Chapter 5 – Hydrocracking

Heavy feedstocks—which require more energy-intensive processing than conventional crude oil—will in the future contribute a growing fraction of fuels production. As existing reserves of conventional oil are depleted and there is greater worldwide competition for premium (i.e., light, sweet) crude oil, refineries will increasingly utilize heavy oil, extra-heavy oil, and tar sand bitumen to meet demand. Furthermore, it is apparent that the conversion of heavy feedstocks requires new lines of thought to develop suitable processing scenarios. This has brought about, and will continue to bring about in the refinery of the future, the evolution of processing schemes that accommodate the heavier feedstocks. It is the purpose of this chapter to introduce the reader to the concept of hydrocracking heavy feedstocks, which requires considerably different catalysts and process flows, depending on the specific operation so that efficient hydroconversion through uniform distribution of liquid, hydrogen-rich gas, and catalyst across the reactor is assured.

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