Process for production of base stocks
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsJason T. CALLA, Gary P. Schleicher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Base stocks having Group III/III+ characteristics are prepared from certain advantageous crude oils via simplified process configurations and/or under less severe process conditions. Crude oils comprising a vacuum gas oil (VGO) fraction having a ratio of a sum of paraffin content plus 1-Ring species content to multi-ring species content that is greater than or equal to about 1.5 are advantageous in this context. Other parameters such as API gravity and crude compositional ranges may also be considered for identifying advantageous crudes. In some instances, advantageous crudes are processed into Group III base stocks via a process configuration in which the crude oil is directly supplied to a hydroprocessing unit.
Claims34
A method of producing a base stock, comprising:
- hydroprocessing a crude oil comprising a vacuum gas oil (VGO) fraction having a ratio of (a sum of paraffin content in wt. %+1-ring species content in wt. %) to (multi-ring species content in wt. %) greater than or equal to 1.5 to produce a base stock having a viscosity index greater than 120, as determined according to ASTM D2270-10.
A method of producing a base stock, comprising:
- hydroprocessing a crude oil comprising a vacuum gas oil (VGO) fraction having a ratio of (a sum of paraffin content in wt. %+1-ring species content in wt. %) to (multi-ring species content in wt. %) greater than or equal to 1.5 to produce a hydroprocessed effluent;
- fractionating the hydroprocessed effluent to produce an upper fractionate, a lower fractionate, and a middle fractionate;
- dewaxing the middle fractionate to produce a dewaxed effluent;
- hydrofinishing the dewaxed effluent to produce a hydrofinished effluent;
- and
- fractionating the hydrofinished effluent to produce an overhead fractionate and a residual fractionate, wherein
- the residual fractionate is a base stock having a viscosity index greater than 120 as determined according to ASTM D2270-10.
A method of producing a base stock, comprising:
- feeding a crude oil comprising a VGO fraction having a ratio of (a sum paraffin content in wt. %+1-ring species content in wt. %) to (multi-ring species content in wt. %) greater than or equal to 1.5 to a hydroprocessing unit to produce a hydroprocessed effluent;
- fractionating the hydroprocessed effluent in a first fractionating unit to produce an upper fractionate and a lower fractionate;
- feeding the lower fractionate to a dewaxing unit to produce a dewaxed effluent;
- feeding the dewaxed effluent to a hydrofinishing unit to produce a hydrofinished effluent;
- and
- fractionating the hydrofinished effluent in a second fractionating unit to produce an overhead fractionate and a residual fractionate, wherein
- the residual fractionate is a base stock oil having a viscosity index (VI) greater than 120, as determined according to ASTM D2270-10.
A method of producing a base stock, comprising:
- fractionating a crude oil comprising a vacuum gas oil (VGO) fraction having a ratio of (a sum of paraffin content in wt. %+1-ring species content in wt. %) to (multi-ring species content in wt. %) greater than or equal to 1.5 to produce a vacuum gas oil (VGO);
- hydroprocessing the VGO to produce a hydroprocessed effluent;
- fractionating the hydroprocessed effluent to produce an upper fractionate, a lower fractionate, and a middle fractionate;
- dewaxing the middle fractionate to produce a dewaxed effluent;
- hydrofinishing the dewaxed effluent to produce a hydrofinished effluent;
- and
- fractionating the hydrofinished effluent to produce an overhead fractionate and a residual fractionate, wherein
- the residual fractionate is a base stock having a viscosity index greater than 120 as determined according to ASTM D2270-10.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.