Catalyst rejuvenation for heavy oil processes

One of the major economic factors for hydroprocessing units in petroleum refineries is the cost of catalyst. These costs can change dramatically depending on the size of the unit, the type of feedstock, processing objectives, and many other variables. As one gets deeper into the barrel, reduced catalyst life makes this cost factor more and more significant. This is compounded by the fact that the units also get larger as you go to heavier feedstocks. Finally, in modern refineries, many processors are treating heavy oils or residuum feedstocks. Not only are these units quite large, but catalyst cycle lengths can be as low as 3 to 10 bbl/lb. At this rate, catalyst costs have a profound impact on the operating economics.