Systems and methods for producing olefins and/or aromatics by aquaprocessing and steam cracking

Abstract

Systems and methods for producing olefins and/or aromatics are disclosed. The methods include aquaprocessing of crude and/or heavy oils, at high severity, prior to processing in a steam cracking unit to produce ethylene and propylene at a mass ratio of propylene to ethylene (P/E) of 0.6 or higher. The systems include an aquaprocessing unit capable of being operated at high severity and a steam cracking unit capable of producing ethylene and propylene at a mass ratio of propylene to ethylene (P/E) of 0.6 or higher.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing olefins and/or aromatics, the method comprising:
 flowing a hydrocarbon feed and hydrogen into an aquaprocessing unit having a catalyst disposed therein;   aquaprocessing the hydrocarbon feed in the aquaprocessing unit to produce a first stream comprising gas having a boiling point in a range of up to 200° C., a second stream having a boiling point in a range of 200 to 350° C., and a third stream that comprises one or more of pitch, coke, or fuel oil and has a boiling point in a range of 350 to 650° C.; wherein the aquaprocessing of the hydrocarbon feed comprises contacting the hydrocarbon feed and the hydrogen with the catalyst at a temperature in a range of 400 to 500° C.;   flowing the first stream and the second stream to a steam cracking unit; and   processing the first stream and the second stream in the steam cracking unit to produce olefins and/or aromatics, wherein the olefins include ethylene and propylene, wherein the steam cracking unit is operated such that a mass ratio of propylene to ethylene (P/E) is 0.6 to 0.68.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, within the aquaprocessing unit, the contacting of the hydrocarbon feed and the hydrogen with the catalyst is carried out in a reactor unit to produce a reactor unit effluent; and the method further comprises:
 separating the reactor unit effluent in a separation unit within the aquaprocessing unit.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating conditions of the steam cracking unit comprise a temperature of 750 to 900° C. and a pressure of <1 atm to 3 atmg. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aquaprocessing unit comprises one or more of: a fixed bed reactor, an ebullated reactor, or a slurry reactor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises one or more of the following: crude oil, plastics, oligomers from plastic pyrolysis, synthetic crude oil, bottom crude oil cut, bio oil, synthetic crude oil, and hydrocarbons from plastics pyrolysis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises a bottom crude oil cut stream and the method further comprises:
 separating crude oil in a separation unit to produce the bottom crude oil cut stream and a top crude oil cut stream having a boiling point in a range of up to 200° C.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 processing the top crude oil cut stream in the steam cracking unit to produce olefins and/or aromatics.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises one or more of the following: an organometallic compound having one or more of Ni, Mo, Co, W, Zr; NiMo; NiCoMo; NiMoW; alumina; and zeolite. 
     
     
         9 . A system for producing olefins and/or aromatics, the system comprising:
 an aquaprocessing unit having a catalyst disposed therein and adapted to contact a hydrocarbon feed and hydrogen with the catalyst at a temperature in a range of 400 to 500° C. to produce a first stream comprising gas having a boiling point in a range of up to 200° C., a second stream having a boiling point in a range of 200 to 350° C., and a third stream that comprises one or more of pitch, coke, or fuel oil and has a boiling point in a range of 350 to 650° C.; and   a steam cracking unit in fluid communication with the aquaprocessing unit, the steam cracking unit adapted to produce olefins and/or aromatics from the first stream and the second stream.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the aquaprocessing unit comprises one or more of: a fixed bed reactor, an ebullated reactor, or a slurry reactor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a separation unit adapted to separate crude oil to produce at least a portion of a bottom crude oil cut stream that is included in the hydrocarbon feed to the aquaprocessing unit. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the separation unit is in fluid communication with the steam cracking unit and the system is adapted to flow a top crude oil cut stream having a boiling point in a range of up to 200° C. from the separation unit to the steam cracking unit. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the aquaprocessing unit is adapted to produce diesel. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the aquaprocessing unit comprises one or more distillation columns.