Process for C5+ Hydrocarbon Conversion

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:

• separating a vapor phase product and a liquid phase product from a heated mixture comprising steam and a hydrocarbon, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises naphtha, gas oil, vacuum gas oil, waxy residues, atmospheric residues, residue admixtures, crude oil, or a mixture thereof;
• exposing the vapor phase product to a temperature of ≥400° C. under steam cracking conditions to produce a steam cracker effluent that is at least partially in a gas phase;
• contacting the steam cracker effluent with a quench fluid to produce a cooled steam cracker effluent, wherein the steam cracker effluent is at a temperature of ≥300° C. when initially contacted with the quench fluid, and wherein at least a portion of the gas phase condenses into a liquid;
• separating a tar product and an upgraded steam cracker effluent from the cooled steam cracker effluent, wherein the upgraded steam cracker effluent comprises ethylene and propylene;
• separating from the upgraded steam cracker effluent at least a process gas, a steam cracker naphtha, and a bottoms product;
• wherein the bottoms product is conducted away from the process;
• hydroprocessing the tar product to produce a first hydroprocessed product;
• and
• separating a hydroprocessor heavy product and a utility fluid product from the first hydroprocessed product, wherein the quench fluid comprises a first portion of the utility fluid product, wherein the utility fluid product comprises:
• (a) ≥1 wt. % of 1.0 ring class compounds;
• (b) ≥5 wt. % of 1.5 ring class compounds;
• (c) ≥5 wt. % of 2.0 ring class compounds;
• and (d) ≥0.1 wt. of 5.0 ring class compounds, wherein the weight percent values of (a), (b), (c), and (d) are based on a weight of the utility fluid product, and wherein the cooled steam cracker effluent comprises about 5 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the utility fluid, based on a combined weight of the quench fluid and the steam cracker effluent.

A system for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:

• a steam cracker configured to indirectly heat a mixture comprising steam and a hydrocarbon to produce a heated mixture and to steam crack a vapor phase product separated from the heated mixture to produce a steam cracker effluent;
• a first separator configured to separate the vapor phase product and a liquid phase product from the heated mixture;
• a first transfer line configured to introduce a first portion of a utility fluid product to the steam cracker effluent at a location where the steam cracker effluent is at a temperature of ≥300° C. to produce a cooled steam cracker effluent;
• a second separator configured to separate a tar product and a process gas comprising ethylene and propylene from the cooled steam cracker effluent;
• a first hydroprocessing unit configured to hydroprocess the tar product to produce a first hydroprocessed product;
• a third separator configured to separate a second vapor phase product and a second liquid phase product from the first hydroprocessed product;
• and
• a fourth separator configured to separate a hydroprocessor heavy product and the utility fluid product from the second liquid phase product.

A hydrocarbon upgrading process, comprising:

• separating a vapor phase product and a liquid phase product from a heated mixture comprising steam and a hydrocarbon, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises naphtha, gas oil, vacuum gas oil, waxy residues, atmospheric residues, residue admixtures, crude oil, or a mixture thereof;
• exposing the vapor phase product to a temperature of ≥400° C. under steam cracking conditions to produce a steam cracker effluent that is at least partially in a gas phase;
• contacting the steam cracker effluent with a quench fluid to produce a cooled steam cracker effluent, wherein at least a portion of the gas phase condenses into a liquid phase;
• separating a tar product and an upgraded steam cracker effluent from the cooled steam cracker effluent;
• separating from the upgraded steam cracker effluent at least a process gas, a steam cracker naphtha, and a bottoms product;
• wherein the bottoms product is conducted away from the process;
• hydroprocessing the tar product under pre-treater hydroprocessing conditions to produce a pre-treated tar product comprising a vapor portion and a liquid portion and hydroprocessing the pre-treated tar product under tar hydroprocessing conditions to produce a first hydroprocessed product, wherein:
• the pre-treater hydroprocessing conditions comprise hydroprocessing the tar product at a temperature (TPT) of 400° C. or less, a weight hour space velocity (WHSVPT) of ≥0.3 hr−1 based on a weight of the tar product subjected to the pre-treater hydroprocessing conditions, a total pressure (PPT) of ≥6 MPa, and in the presence of molecular hydrogen supplied at a rate (SRPT) of less than 534 standard cubic meters per cubic meter of the tar product,
• the tar hydroprocessing conditions comprise hydroprocessing the pre-treated tar product at a temperature (TT) of ≥200° C., a weight hour space velocity (WHSVT) of ≥0.3 hr−1 based on a weight of the pre-treated tar product that is subjected to the tar hydroprocessing, a total pressure (PT) of ≥6 MPa, and in the presence of molecular hydrogen supplied at a rate (SRT) of ≥534 standard cubic meters per cubic meter of the pre-treated tar product subjected to the tar hydroprocessing, and
• WHSVT is less than WHSVPT;
• separating a hydroprocessor heavy product and a utility fluid product from the first hydroprocessed product, wherein the quench fluid comprises a first portion of the utility fluid product, wherein the utility fluid product comprises:
• (a) ≥1 wt. % of 1.0 ring class compounds;
• (b) ≥5 wt. % of 1.5 ring class compounds;
• (c) ≥5 wt. % of 2.0 ring class compounds;
• and (d) ≥0.1 wt. % of 5.0 ring class compounds, wherein the weight percent values of (a), (b), (c), and (d) are based on a weight of the utility fluid product, and wherein the cooled steam cracker effluent comprises about 5 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the utility fluid, based on a combined weight of the quench fluid and the steam cracker effluent;
• hydroprocessing the liquid phase product to produce a second hydroprocessed product;
• separating a pitch and one or more hydrocarbon products from the second hydroprocessed product, wherein the pitch has a Conradson carbon residue of about 20 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, an ° API gravity measured at a temperature of 15.8° C. of less than 5, a sulfur content of about 1 wt. % to about 3 wt. %, and a nitrogen content of about 0.3 wt. % to about 0.6 wt. %;
• and
• reacting the pitch and oxygen at conditions sufficient to produce a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein at least one of the tar product and the liquid phase product is hydroprocessed in the presence of molecular hydrogen separated from the synthesis gas.