Technology for High-Quality Lubricants Production

Dr. Girish ChitnisDr. Simon HackerDr. Tim Hilbert

7TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON FUELS AND

LUBRICANTS - ISFL-2010March 9-12, 2010

Research and Engineering

ISFL 2010

Group II and Group III Base Oils are the high growth areasDemand for improved fuel economy and lower emissions mean lower viscosity/volatility engine oilsDemand for increased equipment reliabilityExtended service intervals/fill for life for engines requires both performance and stabilityGroup II/III plants have Opex advantages versus Group I plants

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50

100

150

200

250

1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Hydroisomerization Capacity (kbpd)

Lube

Pro

duct

,( kb

pd)

Lube Activity Focused on Group II and Group III Production

ExxonMobilTechnologies

Others

ISFL 2010

Performance Requirements Pushes Quality

Improved fuel economy

Lower Emissions

Longer Life

Better low temperature performance

High temperature performance

ViscometricsThermal stability

Soot handling (diesels)

Lower Viscosity

Lower Volatility

Higher Saturates

Lower Pour, Lower CCS

Higher VIHigher Saturates

Higher Saturates

ISFL 2010

Volatility a Driver for Increased VI

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt

Noa

ck V

olat

ility

, Mas

s%

API SM 5W30

API SM Max

GM Proposed Global Spec.

Group I / Group II 95 VI

Group II+

Mid Tier Group III

Top Tier Group III

Group IV / PAO’s

Gasoline& Diesel

HC Bottoms

VacuumDistillation

Common Routes for Base Oil Production

CatalyticDewax

Fuels Hydrocracker

LubeHydrocracker

SolventExtraction HydrofinishingSolvent

Dewaxing

Dis

tilla

te/D

AO

Group I

Group II

Group II /III

Group II / III

CatalyticDewaxRHCTM

Group II

Group II /IIIHydrofinishing

Solvent Dewax

Vacuum Distillation

HydrofinishingCatalyticDewax

RHCTM

ISFL 2010

Process Choice: Blocked or Broadcut?

Blocked: Lube Grades processed individuallyPro:

Smaller catalytic equipmentProduction to optimum specification for each productClear target response to feed change

Con: Intermediate tankage required between unitsMore complex operation

Broadcut: Unfractionated Fuels H/C bottoms or VGO to Lube H/C

Pro: Single operation, no stock switch—simpler controlMinimal/no intermediate tankage

Con: Larger catalytic vesselsOne grade dictates operating severity—possible overtreating of others

ISFL 2010

Integrated Group I Facilities

DeasphaltingDeasphalting

Group IIGroup III

HydroprocessingHydroprocessing(RHT/RHC(RHT/RHC™™))

CatalyticCatalyticDewaxingDewaxing (MSDW(MSDW™™ ))

HydrofinishingHydrofinishing (MAXSAT(MAXSAT™™))

Converting Vacuum Gas Oil and DAO to High Quality Lube Base Stocks is a multi-step Process Converting Vacuum Gas Oil and DAO to High Quality Lube Base Stocks is a multi-step Process

Atm

osph

eric

Res

id

VacuumGas Oil

DA

O

Vacu

umR

esid

VacuumVacuumDistillationDistillation

Group IGroup IFacilitiesFacilities

Extract

Solvent Solvent Dewaxing Dewaxing

Group IIGroup III

Remove Remove AsphalticAsphaltic

Material andMaterial andAdjust Adjust

ViscosityViscosity

Adjust Adjust ViscosityViscosity

Improve VI, Reduce Sulfur

& Nitrogen, Saturate or

Extract Aromatics,

Reduce CCR, Remove Metals

Improve Cold Flow Properties

Convert wax to High VI

Lube

Improve Color and Stability, Saturate

Polynuclear Aromatics

ISFL 2010

Integrated Route to Base Oils

01020304050607080

Base

VI In

crea

se

Conversion to 360-O C Fuels

Group III

Group II

Aromatic Extract

Group III

Group II

Group IIGroup III

Hydroprocessing(HDT/RHC)

Hydroprocessing(HDT/RHC)

CatalyticDewaxing (MSDW)

CatalyticDewaxing (MSDW)

Hydrofinishing (MAXSAT)

Hydrofinishing (MAXSAT)

Group I Solvent Plant

Group I Solvent Plant

ExistingSolvent Dewaxing

ExistingSolvent Dewaxing Group II

Group I Integrated into Group II & Group III Lube Plant

• 8 RHC/RHT units in operation or in design

• Group I solvent operation improves VI with a yield loss to aromatic extracts

• Removal of 3-4 ring aromatic compounds and complex sulfur and nitrogen compounds allows reduction in hydroprocessing severity, hydrogen consumption and associated yield loss

ISFL 2010

Raffinate Hydroconversion (RHC) or Hydrotreating (RHT) Add Flexibility

Lower investment than grass rootsMaintains use of solvent-based lube facilities and Debottlenecks solvent extractionProduces high quality Group II & II+ base stocks; also Group III capable

Higher VI, higher saturates, lower volatility, lower sulfur

Improved color and stability

Easily processes full range of viscosity grades

Preserves wax production with solvent dewaxing, or…

May use Catalytic Dewaxing (MSDW) to eliminate solvent dewaxing

ISFL 2010

Maximize Use of Existing Group I EquipmentLu

be V

acuu

m

Lube

Vac

uum

D

istil

latio

nD

istil

latio

n

Aromatic Extract

Fuels

Light Neutral

Medium Neutral

Heavy Neutral

Solv

ent D

ewax

ing

Solv

ent D

ewax

ing

RHC RHC or or

HDTHDT

Solv

ent E

xtra

ctio

nSo

lven

t Ext

ract

ion

50-70% Yield with 15- 35 VI Uplift

80-98% yield with 3-30 VI Uplift and H2 use of 300-600 scf/B

DW: 70-85% Base Oil Yield

High-quality wax with upstream Hydroprocessing

ISFL 2010

Case Studies – Overview

Solvent Extraction Unit (SEU) and Solvent Dewaxing Unit (SDW) exist to process a full range of lubes (can include Bright Stock)

Flexibility required to produce Group II / II+ lubes

Options:CASE 1: SEU, RHC and SDW – keep Neutral grades wax production with improved slack wax quality

CASE 2: SEU, RHT and catalytic dewaxing (MSDW) – maximum production, but no wax product

All products produced to 110VI with addition of RHC/RHT

Solvent dewaxing and Catalytic Dewaxing (MSDW) considered

ISFL 2010

Case Studies – Overview (2)

Three products—100N/325N/600N

Base production of 100VI/95VI/95VI

SEU solvent ratio decreased to increase overall production.

SEU Raffinate produced at 85 VI (DWO basis)

Two crudes considered:

Arab Light – high quality crude source example

Urals – low quality crude source example

ISFL 2010

Case Studies – Results

Total production maintained with both Solvent dewaxing and Catalytic Dewaxing (MSDW) – 110VI products – by balancing process steps

Large increase in extraction capacity with reduction in severity; substantial product rate increase possible

VDU sidestreams viscosity increased to meet constant product viscosity

Hydroprocessing viscosity impact differs from solvent processing

Wax production increase is possible when SDW can support

Effects are Crude Independent—relative changes consistent for AL and Urals

Study Case 1 – Summary of Effects

Impact of RHC Addition with Optimization To Existing Basic SEU/SDW

100N/325N/600N products Production 

Change

Group I Base Case — 100/95/95 VI Products Base Ops today

Group II 110 VI Products — Constant SEU 

Feed Rate and Severity ‐‐ Raise VI

Group II 110VI Products — Reduce SEU 

Severity to 85 VI +/‐ First step‐recover 

capacity

Group II 110VI Products—Max SEU Feed to 

Solvent Limit + Wax production based on 

SDW

+Increase raffinate 

to raise base oil & 

wax production

Study Case 2 – Summary of Effects

Impact of RHT Addition with Optimization To Existing SEU

Replace SDW with Catalytic Dewaxing (MSDW)

100N/325N/600N products Production 

Change

Group I Base Case — 100/95/95 VI Products Base Ops today

Group II 110 VI Products — Constant SEU 

Feed Rate and Severity ‐‐ Raise VI

Group II 110VI Products — Reduce SEU 

Severity to 85 VI +/‐ First step‐recover 

capacity

Group II 110VI Products —Max SEU Feed to 

Solvent Limit +

Increase raffinate 

to raise base oil 

production

ISFL 2010

RHC is Commercially Proven . . .

First unit streamed in 1999 – ten years of consistent performance

Commercial sequence of SEU/RHC/SDW (Ketone)

Very Low catalyst ageing

EHCTM Group II+ products show excellent performance in formulations

Multiple units designed and operating/in-construction

Excellent flexibility for complete slate of viscosity grades including Bright Stock

Group III capable

ISFL 2010

First RHC Unit Streamed in 1999

EHC™ 45 EHC™ 60

SUS @ 40°C 150 200

Pour point, °C -18 -18

VI 116 114

NOACK Volatility, wt% 14 8

Saturates by Clay Gel, wt% 96 95

Group II+ Production

ISFL 2010

MSDW – Leading Selective Dewaxing Catalyst System

Integrates with RHC/RHT, and lubes or fuels hydrocrackingWaxes selectively isomerized to high VI lubeHighest lube product yield and low fuels/gas productionTwo reactor cascade system

Reactor 1: Zeolite Catalyst for dewaxingReactor 2: Noble Metal Hydrofinishing Catalyst

Low Hydrogen consumptionProcesses full range of base stocksMSDW-2 life demonstrated >7 years in Jurong and > 9 years with LicenseeMSDW licensed in 23 units with 20 units starting up from 2002 to 2011New MSDW Catalyst – commercialized in more than 6 units since 2005

ExxonMobilTechnologies

Others

ISFL 2010

MSDW: Leads by . . .Feed flexibility from light neutral to bright stock...excellent viscosity retentionProduct flexibility for Group II and Group IIIHigh lube product yields with minimum fuels byproductsExcellent low temperature properties of productsLatest MSDW shows higher activity than prior generations, yet maintains exceptional yield selectivity, robust operation when faced with feed contamination, and superb feed rate maintenanceNo MSDW load ever replaced for reaching end-of-cycle condition, or because of feed contamination upset

Fully recovers activity after feed contamination upset – including hydro-processed coker gas oilHigh tolerance for contaminants in feed: S, N, PNA’s

ISFL 2010

MSDW: Proven Catalyst Stability

ISFL 2010

MSDW Will Continue to Improve by . . .

Continuous development work to further improve flexibility and operation. New generations in development today to…

Expand already wide range of LHSV operation

Enhance already high tolerance to feed contaminants of S and N

Expand present exceptional operating stability and flexibility for very low pour point products (<-40°C)

ISFL 2010

Catalytic Lube Application of ExxonMobil Technologies ... Since 2000

Operating or in Design/ConstructionLube Hydrocrackers 5RCH/RHT 8MSDW 23MAXSAT 18

ISFL 2010

In Conclusion . . .

Adding RHC to existing solvent-based lube facility raises lube quality from a wide range of crude sources

SEU/RHC/SDW will produce Group II/II+ lubes and is capable for Group III lubes (all viscosity grades)

Adding RHC to existing solvent-based plant retains (and may increase) wax production; improves wax appearance quality

MSDW for dewaxing step may increase production further, but eliminates wax product

Join our satisfied clients and let EMRE's lube experience work for you

ISFL 2010

THANK YOU !