Methods and apparatuses for hydrocracking and hydrotreating hydrocarbon streams

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing hydrocarbon stream are provided. In one embodiment, a method for processing a hydrocarbon stream includes hydrocracking the hydrocarbon stream to form a hydrocracking effluent including vacuum gas oil range components. The method removes the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent to form a processed hydrocracking effluent. Further, the method includes hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent to form a product stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a hydrocarbon stream, the method comprising the steps of:
 hydrocracking the hydrocarbon stream to form a hydrocracking effluent including vacuum gas oil range components;   removing the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent to form a stream of vacuum gas oil range components and a processed hydrocracking effluent; and   hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent to form a product stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein removing the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent comprises forming the processed hydrocracking effluent with no more than about 10 wt % of the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein removing the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent comprises forming the processed hydrocracking effluent with no more than about 1 wt % of the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent comprises hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent, a diesel feed stream, and/or a naphtha feed stream to form the product stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein removing the vacuum gas oil range components from the hydrocracking effluent comprises:
 separating the hydrocracking effluent to form a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction; 
 cooling the vapor fraction to form a cooled stream; and 
 separating the cooled stream to form a liquid stream and the processed hydrocracking effluent. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein:
 separating the hydrocracking effluent comprises separating the hydrocracking effluent to form the vapor fraction and the liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 370° C. to about 500° C.; and 
 cooling the vapor fraction comprises cooling the vapor fraction to form the cooled stream at a temperature of from about 250° C. to about 350° C. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein:
 separating the hydrocracking effluent comprises separating the hydrocracking effluent to form the vapor fraction and the liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 400° C. to about 470° C.; and 
 cooling the vapor fraction comprises cooling the vapor fraction to form the cooled stream at a temperature of from about 260° C. to about 315° C. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising removing naphtha range components and diesel range components from the liquid stream and from the liquid fraction, wherein hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent comprises hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent, the naphtha range components, and the diesel range components to form the product stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising fractionating the liquid fraction and the liquid stream to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent comprises hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the product stream. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 stripping the liquid fraction and the liquid stream to form a stripped liquid and a stripper vapor; 
 recovering diesel range components from the stripped liquid; and 
 removing offgas and sour water from the stripper vapor to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent comprises hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent, the diesel range components, and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the product stream. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 stripping the liquid fraction and the liquid stream to form a stripped liquid and a stripper vapor; 
 fractionating the stripped liquid into a pitch range component, a heavy vacuum gas range component, a light vacuum gas range component, and a diesel range component; and 
 removing offgas and sour water from the stripper vapor to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent comprises hydrotreating the processed hydrocracking effluent, the diesel range component, and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the product stream. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for processing a hydrocarbon stream, the method comprising the steps of:
 feeding the hydrocarbon stream to a slurry hydrocracking zone;   hydrocracking the hydrocarbon stream to form a slurry hydrocracking effluent;   separating the slurry hydrocracking effluent to form an effluent vapor fraction and an effluent liquid fraction;   cooling the effluent vapor fraction to form a cooled stream;   separating the cooled stream to form a liquid stream and a vapor stream;   feeding the vapor stream to a hydrotreating zone; and   hydrotreating the vapor stream to form a distillate product.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the slurry hydrocracking effluent includes vacuum gas oil range components, and wherein separating the cooled stream to form the liquid stream and the vapor stream comprises forming the vapor stream with no more than about 10 wt % of the vacuum gas oil range components from the slurry hydrocracking effluent. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the slurry hydrocracking effluent includes vacuum gas oil range components, and wherein separating the cooled stream to form the liquid stream and the vapor stream comprises forming the vapor stream with no more than about 1% of the vacuum gas oil range components from the slurry hydrocracking effluent. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 separating the slurry hydrocracking effluent comprises separating the slurry hydrocracking effluent to form the effluent vapor fraction and the effluent liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 370° C. to about 500° C.; and 
 cooling the effluent vapor fraction comprises cooling the effluent vapor fraction to form the cooled stream at a temperature of from about 250° C. to about 350° C. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 separating the slurry hydrocracking effluent comprises separating the slurry hydrocracking effluent to form the effluent vapor fraction and the effluent liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 450° C. to about 470° C.; and 
 cooling the effluent vapor fraction comprises cooling the effluent vapor fraction to form the cooled stream at a temperature of from about 260° C. to about 315° C. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising fractionating the effluent liquid fraction and the liquid stream to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the vapor stream comprises hydrotreating the vapor stream and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the distillate product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 stripping the effluent liquid fraction and the liquid stream to form a stripped liquid and a stripper vapor; 
 recovering a diesel range component from the stripped liquid; and 
 removing offgas and sour water from the stripper vapor to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the vapor stream comprises hydrotreating the vapor stream, the diesel range component, and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the distillate product. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 stripping the effluent liquid fraction and the liquid stream to form a stripped liquid and a stripper vapor; 
 fractionating the stripped liquid into a pitch range component, a heavy vacuum gas range component, a light vacuum gas range component, and a diesel range component; and 
 removing offgas and sour water from the stripper vapor to obtain an unstabilized naphtha stream, wherein hydrotreating the vapor stream comprises hydrotreating the vapor stream, the diesel range component, and the unstabilized naphtha stream to form the distillate product. 
 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for processing a hydrocarbon stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a slurry hydrocracking zone configured for hydrocracking the hydrocarbon stream to form a slurry hydrocracking effluent;   a first separator operating at first temperature and configured to separate the slurry hydrocracking effluent into an effluent vapor fraction and an effluent liquid fraction;   a second separator operating at a second temperature lower than the first temperature and configured to separate the effluent vapor fraction into a liquid stream and a vapor stream; and   a hydrotreating zone configured for hydrotreating the vapor stream to form a product stream.