Methods for processing hydrocarbon feed streams

Abstract

A hydrocarbon feed stream may be processed by a method that may include catalytically cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream in a counter-current reactor to produce a first effluent stream, and processing a portion or all of the first effluent stream by at least one or more separations. The at least one or more separations may form at least a second effluent stream including at least 95 wt. % C4-C6 hydrocarbons, and a third effluent stream including at least 95 wt. % of ethane, propane, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method may further include catalytically cracking a portion or all of the second effluent stream in a second reactor to form a second reactor effluent stream, combining a portion of all of the second reactor effluent stream with the first effluent stream, steam cracking a portion or all of the third effluent stream to form a steam cracked effluent stream, and combining a portion or all of the steam cracked effluent stream with the first effluent. In other embodiments, the method may further include passing a portion or all of the second effluent stream to the counter-current reactor, steam cracking a portion or all of the third effluent stream to form a steam cracked effluent stream, and combining a portion or all of the steam cracked effluent stream with the first effluent stream.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.