Hydrocarbon processing apparatuses and methods of refining hydrocarbons with absorptive recovery of C3+ hydrocarbons

A method of refining hydrocarbons, wherein the method comprises:

• cracking a hydrocarbon stream comprising a sulfur-containing component in a fluid catalytic cracking stage to produce a cracked stream comprising the sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons;
• compressing the cracked stream to produce a pressurized cracked stream;
• separating the pressurized cracked stream in a pressurized separation stage to produce a pressurized vapor stream comprising C4− hydrocarbons and a liquid hydrocarbon stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons and the sulfur-containing component;
• fractionating the liquid hydrocarbon stream to produce an intermediate C3+ stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons and a recovered C3− vapor stream comprising C3− hydrocarbons and the sulfur-containing component;
• removing the sulfur-containing component from the recovered C3− vapor stream to produce a purified C3− vapor stream;
• recycling the purified C3− vapor stream to the pressurized separation stage;
• and
• absorbing C3+ hydrocarbons from the pressurized vapor stream through liquid-vapor phase absorption using a liquid absorption stream to produce a residual vapor stream comprising residual C3− hydrocarbons;
• absorbing the residual C3− hydrocarbons from the residual vapor stream using a liquid absorption stream different from the first liquid absorption stream.

A hydrocarbon processing apparatus comprising:

• a fluid catalytic cracking unit having the capacity to catalytically crack a hydrocarbon stream comprising a sulfur-containing component and to produce an offgas stream comprising the sulfur-containing component and cracked hydrocarbons;
• a compressor in fluid communication with the fluid catalytic cracking unit and having the capacity to produce a pressurized cracked stream;
• a high pressure receiver in fluid communication with the compressor and having the capacity to separate the pressurized cracked stream into a pressurized vapor stream and a liquid hydrocarbon stream;
• a debutanizer column in fluid communication with the high pressure receiver and having the capacity to produce a first liquid absorption stream;
• a liquid-vapor phase separator in fluid communication with the debutanizer column, wherein the liquid-vapor phase separator is configured to contact the pressurized vapor stream and the first liquid absorption stream therein;
• and
• a contaminant removal unit disposed upstream of the liquid-vapor phase separator and downstream of the fluid catalytic cracking unit and an overhead line of said high pressure receiver or a stripper, wherein the contaminant removal unit is configured to remove the sulfur-containing component.