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Residue Hydroconversion & Hydroprocessing

Due to new regulation on the market such as IMO or coke regulations, residue hydroconversion & hydroprocessing technologies become key technologies for VR upgrading.

Axens has two primary hydrogen-addition pathways on its portfolio: fixed-bed Residue Desulfurization (Hyvahl™) and ebullated bed hydrocracking (H-Oil®).

The Atmospheric and Vacuum Residue (AR/VR) hydrotreater is a key refinery unit which improves Residue Feeds for Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) units and which produces additional diesel as well as low sulfur fuel oil. Residue hydroDeSulfurization units (RDS) improve downstream conversion operations by eliminating difficult feed components thus enabling the refinery engineers to squeezing the most out of the bottom-of-the-barrel, and maximize profitability. 

Axens' unique portfolio for AR/VRDS processing is highlighted by the Hyvahl™ technology and a full range of advanced resid hydrotreating catalysts. 

Atmospheric residues (ARs), vacuum residues (VRs), and also refractory oils such as heavy deasphalted oils (DAOs), straight-run vacuum gas oils (VGOs), heavy coker gas oil (HCGO) or coal-derived oils such as coal slurries (Direct Coal Liquefaction, DCL), as well as PyOil from steam crackers are all potential H-Oil® feeds.

Hyvahl™

Hyvahl™ is a high-performance RDS process with a perfect commercial operation safety record. It has been employed both for improving residue quality for use as an FCC feed and for the production of Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (ULSFO) addressing thus IMO 2020 targets.

The residue and hydrogen are pre-heated and then fed into the reactor section. Upgrading begins with a Permutable guard-bed Reactor System (PRS) to eliminate undesirable metals through hydrodemetallization (HDM), followed by a transition section and the final hydrotreating section for HydroDeSulfurization (HDS), HydroDeNitrogenation (HDN) and CCR reduction through HyDrotreating (HDCCR).

Hyvahl™ technology features:

  • Can process AR/VR blends or 100% VR with high metals content
  • Attains the most stringent ULSFO specifications with sulfur content as low as 0.28 wt. % (Middle East crude) throughout long cycle lengths
  • Typical conversions range from 15 to 25 wt. %
  • Produces low sulfur diesel
  • Produces an excellent RFCC feed
8 Hyvahl™ units processing AR, VR and slurry feeds are currently in operation and represent more than 30 years of cumulative operation
4 units with PRS system have been started-up and successfully operated achieving longer run time than other solution, thus preserving downstream RFCC throughput and margins
Commercial Bulletin
Hyvahl
Catalysts

Residue Hydrotreating Catalysts

RDS units include a number of reactors in series, each with a dedicated function. These units require a tailored catalyst system characterized by three reaction zones where the types and quantities of each catalyst are determined as a function of the feedstock difficulty and the objectives of the unit.

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Gradings

Arsenic Management

Arsenic is by far the most severe poison for Catalysts. Arsenic maximum allowable content on hydroprocessing catalysts during operation, depending upon the service, is in the range of hundreds of wppm.

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Gradings

Gums & Polymer formation control

Pressure drop induced by gum formation is frequently encountered in unit processing some cracked feedstock derived from various conversion processes. The olefins and mainly the diolefins contained in these streams tend to polymerize and get oxidized forming a crust which deposit in the upper layers of the reactor.

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Gradings

Nickel & Vanadium Management

Nickel and vanadium are naturally present in Crude Oil and usually in fractions boiling over 500°C. Nickel and vanadium poisoning affect only VGO and resid hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers.

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Gradings

Silica Management

Silicon is a well-known widespread poison for hydroprocessing catalysts. The main contributor to silicon is the Delayed Coker. In addition, there is a general tendency in the oil production industry to use more silicon-based flow improvers.

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Gradings

Speciality Bed Topping

In Hydroprocessing reactors, pressure drop is mainly induced by particulates build-up and gum formations. Pressure drop not only affect the capacity of the unit but can also have detrimental impact on the distribution.

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Furnaces

Furnace(s) is a key equipment considering the need for optimal operation of unit. Thanks to an extensive design experience with feedbacks from operators and a complete knowledge of this process, Heurtey Petrochem Solutions provides an unparalleled service such as these following features:

  • High fuel efficiency (94%+) depending on fuel S level
  • Fully Modularized
  • Lowest Emission (95%+ reduction with emission reduction technology)
  • Optimized Plot Plan
Find out more

Consulting, Studies & Audits

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

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Unit Revamps & Retrofits

You face many challenges, which include operating in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound manner while responding to changing markets dynamics.

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Customer Training

Designed for all Axens technologies, dedicated to operators & engineers, Axens offers customized training solutions to all our licensees, covering the whole range of Axens technologies.

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Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

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Digital Services & Applications

Axens' digital platform combines real-time data and digital solutions to optimize operations, reduce environmental impact, and lower costs while maximizing profitability. By delivering actionable insights and detailed performance reports, it enhances asset operation and performance for smarter, more efficient outcomes.

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Catalyst Protection Systems

Impurities, fines, gums, scales and inorganic matter can be carried over with the feed. While catalyst performance is steadily increasing due to constant innovation, they are often more sensitive to poisoning.

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Reactor Internals

In today’s complex environment, refineries and petrochemical plants around the world need advanced solutions to reach operational excellence. In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, the use of high-efficiency reactor internals are essential to help achieve this goal.

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Consulting, Studies & Audits

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

Read more

Unit Revamps & Retrofits

You face many challenges, which include operating in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound manner while responding to changing markets dynamics.

Read more

Customer Training

Designed for all Axens technologies, dedicated to operators & engineers, Axens offers customized training solutions to all our licensees, covering the whole range of Axens technologies.

Read more

Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

Read more

Digital Services & Applications

Axens' digital platform combines real-time data and digital solutions to optimize operations, reduce environmental impact, and lower costs while maximizing profitability. By delivering actionable insights and detailed performance reports, it enhances asset operation and performance for smarter, more efficient outcomes.

Read more

Catalyst Protection Systems

Impurities, fines, gums, scales and inorganic matter can be carried over with the feed. While catalyst performance is steadily increasing due to constant innovation, they are often more sensitive to poisoning.

Read more

Reactor Internals

In today’s complex environment, refineries and petrochemical plants around the world need advanced solutions to reach operational excellence. In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, the use of high-efficiency reactor internals are essential to help achieve this goal.

Read more

H-Oil®

Axens is the leader in the ebullated-bed market with more than 25 references all around the world.

With its extensive operating experience, H-Oil® is the most mature and reliable solution for residue upgrading. H-Oil® meets the challenge of converting heavy feedstock residues into essentially distillate products, ranging from vacuum gasoil (VGO) to naphtha. Such performances are achieved in the original ebullated-bed H-Oil® reactor, possibly in combination with other units.

The process utilizes an ebullated bed reactor with daily catalyst addition and withdrawal to not only achieve high desulfurization rates but also a wide conversion envelope, VR conversion ranges from 70 to 95wt%. Thanks to daily addition, no shutdown for catalyst replacement occurs. The H-Oil® unit has a stream factor superior than 96%. One of the main technology features is its flexibility both in terms of feedstock and product slate; commercial units have demonstrated significant flexibility in their conversion targets while processing a wide range of residual feed streams from paraffinic Russian Urals to heavy Canadian bitumen. PyOil from crude to Petrochemical scheme is nowadays co-process in the H-Oil® unit.

Over 25 references with a total feed capacity of more than 1,020,000 BPSD and 2 starts up in 2019
Conversion ranging from 50 to 85 % depending on the feedstock
Development of dedicated catalyst & Higher stability control
EN CN
H-oil

H-Oil® Suite

Relying on the proven reliability of the H-Oil® technology platform, the H-Oil® Suite aims at integrating the upgrading of residue in the refinery’s environment at best, while saving energy and optimizing the use of existing facilities.

In H-Oil®+, the “+” stands for an “additional feature” that works with the basic H-Oil® process technology. Several options are available to meet the refiners need for valuable additional conversion points while keeping costs to a reasonable level.

Those advanced options include:

  • Low space velocity to achieve 90+% conversion while maintaining product stability
  • Adding HCAT liquid catalyst precursor to the solid catalyst system to further increase the conversion envelope by increasing catalytic hydrogen transfer, available catalytic reactor volume, and therefore dramatically increasing product stability. HCAT liquid catalyst is supplied by HTI.
  • Integrating H-Oil® in a residue conversion block including with SDA,Coker or Flexicoking units, reducing the production of and increasing the value of the rejected carbon molecules.
Over 90% conversion were demonstrated in pilot test with H-Oil®+ and in industrial units (93% achieved
Technology valid for all VR upgrading applications: high conversion, IMO production, zero fuel production
HCAT injection for grassroot units only available by Axens
EN CN
H-Oil Suite

Furnaces

Furnace(s) is a key equipment considering the need for optimal operation of unit. Thanks to an extensive design experience with feedbacks from operators and a complete knowledge of this process, Heurtey Petrochem Solutions provides an unparalleled service such as these following features:

  • High fuel efficiency (94%+) depending on fuel S level
  • Fully Modularized
  • Lowest Emission (95%+ reduction with emission reduction technology)
  • Optimized Plot Plan
Find out more

Testimonies

Explore some

Resources

Technical article

Technical Article - Guiding the crude-to-chemicals complex towards a net-zero future

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Insight

Maximizing the Production and the Transformation of Aromatics

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Insight

Targeting the Highly Coveted Olefins

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Insight

Recommended Process Routes for Maximized Oil Conversion to Aromatics and Olefins

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Insight

Maximizing the Production and the Transformation of Aromatics

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Insight

Targeting the Highly Coveted Olefins

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Insight

Recommended Process Routes for Maximized Oil Conversion to Aromatics and Olefins

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Insight

From Refining to Chemicals, a Switch of the Yield in 4 Stages

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Petrochemicals
Case Study

Case Study - Refining to olefins production

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Oil Refining
Case Study

Case Study - Refining petrochemicals integration

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Whitepaper

White Paper - Crude-to-Chemicals

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Technical article

Technical Article - Guiding the crude-to-chemicals complex towards a net-zero future

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Technical article

Technical Article - Implementing Advanced Technologies for Crude to Chemicals Projects

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Technical article

Technical Article - Flexible Upgrading of Heavy Feedstocks

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Technical article

Technical Article - First Residue Hydrocracker Starts-Up In Asia/Pacific

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See all Technical articles
FAQ

Can you recommend a process route for residual fuel oil feed to help comply with the IMO’s revised targets for bunker fuels?

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See all FAQ
Press release

Axens and Sinopec Zhenhai Refinery & Chemicals Company announce the completion of the Performance Guarantee Test Run of H-Oil® unit

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Press release

Axens Signs an Agreement with Hengyi Industries to Provide FLEXICOKING™ Technology

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Press release

Axens and ExxonMobil Sign Alliance Agreement

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Press release

Axens and ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing LLC Sign Alliance Agreement

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See all Press releases

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