Investigate processing near-zero-sulfur gasoline

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09.01.2011 | Stratiev, D., Lukoil Neftochim Bourgas AD, Bourgas, Bulgaria

This study considers the effectiveness of undercutting and hydrotreating fluid catalytic cracking feeds to yield ‘cleaner’ fuels

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Processing near-zero-sulfur gasoline (NZSG) requires a significant reduction of sulfur from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline. FCC gasoline contributes about 90% of the sulfur content in the finished gasoline pool.¹ There are advantages and disadvantages in hydrotreating FCC feed and in post treating FCC gasoline. The main technologies for reducing gasoline sulfur content have been widely discussed.^2–7 It is well known that hydrotreating FCC feed considerably improves the economics of the FCC unit.⁸ However, there is no evidence confirming that hydrotreating FCC feed can consistently meet 10-ppm sulfur (S) levels for FCC gasoline over the long term.

Advances in catalyst technologies allow the FCC-feed hydrotreaters to meet ultra-low-sulfur gasoline (less than 50 ppm) level.⁹ However, NZSG production remains a challenge for FCC hydrotreating technology. An attempt was made in the Lukoil Neftochim Bulgaria (LNB) FCC unit to produce 10-ppm S FCC gasoline by increasing the severity in the FCC feed hydrotreater. This article discusses the results obtained at the LNB.

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