Naphtha Catalytic Cracking Process Economics Program Report 29K

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` IHS CHEMICAL Naphtha Catalytic Cracking Process Economics Program Report 29K

December 2017 ihs.com

PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

Michael Arne Research Director, Emerging Technologies

IHS Chemical | PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

Michael Arne, Research Director, Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Ethylene is the world’s most important petrochemical, and steam cracking is by far the dominant method of production. In recent years, several economic trends have arisen that have motivated producers to examine alternative means for the cracking of hydrocarbons. Propylene demand is growing faster than ethylene demand, a trend that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Hydraulic fracturing in the United States has led to an oversupply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which, in turn, has led to low ethane prices and a shift in olefin feedstock from naphtha to ethane. This shift to ethane has led to a relative reduction in the production of propylene. Conventional steam cracking of naphtha is limited by the kinetic behavior of the pyrolysis reactions to a propylene-to-ethylene ratio of 0.6–0.7.

These trends have led producers to search for alternative ways to produce propylene. Several of these— propane dehydrogenation and metathesis, for example—have seen large numbers of newly constructed plants in recent years. Another avenue producers have examined is fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). FCC is the world’s second largest source of propylene. This propylene is essentially a byproduct of refinery gasoline production. However, in recent years, an effort has been made to increase ethylene and propylene yields to the point that these light olefins become the primary products. Also, in the refinery, the usual feed to an FCC unit is a heavy hydrocarbon. The question is, can a viable process be developed whereby naphtha is fed to an FCC unit that is optimized for light olefins?

This report attempts to answer that question. We examine two such technologies. SK Energy, in partnership with KBR, has developed a process called Advanced Catalytic Olefins® (ACO). This technology has been commercialized at KBR’s Ulshan, South Korea location. We also examine the application of a downflow FCC technology to the cracking of naphtha. Finally, we present a design study for the production of ethylene from a condensate feedstock via steam cracking.

IHS Chemical | PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

Contents

1 Introduction 7 2 Summary 8 Conclusions 8 The Advanced Catalytic Olefins® (ACO) process 9 Process economics 10 The downflow FCC process 11 Process economics 12 Process comparison on a Chinese basis 14 Steam cracking of condensate 15 Process economics 16 3 Industry status 18 Characteristics of the market 19 4 Technology review 20 General considerations 20 SK Energy Advanced Catalytic Olefins® (ACO) technology 22 Downflow FCC process 23 HS-FCC 24 FCC general considerations 26 Catalysts 26 High-severity fluidized catalytic cracking process 26 Pilot plant results 27 Semicommercial unit 28 5 SK Energy Advanced Catalytic Olefins® (ACO) technology 30 Process description 30 Reaction and quench 32 Compression, drying, and depropanizer 32 Subcooling and separation 33 Product separation 33 Refrigeration 34 Steam distribution 34 Process discussion 57 General considerations 58 Reaction and quench 58 Three-stage cracked gas compression 58 Cost estimates 59 Capital costs 59 Production costs 60 6 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process 66 Process description 66 Reaction and quench 66 Compression, drying, and depropanizer 67 Subcooling and separation 68 Product separation 68 Refrigeration 68 Steam distribution 69

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IHS Chemical | PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

Process discussion 69 Reaction and quench 69 Cost estimates 91 Capital costs 91 Production costs 92 7 Ethylene from condensate 97 Process description 97 Pyrolysis and quench 98 Compression, drying, depropanizer 98 Subcooling and separation 99 Product separation 99 Refrigeration 99 Steam distribution 100 Process discussion 103 Two-stage front-end depropanizer 105 Cost estimates 127 Capital costs 127 Production costs 128 Appendix A—Patent summary 133 Appendix B—Cited references 136 Appendix C—Process flow diagrams 139

Tables

Table 2.1 Summary of ACO process economics 9 Table 2.2 Summary of cracking yields 9 Table 2.3 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via ACO process—Production costs 10 Table 2.4 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC prcess—Production costs 13 Table 2.5 Comparison of production costs 15 Table 2.6 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via front-end depropanizer—Production costs 16 Table 3.1 World consumption of ethylene 18 Table 3.2 World ethylene consumption by end use 19 Table 4.1 Properties of feed oils 28 Table 4.2 HS-FCC pilot plant product yields for various feeds 28 Table 4.3 HS-FCC semicommercial unit product yields for Arabian light-derived feeds 29 Table 5.1 Ethylene from maphtha via ACO process—Design bases 31 Table 5.2 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via ACO process—Naphtha cracking yields (wt%) 35 Table 5.3 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via ACO process—Hourly stream flows 36 Table 5.4 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process—Major equipment 55 Table 5.5 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process—Total capital investment 61 Table 5.6 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via ACO process—Production costs 62 Table 5.7 Ethylene from naphtha via SK Energy ACO process (China basis)—Production costs 64 Table 6.1 Ethylene from Napthta via downflow FCC process—Design bases 70 Table 6.2 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Naphtha cracking yields (wt%) 71 Table 6.3a Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Ethane cracking yields (wt%) 72 Table 6.3b Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Propane cracking yields (wt%) 73 Table 6.4 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Hourly stream flows 74 Table 6.5 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Major equipment 89 Table 6.6 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Total capital investment 92

IHS Chemical | PEP Report 29K Naphtha Catalytic Cracking

Table 6.7 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha via downflow FCC process—Production costs 93 Table 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer—Design bases 101 Table 7.2 Algerian condensate assay 102 Table 7.3 Cracking yields (weight percent) 103 Table 7.4 Cracking yields (molar percent) 104 Table 7.5 Gas cracking yields 104 Table 7.6 Ethylene from Algerian condensate—Hourly stream flows 106 Table 7.7 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer—Major equipment 124 Table 7.8 Comparison of major equipment size differences—Condensate versus naphtha 127 Table 7.9 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer, maximum propylene (US Gulf Coast basis)—Total capital investment 128 Table 7.10 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer, maximum propylene— Production costs 129 Table 7.11 Ethylene from wide-range naphtha, front-end depropanizer, maximum propylene— Production costs 131

Figures

Figure 4.1 Olefinicity index versus hydrocarbon partial pressure 21 Figure 4.2 Typical ACO process configuration 23 Figure 4.3 Separator and downflow reactor 24 Figure 4.4 HS-FCC reactor and regenerator system 25 Figure 4.5 Simplified cracking reaction network 25 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 1 of 6) 140 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 2 of 6) 141 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 3 of 6) 142 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 4 of 6) 143 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 5 of 6) 144 Figure 5.1 Ethylene from naphtha via ACO process (sheet 6 of 6) 145 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 1 of 6) 146 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 2 of 6) 147 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 3 of 6) 148 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 4 of 6) 149 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 5 of 6) 150 Figure 6.1 Ethylene from naphtha via downflow FCC process (sheet 6 of 6) 151 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 1 of 6) 152 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 2 of 6) 153 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 3 of 6) 154 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 4 of 6) 155 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 5 of 6) 156 Figure 7.1 Ethylene from condensate with front-end depropanizer (sheet 6 of 6) 157

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