Refiner conducts full scale VGO hydrotreating study

Champlin Refining and Chemicals Inc. is systematically improving its hydrotreating operation through a program of research and commercial unit testing. The program is helping Champlin learn to optimize catalyst deactivation rates and run lengths by altering heavy vacuum gas oil (HVGO) cutpoint, unit severities, temperature management approach, and other parameters. This article reports significant observations from full scale runs in which catalysts and other variables were changed. A second article that will appear next week describes the approach to optimization of the hydrotreating catalyst system and the economic impact of the project. The medium-sized, fully integrated refinery located in Corpus Christi, Tex., uses the Unibon (UOP) hydrotreating process to process vacuum and coker gas oils from heavy Venezuelan crude. The Champlin facility is wholly owned by Petroleos de Venezuela SA and currently is running 100% Venezuelan crude at an average rate of 130,000 b/d. The blend that is processed is a combination of several different Venezuelan crudes. A table shows the analysis of a typical crude blend processed at the refinery. The period covered in this article is Apr. 10, 1986, to Dec. 31, 1990.