Production of High Quality Base Oils

Abstract

A process for creating higher quality and lower quality base oils from used lubricating oils and crude oils, wherein the higher quality base oils may be either Group III or Group II and the lower quality base oils may be either Group II or Group I. Vacuum gas oils produced from used lubricating oils and from crude oils are processed via two or more process steps, including solvent extraction, solvent or catalytic or iso dewaxing, and hydrotreating. Such process enables efficient conversion and operation of refineries formerly capable only of making Group I base oils, even as their ability to make heavier base oils, waxes, and bright stocks is preserved, substantially to the same extent as such products had been made prior to undertaking the conversion.

1 . A method for making base oil, the method comprising steps of:
 blending together (a) vacuum gas oil made from crude oil (“CO-VGO”) and (b) vacuum gas oil made from used lubricating oil (“UO-VGO”) to form a blended VGO (“Blended VGO”); and   processing the Blended VGO by means of at least two of solvent extraction, dewaxing, and hydrotreating to make a base oil.   
     
     
         2 . A method for making base oil by solvent extraction, de-waxing, and hydrotreating, the method comprising steps of:
 processing vacuum gas oil made from crude oil (“CO-VGO”) during a first period of time by at least two of solvent extraction, dewaxing, and hydrotreating to make at least one first base oil; and   processing vacuum gas oil made from used lubricating oil (“UO-VGO”) during a second period of time by at least two of solvent extraction, dewaxing, and hydrotreating to make at least one second base oil.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the UO-VGO is processed by hydrotreating prior to processing by solvent extraction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the UO-VGO is processed by solvent extraction prior to processing by hydrotreating. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein at least a portion of the effluent produced after processing the UO-VGO by hydrotreating is then processed by solvent extraction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein at least a portion of the effluent produced after processing the UO-VGO by solvent extraction is then directly processed by hydrotreating. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the at least one second base oil produced from processing UO-VGO is a Group III base oil. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the at least one second base oil produced from processing the UO-VGO is a Group II base oil. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the at least one first base oil produced from processing the CO-VGO is a Group II base oil. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2  wherein UO-VGO has a viscosity index in excess of 100. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein UO-VGO has a viscosity index in excess of 105. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2  wherein UO-VGO has a viscosity index in excess of 110. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  wherein UO-VGO has a viscosity index in excess of 115. 
     
     
         14 . A method for making at least one of a first base oil and a second base oil, the method comprising the steps of processing a vacuum gas oil that is made from used lubricating oil (“UO-VGO”) that has a viscosity index (“VI”) of 90 or more by means of at least two of solvent extraction, dewaxing, and hydrotreating. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the UO-VGO has a VI in excess of 105. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the UO-VGO has a VI in excess of 110. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the UO-VGO has a VI in excess of 115. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein solvent extraction precedes hydrotreating. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein hydrotreating precedes solvent extraction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  where at least a portion of the UO-VGO is processed into a Group III base oil. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14  wherein at least a portion of the UO-VGO is processed into a Group II base oil. 
     
     
         22 . A method of processing at least one of CO-VCB and UO-VCB by means of solvent deasphalting wherein the deasphalted oil produced by solvent deasphalting the at least one of CO-VCB and UO-VCB is then further processed into bright stock. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the deasphalted oil is then blended into at least one of CO-VGO and UO-VGO.