Fluid catalytic cracking of tight oil resid

Abstract

Methods are provided for FCC processing of atmospheric resid boiling range feedstocks derived from tight oils. Due to low contents of metals, sulfur, and/or coke-forming compounds, an atmospheric resid boiling range fraction derived from a tight oil feedstock that includes a substantial 1050° F.+ ( 566 ° C.+) portion can be suitable for processing in an FCC reactor. This can allow the atmospheric resid boiling range portion of a tight oil feedstock to be processed in an FCC reactor without requiring a vacuum distillation.

1 . A method for processing a tight oil fraction:
 separating a tight oil fraction at a pressure of at least 5 psig (35 kPa) to form at least a higher boiling fraction having a T5 boiling point of at least about 650° F. (343° C.) and a second fraction having a lower T5 boiling point than the higher boiling fraction, the higher boiling fraction comprising about 5 wppm to about 10 wppm of metals and at least about 20 wt % of 1050° F.+ compounds; and   exposing the higher boiling fraction to a cracking catalyst under effective fluid catalytic cracking conditions to form a cracked effluent comprising at least about 5 wt % of 1050° F.+ compounds.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising separating the cracked effluent to form a first naphtha boiling range fraction, a first diesel boiling range fraction, and a catalytic slurry oil fraction, the catalytic slurry oil fraction comprising the at least about 10 wt % of 1050° F.+ compounds of the cracked effluent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second fraction comprises at least a second naphtha boiling range portion and a second diesel boiling range portion, a combined yield of the first naphtha boiling range portion, the second naphtha boiling range portion, the first diesel boiling range portion, and the second diesel boiling range portion being at least about 70 wt % of the tight oil fraction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising hydrotreating at least a portion of the cracked naphtha boiling range fraction, at least a portion of the diesel boiling range fraction, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises at least about 25 wt % of 1050° F.+ compounds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises about 5 wppm to about 10 wppm of Ni, Cr, and V. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises about 5 wppm to about 7 wppm of metals. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % of Conradson Carbon Residue, the cracked effluent comprising about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % of Conradson Carbon Residue. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction is exposed to the cracking catalyst without being exposed to a pressure of less than 15 kPag. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein exposing the higher boiling fraction to a cracking catalyst comprises exposing the higher boiling fraction and a co-feed to the cracking catalyst, the co-feed having a T95 boiling point of about 1050° F. or less and a metal content of about 1-3 wppm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises an atmospheric resid fraction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher boiling fraction comprises about 500 wppm to about 5000 wppm sulfur. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tight oil fraction is derived from a crude oil extracted from a formation having a production rate of less than 100 barrels per day in the absence of hydraulic fracturing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tight oil fraction is derived from a crude oil extracted from a formation having a production rate of less than 10 barrels per day in the absence of hydraulic fracturing. 
     
     
         15 . A fluid catalytic cracking effluent comprising a light catalytic naphtha fraction, a heavy catalytic naphtha fraction, a light cycle oil, and a main column bottoms, the light catalytic naphtha fraction having a research octane number of at least 90 and an olefin content of at least 35 wt %, the heavy catalytic naphtha having a research octane number of at least 90, and the light cycle oil having a cetane index of at least 20.0. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid catalytic cracking effluent of  claim 15 , wherein the main column bottoms having an API gravity of at least −9. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid catalytic cracking effluent of  claim 15 , wherein the light catalytic naphtha fraction has a research octane number of at least 93, an olefin content of at least 40 wt %, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid catalytic cracking effluent of  claim 15 , wherein the heavy catalytic naphtha fraction has an olefin content of at least 6 wt %. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid catalytic cracking effluent of  claim 15 , wherein the heavy catalytic naphtha fraction has a research octane number of at least 92, an olefin content of at least 8 wt %, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid catalytic cracking effluent of  claim 15 , wherein the light catalytic naphtha fraction has a motor octane number of at least 80, or wherein the heavy catalytic naphtha fraction has a motor octane number of at least 78, or a combination thereof.