Catalytic Technology for Converting Heavy Oils Derived from Alberta Oil Sands into Petrochemical Feedstock

摘要

The North American petrochemicals market is currently undergoing significant changes which are caused by development of shale gas resources. This unconventional gas source recentlybecame economical due to availability of new technologies. Eagleford and Marcellus shale gas resources, for instance, are proven to be very rich in high value gas liquids, which are a competitive feedstock for the petrochemicals industry. Ethane may be available in amounts, which ensure sustainable growth for the foreseeable future. However, this may bring new challenges in terms of a short supply of propylene monomer due to the use of lighter, gas-liquids feedstock. These produce less propylene than do heavier, crude-oil-based feedstock. New technologies which can economically produce propylene from sustainable hydrocarbon feed could fill that gap. On the other hand, oil sands operations in Alberta are poised to experience significant growth over the next number of years. The 2008 production of 1.31 million bbl/day of synthetic crude oil and bitumen blends from the oil sands is projected to increase to over 3 million bbl/day by 2018. This guarantees a large output of heavy oil fractions, such as vacuum gas oil, from oil sands upgraders. It reveals a new opportunity for production of petrochemical feedstock from an alternate source, provided these alternate feedstocks can be transformed into feed for petrochemical plants, which includes both fundamental building blocks of petrochemical industry: ethylene and propylene.Over the past eight years NOVA Chemicals has systematically studied catalytic technologies that can be used to convert heavy oil sands derived fractions into olefins, aromatics-rich products and other high demand petrochemicals and refinery fuel products. Work was carried out in collaboration with external academic institutions and with the support of the Alberta government. This work has resulted in the development of two novel, breakthrough processes, which allow significant feedstock flexibility to petrochemicals producers and integration opportunities with heavy oil refining/upgrading operations. Both processes were specificallydesigned for treating heavy gas oil fractions, which are rich in aromatics and naphthenics, and which contain only small amounts of paraffins. This paper presents the process configuration and research results from studies undertaken, which show that it is feasible to produce petrochemical feedstock, petrochemicals and/or refinery fuel products from heavy oil fractions derived from oil sands at competitive prices via two different catalytic processes.While originally NOVA Chemicals' goal was to develop technologies that were suitable to provide the olefins industry with an alternative feedstock source, the increase of NGL supply from shale gas sources would appear to make this less necessary. However, the market demand for propylene in North America may result in a renewed interest in the application of this process to fill the potential gap in propylene production.