Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Fritz A Bernatz

Christopher P Eppig

Michael Siskin

Craig Y Sabottke

Eric W Fryatt

Martin Leo Gorbaty

David T Ferrughelli

Charles John Mart

Leo D Brown

Brenda Anne Raich

Simon Robert Kelemen

Bing Du

Timothy M Healy

Theodore Sideropoulos

Jordan K Lambert

Zachary R Martin

Yi En Huang

Zachary Robert Martin

A fluid coking unit for converting a heavy oil feed to lower boiling products by thermal has a centrally-apertured annular baffle at the top of the stripping zone below the coking zone to inhibit recirculation of solid particles from the stripping zone to the coking zone. By inhibiting recirculation of the particles from the stripping zone to the coking zone, the temperatures of the two zones are effectively decoupled, enabling the coking zone to be run at a lower temperature than the stripping zone to increase the yield of liquid products.

Fluid bed coking process with decoupled coking zone and stripping zone

The morphology of petroleum cokes produced by the delayed coking of feeds produced from extra-heavy crude sources such as those from the Venezuela Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt can be controlled to produce a less dense coke which is less likely to inflame in the coke pit or in subsequent handling. An aqueous solution of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal carbonate salt when added to a feed of this type which would normally produce a dense coke product is effective to produce a quenchable coke product of lower density and higher porosity, usually in compact, granular form permitting it to be readily discharged from the drum.

Delayed coking process

Petroleum cokes derived from extra-heavy crude sources can be made more amenable to quenching by adding water or a water/light oil mixture to the coker feed downstream of the furnace. The coke product resulting from this addition of normally volatile liquids to the hot coker feed is still relatively dense but is more friable and usually is in a compact, relatively free-flowing, granular form. The coke is more amenable to uniform quenching in the drum and so can be cut and discharged with a reduced risk of eruptions and a reduced risk of fires in the coke pit or when the coke is subsequently handled and transported.

A method of blending delayed coker feedstocks to produce a coke that is easier to remove from a coker drum. A first feedstock is selected having less than about 250 wppm dispersed metals content and greater than about 5.24 API gravity. A second delayed coker feedstock is blended with said first resid feedstock so that the total dispersed metals content of the blend will be greater than about 250 wppm and the API gravity will be less than about 5.24.

Blending of resid feedstocks to produce a coke that is easier to remove from a coker drum

A delayed coking process for making substantially free-flowing coke, preferably shot coke. A coker feedstock, such as a vacuum residuum, is heated in a heating zone to coking temperatures then conducted to a coking zone wherein volatiles are collected overhead and coke is formed. A metals-containing additive is added to the feedstock prior to it being heated in the heating zone, prior to its being conducted to the coking zone, or both.

Delayed coking process for producing free-flowing coke using a metals-containing additive

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Clifton, VA, United States of America

Fritz A Bernatz