Hydrocracking An Intellegent Link between Refining and Petrochemistry Ulrich Balfanz1*, Jrg Reinhardt2 1ARAL Forschung, D-44789 Bochum,

, Germany 2VEBA OEL Verarbeitungs GmbH, D-45876 Gelsenkirchen, Germany Future new fuel specifications Europe envisaged by the so called Auto Oil Programmes represents a big challenge for European refineries. Enhanced by ambitious German environmental policy and by an agreement between the German car and oil industry on the one side and the government on the other side the introduction of low sulfur fuels will take place more stringent and much more earlier than in the rest of the European Union. This will result in sulfur free fuels (<10ppm) in gasoline and diesel by the end of 2002. Additionally to this the decreasing market of petroleum products will be influenced by changed product demands. This is related to the ratio of gasoline to diesel, the domestic heating oil market, and the availability of steamcracker feedstock. Ruhr Oel GmbH, a joint venture between VEBA OEL AG and PDVSA, is operating a 2 stage hydrocracker unit at their facilities in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven. The unit is currently processing heavy atmospheric and vacuum gasoils. In order increase throughput the existing hydrocracker unit will be revamped from two stage service to a single stage unit. Additionaly capacity will be increased from 5000 tons/day to 8000 tons/day. The reduction of the overall conversion rate will lead to an increased production of unconverted oil as well as to a high yield of hydrocracked diesel. This measure decrease the need to import naphtha and produce a high value blending component for the diesel pool. The higher capacity will be used for coprocessing heavy diesel components together with the conventional feedstock. Extended pilot plant studies were used to identify the mayor constraints of the operation. Selected diesel component were straight run and conversion (coker, FCC) origin. Studies were performed under the reaction conditions of the industrial unit with the same catalyst. All feedstocks and products were analyzed, and product properties characterized especially with view to the steam cracker feedstock qualities. Yields and conversion rates were determined as well as hydrogen consumption. The advantages of this study are the benefits coming from the integration of petroleum and petrochemical process units and the positive effect to achieve the future fuel specifications coming from the European legislative (AOP).