Process for the production of needle coke

A process for the production of needle coke, said process comprising the following steps:

• (i) mixing a predetermined amount of a first feed and a second feed in a fractionator and simultaneously heating said fractionator to obtain a blend having a first predetermined temperature;
• (ii) passing said blend to a delayed coker furnace and heating said furnace to a second predetermined temperature to obtain a heated coker feed;
• (iii) passing said heated coker feed to a coke drum at a third predetermined temperature and at a predetermined pressure, and maintaining it at said third predetermined temperature and said predetermined pressure for a first predetermined time period to obtain coke and a distillate;
• (iv) separating said coke by allowing said distillate to exit from a top of said coke drum to said fractionator to obtain a separated coke in said coke drum;
• (v) treating said separated coke in said coke drum with superheated steam for a second predetermined time period to obtain a treated coke;
• and
• (vi) quenching said treated coke with water to obtain said needle coke,
• wherein said first feed is at least one selected from the group consisting of first clarified slurry oil (CSO-1), second clarified slurry oil (CSO-2), and vacuum gas oil (VGO), and
• wherein said second feed has a boiling temperature in the range of 300° C. to 600° C.