Process and apparatus for converting crude oil to chemicals

Abstract

A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed may comprise fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream, a medium-light stream, a medium-heavy stream, and a heavy stream; passing the light stream to a steam cracking unit to produce a cracked light stream; passing the medium-heavy stream to a hydrocracker to produce a hydrocracked medium-heavy stream; passing the heavy stream to a delayed coker to produce a cracked heavy stream; and passing the cracked light stream, the medium-light stream, the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream, and the cracked heavy stream to a catalytic reformer to produce an aromatics stream. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise alkylating the cracked light stream. In further embodiments, various recycle streams may be utilized.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed comprising:
 fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream, a medium-light stream, a medium-heavy stream, and a heavy stream;   passing the light stream to a steam cracking unit to produce a cracked light stream;   passing the medium-heavy stream to a hydrocracker to produce a hydrocracked medium-heavy stream;   passing the heavy stream to a delayed coker to produce a cracked heavy stream; and   passing the cracked light stream, the medium-light stream, the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream, and the cracked heavy stream to a catalytic reformer to produce an aromatics stream; wherein:
 the light stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 1  to C 6  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the light stream; 
 the medium-light stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 6  to C 12  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-light stream; 
 the medium-heavy stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 12  to C 40  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-heavy stream; and 
 the heavy stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 40  or larger hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the heavy stream. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein passing the cracked light stream to the catalytic reformer comprises passing the cracked light stream to an alkylation unit to produce an alkylated light stream and passing the alkylated light stream to the catalytic reformer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein passing the cracked light stream to the alkylation unit further produces a first C 2 -C 6  stream, the method further comprising passing the first C 2 -C 6  stream back to the steam cracking unit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the alkylated light stream comprises at least 80 wt. % of C 5  to C 12  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the alkylated light stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light stream has an upper cut point of from 60° C. to 70° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein passing the medium-light stream to the catalytic reformer further comprises passing the medium-light stream to a hydrotreater to produce a hydrotreated medium-light stream and passing the hydrotreated medium-light stream to the catalytic reformer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medium-light stream comprises at least 80 wt. % of C 6  to C 12  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-light stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medium-light stream has a lower cut point of from 60° C. to 70° C. and an upper cut point of from 175° C. to 185° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein passing the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream to the catalytic reformer comprises passing the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream to a separator to produce a second medium-heavy stream; and passing the second medium-heavy stream to the catalytic reformer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein passing the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream to the separator further produces a second C 2 -C 6  stream, the method further comprising passing the second C 2 -C 6  stream to the steam cracking unit to produce the cracked light stream. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medium-heavy stream has lower cut point of from 175° C. to 185° C. and an upper cut point of from 530° C. to 550° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medium-heavy stream comprises at least 80 wt. % of C 12  to C 40  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-heavy stream. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein passing the cracked heavy stream to the catalytic reformer comprises passing the cracked heavy stream to a coke fractionator to produce one or more of:
 a third C 2 -C 6  stream,   a liquid >180° C. stream, and   a second 65° C. to 180° C. stream; and passing the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream to the catalytic reformer.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream comprises at least 80 wt. % of C 6 -C 12  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein passing the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream to the catalytic reformer comprises passing the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream to a hydrotreater. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising passing the liquid >180° C. stream to the hydrocracker and passing the third C 2 -C 6  stream to the steam cracking unit, an alkylation unit, or both. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heavy stream has a lower cut point of at least 530° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heavy stream comprises at least 80 wt. % of C 40  or larger hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the heavy stream. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed is a crude oil with an API gravity of at least 25. 
     
     
         20 . A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed comprising fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream, a medium-light stream, a medium-heavy stream, and a heavy stream;
 passing the light stream to a steam cracking unit to produce a cracked light stream, passing the cracked light stream to an alkylation unit to produce an alkylated light stream and a first C 2 -C 6  stream;   passing the medium-light stream to a hydrotreater to produce a hydrotreated medium-light stream;   passing the medium-heavy stream to a hydrocracker to produce a hydrocracked medium-heavy stream, passing the hydrocracked medium-heavy stream to a separator to produce a second medium-heavy stream and a second C 2 -C 6  stream;   passing the heavy stream to a delayed coker to produce a cracked heavy stream, passing the cracked heavy stream to a coke fractionator to produce a third C 2 -C 6  stream, a liquid >180° C. stream, and a second 65° C. to 180° C. stream;   passing the liquid >180° C. stream to the hydrocracker;   passing the first, second, and third C 2 -C 6  streams to the steam cracking unit; and   passing the alkylated light stream, the hydrotreated medium-light stream, the second medium-heavy stream, and the second 65° C. to 180° C. stream to a catalytic reformer; wherein:   the light stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 1  to C 6  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the light stream;   the medium-light stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 6  to C 12  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-light stream;   the medium-heavy stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 12  to C 40  hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the medium-heavy stream; and   the heavy stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of C 40  or larger hydrocarbons, based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the heavy stream.