Integrated hydroprocessing, steam pyrolysis and catalytic cracking process to produce petrochemicals from crude oil

An integrated hydroprocessing, steam pyrolysis and catalytic cracking process for production of olefinic and aromatic petrochemicals from a crude oil feed, the process comprising:

• a. charging the crude oil and hydrogen to a hydroprocessing zone operating under conditions effective to produce a hydroprocessed effluent having a reduced content of contaminants, an increased paraffinicity, reduced Bureau of Mines Correlation Index, and an increased American Petroleum Institute gravity;
• b. separating at least a portion of the hydroprocessed effluent into a vapor phase and a liquid phase in a vapor-liquid separation zone, wherein the vapor-liquid separation zone comprises a flash vessel having at its inlet a vapor-liquid separation device including
• a pre-rotational element having an entry portion and a transition portion, the entry portion having an inlet for receiving the hydroprocessed effluent and a curvilinear conduit,
• a controlled cyclonic section having
• an inlet adjoined to the pre-rotational element through convergence of the curvilinear conduit and the cyclonic section, and
• a riser section at an upper end of the cyclonic member through which vapors pass,
• wherein a bottom portion of the flash vessel serves as a collection and settling zone for the liquid phase prior to passage of all or a portion of said liquid phase to a catalytic cracking step;
• c. thermally cracking the vapor phase in the presence of steam in a steam pyrolysis zone to produce a mixed product stream;
• d. catalytically cracking residuals or bottoms derived from one or more of the hydroprocessed effluent, including a portion of the liquid phase separated in step (b), a heated stream within the steam pyrolysis zone, or the mixed product stream, to produce catalytically cracked products;
• e. separating a combined product stream including thermally cracked products and catalytically cracked products;
• f. purifying hydrogen recovered in step (e) and recycling it to step (a);
• and
• g. recovering olefins and aromatics from the separated combined product stream.

An integrated hydroprocessing, steam pyrolysis and catalytic cracking process for production of olefinic and aromatic petrochemicals from a crude oil feed, the process comprising:

• a. charging the crude oil and hydrogen to a hydroprocessing zone operating under conditions effective to produce a hydroprocessed effluent having a reduced content of contaminants, an increased paraffinicity, reduced Bureau of Mines Correlation Index, and an increased American Petroleum Institute gravity;
• b. thermally cracking at least a portion of the hydroprocessed effluent in the presence of steam in a steam pyrolysis zone to produce a mixed product stream, the thermal cracking process further comprising
• heating the hydroprocessed effluent in a convection section of the steam pyrolysis zone,
• separating the heated hydroprocessed effluent into a vapor phase and a liquid phase with a vapor-liquid separation device that includes
• a pre-rotational element having an entry portion and a transition portion, the entry portion having an inlet for receiving the heated hydroprocessed effluent and a curvilinear conduit,
• a controlled cyclonic section having
• an inlet adjoined to the pre-rotational element through convergence of the curvilinear conduit and the cyclonic section,
• a riser section at an upper end of the cyclonic member through which vapors pass,
• and
• a liquid collector/settling section through which liquid phase passes prior to conveyance of all or a portion of said liquid phase to a catalytic cracker,
• passing the vapor phase to a pyrolysis section of the steam pyrolysis zone, and
• discharging the liquid phase;
• c. catalytically cracking the liquid phase from step (b) and optionally the residuals or bottoms from one or more of the hydroprocessed effluent or the mixed product stream, to produce catalytically cracked products;
• d. separating a combined product stream including thermally cracked products and catalytically cracked products;
• e. purifying hydrogen recovered in step (d) and recycling it to step (a);
• and
• f. recovering olefins and aromatics from the separated combined product stream.

An integrated hydroprocessing, steam pyrolysis and catalytic cracking process for production of olefinic and aromatic petrochemicals from a crude oil feed, the process comprising:

• a. charging the crude oil and hydrogen to a hydroprocessing zone operating under conditions effective to produce a hydroprocessed effluent having a reduced content of contaminants, an increased paraffinicity, reduced Bureau of Mines Correlation Index, and an increased American Petroleum Institute gravity;
• b. thermally cracking at least a portion of the hydroprocessed effluent in the presence of steam in a steam pyrolysis zone to produce a mixed product stream;
• c. catalytically cracking residuals or bottoms derived from one or more of the hydroprocessed effluent, a heated stream within the steam pyrolysis zone, or the mixed product stream, to produce catalytically cracked products;
• d. separating a combined product stream including thermally cracked products and catalytically cracked products, the separation step comprising
• compressing the thermally cracked mixed product stream with plural compression stages;
• subjecting the compressed thermally cracked mixed product stream to caustic treatment to produce a thermally cracked mixed product stream with a reduced content of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
• compressing the thermally cracked mixed product stream with a reduced content of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
• dehydrating the compressed thermally cracked mixed product stream with a reduced content of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
• recovering hydrogen from the dehydrated compressed thermally cracked mixed product stream with a reduced content of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
• and
• obtaining olefins and aromatics from the remainder of the dehydrated compressed thermally cracked mixed product stream with a reduced content of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
• e. purifying hydrogen recovered in step (d) and recycling it to step (a);
• and
• f. recovering olefins and aromatics from the separated combined product stream.