Eni Slurry Technology: Maximizing Value from the Bottom-of-the-Barrel

摘要

EST is a hydrocracking technology featuring: 1 a very active dispersed (slurry) catalyst, which prevents coke formation and promotes upgrading reactions (sulphur, nitrogen and metals removal and CCR reduction); 2 an original process scheme based on a slurry bubble column reactor developed in-house, perfectly homogeneous and isothermal, that allows optimal control of exothermic hydrocracking reactions; 3 a fractionation section for the recovery of the light, middle and heavy distillates; 4 a system for recycling the catalyst and the partially unconverted fractions. This process scheme allows the almost complete conversion of the vacuum residue, overcoming the main limitation of commercially available conversion technologies, i.e. the threshold for the phase separation of the asphaltenes. Only a small purge is necessary to limit the build-up of metals (Ni and V) present in the heavy feedstock. Therefore, EST provides higher yields over current available conversion technologies. EST technology has been developed and fine-tuned after many years of experience in operating pilot and demonstration units. Today the industrial plant represents the reference unit that helps Eni to improve the technology and to develop best practices that always require time to be implemented.