Light and tight feed stock: how are you dealing with it?

In the last 15 yrs investment in the US was focused on heavy sour crudes from Latin America or Canada. During this same time period the environmental regulations have required lower sulfur motor fuels. Major investments have been made in Delayed Coking and Hydrocracking along with severe treating of gasoils and mid distillates, along with FCC Naphtha post treating, to cope with the sour feeds and more stringent fuel requirements.

The Shale Oil (Tight Oil) boom is reshaping the operation of refineries in the USA. The production and continue improvements in shale plays along with Canadian Synthetic crudes can place North America in a position of being self-sufficient on crude supplies. The challenge upon the industry is how to best utilize shale oil and maximize value while meeting the domestic demands, and improving the opportunities of exporting into the global market. The quality of shale gasoils and residue provide a unique opportunity to maximize refinery revenue without added investments.

Mel Larson from KBC will provide an overview of the market and highlights areas of operational impacts to the Delayed Coker and the FCC. The opportunities covered will consider Operations considerations, Environmental Considerations, and “Thinking out of the Box” to maximize the value and opportunity of process Shale Oil.

We invite your comments here and during a special crude compatibilities session for all delegates at the Coking & CatCracking Conference in Galveston, TX, May 8. Sign up with me (Paul at Coking.com) in advance to offer your 3 to 5 minute long questions and comments at the conference and receive an 8GB USB drive.

What issues are you facing?

Paul Orlowski