while having a reduce or minimized amount of components boiling above 593° C. (1100° F.). In some aspects, based in part on the hydroprocessing used to form the upgraded crude composition, the composition can include unexpectedly high contents of nitrogen. Still other unexpected features of the composition can include, but are not limited to, an unexpectedly high nitrogen content in the naphtha fraction; and an unexpected vacuum gas oil fraction including an unexpectedly high content of polynuclear aromatics, an unexpectedly high content of waxy, paraffinic compounds, and/or an unexpectedly high content of n-pentane asphaltenes.

A hydrocarbon conversion process comprises pyrolysing at a temperature ≥700° C. a feedstock comprising hydrocarbon to produce a pyrolysis effluent comprising at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 olefin and C.sub.5+ aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The pyrolysis effluent is contacted with an oleaginous quench stream to reduce the temperature of the pyrolysis effluent to ≤400° C. At least first and second streams are separated from the cooled effluent. The first stream comprises at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 olefin, and the second stream comprises a quench oil having an average boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 120° C. At least a portion of the second stream is catalytically hydroprocessed to produce a hydroprocessed stream, which is combined with at least a portion of any remainder of the second stream to form the quench stream.

A hydrocarbon conversion process comprises pyrolysing at a temperature ≥700° C. a feedstock comprising hydrocarbon to produce a pyrolysis effluent comprising at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 olefin and C.sub.5+ aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The pyrolysis effluent is contacted with an oleaginous quench stream to reduce the temperature of the pyrolysis effluent to ≤400° C. At least first and second streams are separated from the cooled effluent. The first stream comprises at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 olefin, and the second stream comprises a quench oil having an average boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 120° C. At least a portion of the second stream is catalytically hydroprocessed to produce a hydroprocessed stream, which is combined with at least a portion of any remainder of the second stream to form the quench stream.

Systems and methods are provided for increasing the portion of a pyrolysis tar fraction that can be hydroprocessed by using a physical particle size reduction process on at least a portion of the pyrolysis tar fraction. The physical particle size reduction process can reduce the percentage of particles in the pyrolysis tar fraction that have a particle size of 75 μm or greater, or 50 μm or greater. It has been unexpectedly discovered that at least a portion of the particles having a size of 75 μm or less, or 50 μm or less, can be effectively hydroprocessed to form products of greater value while still reducing or minimizing the amount of fouling or plugging in a hydroprocessing catalyst bed. By increasing the number of particles having a size of 75 μm or less, or 50 μm or less, while selectively removing larger particles from the SCT fraction, a higher yield of hydrocarbon products can be achieved for a feed containing an SCT fraction. This can reduce or minimize the amount of particulates that are disposed of by incineration or another disposal method for fractions that have a lesser value.

Systems and methods are provided for increasing the portion of a pyrolysis tar fraction that can be hydroprocessed by using a physical particle size reduction process on at least a portion of the pyrolysis tar fraction. The physical particle size reduction process can reduce the percentage of particles in the pyrolysis tar fraction that have a particle size of 75 μm or greater, or 50 μm or greater. It has been unexpectedly discovered that at least a portion of the particles having a size of 75 μm or less, or 50 μm or less, can be effectively hydroprocessed to form products of greater value while still reducing or minimizing the amount of fouling or plugging in a hydroprocessing catalyst bed. By increasing the number of particles having a size of 75 μm or less, or 50 μm or less, while selectively removing larger particles from the SCT fraction, a higher yield of hydrocarbon products can be achieved for a feed containing an SCT fraction. This can reduce or minimize the amount of particulates that are disposed of by incineration or another disposal method for fractions that have a lesser value.