Low sulfur fuel oil blends for stabtility enhancement and associated methods

A method of making a low sulfur fuel oil composition as a low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, the method comprising:

• obtaining a residuum having a sulfur content of at least about 1.5 percent by weight, the residuum being between about 12 percent and about 50 percent by weight of the low sulfur fuel oil composition;
• introducing a catalytic cracked aromatic process oil into a blend tank along with the residuum to define an intermediate blend, the catalytic cracked aromatic process oil being the heaviest cut from a fluid catalytic cracker and having a sulfur content of less than about 0.5 percent by weight, the catalytic cracked aromatic process oil also being at least about 16 percent by volume of the low sulfur fuel oil composition;
• and
• introducing a low sulfur cutter stock into the intermediate blend in the blend tank to define the low sulfur fuel oil composition, the low sulfur cutter stock selected from the group consisting of a vacuum gas oil, a cycle oil, and a diesel fuel, the low sulfur cutter stock having a sulfur content of less than about 0.15 percent by weight and being between about 25 percent and about 74 percent by volume of the low sulfur fuel oil composition, the low sulfur fuel oil composition having a sulfur content of less than about 0.5 percent by weight, a total aromatics content of at least about 45% by volume, and a combined concentration of residuum and catalytic cracked aromatic process oil of at least about 35% by volume.

A method of making a low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, the method comprising:

• producing a vacuum tower residuum in a vacuum distillation column, the vacuum tower residuum having a sulfur content of less than about 2 percent by weight and a total sediment aged of greater than 0.1 percent by weight;
• introducing a catalytic cracked aromatic process oil into a blend tank along with the vacuum tower residuum to define an intermediate blend, the catalytic cracked aromatic process oil being at least one of a decant oil or a cycle oil that is produced from a hydrotreated gas oil feed to a fluid catalytic cracker, the catalytic cracked aromatic process oil having a sulfur content of less than about 0.5 percent by weight and a total sediment aged of greater than about 0.1 percent by weight, the intermediate blend having a total sediment aged of less than about 0.1 percent by weight;
• blending an added low sulfur cutter stock with the intermediate blend in the blend tank to define the low sulfur fuel oil composition, the low sulfur cutter stock being one or more of a vacuum gas oil or a diesel fuel, the low sulfur cutter stock having a sulfur content of less than about 0.5 percent by weight;
• and
• providing the low sulfur fuel oil composition as a low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, the vacuum tower residuum being between about 12 percent and about 50 percent by weight of the low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, the catalytic cracked aromatic process oil being at least about 16 percent by volume of the low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, and the low sulfur cutter stock being between about 25 percent and about 74 percent by volume of the low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil, the low sulfur marine bunker fuel oil having a sulfur content of less than about 0.5 percent by weight, a total aromatics content of at least about 45 percent by weight, and a combined concentration of vacuum tower residuum and catalytic cracked aromatic process oil of at least about 35 percent by volume.