Frequently Asked Questions
Catalysts, Adsorbents & Grading Supply
Process Technologies
Equipment Supply
Unit Revamps & Retrofits
Advanced Softwares & Applications
Consulting
Natural Gas
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
Besides improved catalyst systems, what advances in reactor internals are improving efficiency and throughput while also mitigating the effect of fouling and catalyst poisons?
Finding the right combination of catalyst and reactor internals is essential for reliable and profitable reactor operation. In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, along with optimum catalyst design, overall reactor/catalyst performance can be enhanced by using high-efficiency reactor internals.
Petrochemicals
What are the advanced catalysts being used to produce petrochemicals like styrene, polymers, and aromatics, which are used in various marketable products like textiles, detergents, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, and pharmaceuticals?
The most important building block molecules for the downstream aromatics derivatives value chain are benzene (BZ) and paraxylene (PX).
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
How can the refining industry supply the aviation industry’s growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)? What are the most efficient pathways?
Today, governmental authorities, refining companies, and the aviation industry are collectively exploring different technology pathways to substitute fossil-based jet fuels with SAF. A single solution will not fulfil future SAF demand. Rather, a combination of different technologies for every available feedstock around the world is required.
Petrochemicals
What could be causing rapid catalyst deactivation in the hydrogenation of heavier fractions downstream of our steam cracker furnace?
Several cuts are valorised downstream of the steam cracker furnace. The heavier fraction corresponds to the pyrolysis gasoline, also known as pygas.
Oil Refining
Is there a route for post-treating gasoline with minimal octane loss?
For the post-treatment of FCC gasoline, fixed-bed HDT is by far the most trusted solution because of its low capex, its ease of operation, and its flexibility.
Oil Refining
What type of catalyst do we need for low pressure hydrotreating of middle distillates?
When it comes to selecting the right catalyst for the hydrotreatment of a middle distillates fraction at low pressure, a distinction has to be made between light (kerosene) and heavy (diesel) cuts.
Oil Refining
Hydrogen consumption is higher than we would like in our raw diesel hydrotreater. Can we lower it without loss of throughput?
Hydrogen consumption in a hydrotreater comes from hydrotreatment reactions but also from losses within the process.
Oil Refining
Our tail gas unit is performing below spec. We are experiencing high levels of heat stable salts in the solvent. How do we deal with this?
The presence of heat stable salts does affect the performance of the amine solvent,1 consequently H2 S slip from the absorber may increase dramatically. To bring the H2 S slip back to acceptable levels, the amine solvent needs to be restored back to pristine conditions, either by a reclaiming process or by partial or full replacement.
Oil Refining
What type of catalyst would you recommend for processing deasphalted oil in our hydrocracker?
The quality of DAO is primarily a function of the vacuum residue properties, SDA solvent, and SDA operation.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
What are some of the optimal strategies for processing (or co-processing) second- and third-generation renewable feedstocks?
Processing and co-processing renewable feedstock is part of today’s main refineries’ strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of their activities.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
How can the refining industry supply the aviation industry’s growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)? What are the most efficient pathways?
Today, governmental authorities, refining companies, and the aviation industry are collectively exploring different technology pathways to substitute fossil-based jet fuels with SAF. A single solution will not fulfil future SAF demand. Rather, a combination of different technologies for every available feedstock around the world is required.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
With the needle coke market expected to register a CAGR greater than 10% between 2022–2027, do you see scope for reconfiguring underutilised fuel-grade cokers to needle coke production?
Needle-grade coke is produced from highly aromatic feedstocks with low asphaltenes, sulphur, and ash contents. This coke, with high strength and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, is used for graphite electrodes and lithium batteries (anode material).
Carbon Capture & Storage
We want to reduce the refinery’s carbon footprint, starting with SMR. What’s the best economic approach: CCUS, an alternative process, or buy in the hydrogen?
Starting with SMR in the refinery, you will have three steps for decarbonisation: Carbon capture on the SMR synthetic gas itself, retrofitting the existing SMR in order to reduce CO2 emissions and Carbon capture on the flue gas.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
What’s the range of drop-in fuels we could potentially produce from biofeedstocks (lipids) with an appropriate process line-up?
Lipids are biofeedstocks that, after hydrotreatment, will generate 100% linear paraffin streams in the typical range of C14-C20, free of sulphur and nitrogen.
Carbon Capture & Storage
What options are there for CO2 capture from a SMR based hydrogen unit?
In a typical steam methane reforming (SMR) unit designed to produce high purity hydrogen, methane reacts with steam in a dedicated heater to produce a converted syngas which, after CO shift, contains mainly hydrogen and CO2.
Oil Refining
Is there a route for post-treating gasoline with minimal octane loss?
For the post-treatment of FCC gasoline, fixed-bed HDT is by far the most trusted solution because of its low capex, its ease of operation, and its flexibility.
Natural Gas
Oil Refining
What steps do we need to take to keep our sour water stripper at peak performance following a shutdown?
Shutdown operations of the sour water stripper unit should maximise the removal of H2S and NH3 from water, especially for long duration shutdowns, to minimise the safety concerns and corrosion issues during maintenance. If the sulphur recovery unit is not available, the sour gas should be routed to flare, then start the shutdown by decreasing the sour water feed to the unit manually and slowly.
Oil Refining
Hydrogen consumption is higher than we would like in our raw diesel hydrotreater. Can we lower it without loss of throughput?
Hydrogen consumption in a hydrotreater comes from hydrotreatment reactions but also from losses within the process.
Natural Gas
Solids in the feed are causing corrosion and erosion problems in our amine system. How do we remove them effectively and economically?
In order to ensure that there are no solids in the amine system, Axens recommends an amine filtration package which filters a slipstream of the lean amine to remove solid particles. The amine filtration package also includes an activated carbon filter for hydrocarbon elimination and a polishing filter to remove any charcoal fines.
Oil Refining
How can we minimise gas and coke make with heavy feed to our FCC?
Catalytic systems towards better coke and/or dry gas selectivities will certainly help, especially to face contaminant metals which catalyse side reactions. If not limited by catalyst circulation, low delta coke catalysts will increase cat/oil but coke yield should stay constant.
Oil Refining
Can I reduce riser outlet temperature in our FCC unit while maintaining conversion level? Is a higher activity catalyst needed?
There is certainly an advantage in challenging the catalyst formulation in order to better suit your needs. This could result in a better conversion at same operating conditions or, as suggested, similar conversion at reduced riser outlet temperature (ROT).
Oil Refining
Can you recommend a process route for residual fuel oil feed to help comply with the IMO’s revised targets for bunker fuels?
Refiners will address the upcoming January 2020 regulatory shift to lower sulphur marine fuels primarily utilising one of four strategies: (1) crude acquisition, (2) technology investment to produce compliant, low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO), (3) reliance on the persistence of an attractive market for high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), or (4) conversion of HSFO to lighter products with the goal of either reducing their fuel oil production or exiting the market altogether.
Oil Refining
What type of catalyst would you recommend for processing deasphalted oil in our hydrocracker?
The quality of DAO is primarily a function of the vacuum residue properties, SDA solvent, and SDA operation.
Oil Refining
Demand for our diesel has dipped. What process steps do you recommend for increasing gasoline make?
With the fall of pump prices, US consumers have responded relatively quickly by increasing gasoline demand, which has led to increased gasoline crack spreads and incentives for refiners to switch from middle distillates to gasoline in the short term. This phenomenon has been especially true in markets affected by unexpected outages.
Oil Refining
We are getting organochlorides in some product streams and have traced this back to the catalytic reformer. Causes and prevention measures please.
Organochlorides are typically formed in the catalytic reformer when hydrogen chloride (HCl) reacts with olefins downstream of the reaction system.
We are interested in buying new crudes on the spot market. How do we assess the potential side effects of processing them in refinery units?
On the spot market crude oils are traded on short terms. The advantages are the attractiveness of the price as the spot market is influenced solely by supply and demand.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
Besides improved catalyst systems, what advances in reactor internals are improving efficiency and throughput while also mitigating the effect of fouling and catalyst poisons?
Finding the right combination of catalyst and reactor internals is essential for reliable and profitable reactor operation. In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, along with optimum catalyst design, overall reactor/catalyst performance can be enhanced by using high-efficiency reactor internals.
Considering that new catalyst formulations play a significant role in successful reactor performance, what else is necessary for optimal reactor/catalyst performance?
In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, along with optimum catalyst design, overall reactor/catalyst performance can be enhanced using high-efficiency reactor internals.
Oil Refining
Our desalting rate drops away quickly when we use heavier feeds. What is the problem here?
To understand this phenomenon, it is required to remind how a desalter is designed. The water gravity separation is driven by the Hadamard–Rybczynski equation that gives the terminal velocity of a slowly moving spherical bubble through a fluid.
Oil Refining
We are aiming to boost our FCC propylene output. What recent developments would you recommend?
Beyond the obvious adjustments to the catalytic systems to include ZSM-5 and follow closely the latest catalytic developments, some upgrades on the technology side are possible.
Carbon Capture & Storage
We want to reduce the refinery’s carbon footprint, starting with SMR. What’s the best economic approach: CCUS, an alternative process, or buy in the hydrogen?
Starting with SMR in the refinery, you will have three steps for decarbonisation: Carbon capture on the SMR synthetic gas itself, retrofitting the existing SMR in order to reduce CO2 emissions and Carbon capture on the flue gas.
Air/Industrial Gas
To what extent do you see the expansion of digitalization for improving regulatory compliance, equipment reliability and operability, and reduced maintenance costs?
Digitalization of process operations has developed thanks to data transfer technologies, sensors and soft sensors generating data, and IA, especially with machine learning tools, building systems that learn from data. This leverages process expertise, resulting in digital twins designed to optimize asset operation, thus securing the business decision.
Any experiences you can share regarding the implementation of carbon management/digital data tools?
Digital transformation of the refining and chemical industry is now playing a crucial role in energy efficiency improvement and associated GHG emission reduction.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
What do you see necessary for successful implementation of plant-wide AI and machine learning (ML) in the refinery and petrochemical complex? Can AI/ML strategies provide additional benefits beyond APC?
By unifying planning/scheduling and APC and coordinating the controllers’ objectives, plantwide optimisation provides additional benefits beyond APC.
Have completed energy efficiency projects delivered expected energy and CO2 savings?
In the frame of energy efficiency studies performed by Axens Horizon, we have frequent feedback on the results of implemented energy efficiency solutions, especially for quick wins and budget-friendly solutions.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
With the needle coke market expected to register a CAGR greater than 10% between 2022–2027, do you see scope for reconfiguring underutilised fuel-grade cokers to needle coke production?
Needle-grade coke is produced from highly aromatic feedstocks with low asphaltenes, sulphur, and ash contents. This coke, with high strength and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, is used for graphite electrodes and lithium batteries (anode material).
Any experiences you can share regarding the implementation of carbon management/digital data tools?
Digital transformation of the refining and chemical industry is now playing a crucial role in energy efficiency improvement and associated GHG emission reduction.
Oil Refining
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
How has the integration of alternative feedstocks impacted your overall energy efficiency (any pluses and minuses)?
The main incentive for using alternative feedstock is to reduce the overall CO footprint of the refinery, which is a key objective for any operator today.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
What do you see necessary for successful implementation of plant-wide AI and machine learning (ML) in the refinery and petrochemical complex? Can AI/ML strategies provide additional benefits beyond APC?
By unifying planning/scheduling and APC and coordinating the controllers’ objectives, plantwide optimisation provides additional benefits beyond APC.
Considering that new catalyst formulations play a significant role in successful reactor performance, what else is necessary for optimal reactor/catalyst performance?
In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, along with optimum catalyst design, overall reactor/catalyst performance can be enhanced using high-efficiency reactor internals.
Oil Refining
Is there a route for post-treating gasoline with minimal octane loss?
For the post-treatment of FCC gasoline, fixed-bed HDT is by far the most trusted solution because of its low capex, its ease of operation, and its flexibility.
Natural Gas
Oil Refining
What steps do we need to take to keep our sour water stripper at peak performance following a shutdown?
Shutdown operations of the sour water stripper unit should maximise the removal of H2S and NH3 from water, especially for long duration shutdowns, to minimise the safety concerns and corrosion issues during maintenance. If the sulphur recovery unit is not available, the sour gas should be routed to flare, then start the shutdown by decreasing the sour water feed to the unit manually and slowly.
Oil Refining
What type of catalyst do we need for low pressure hydrotreating of middle distillates?
When it comes to selecting the right catalyst for the hydrotreatment of a middle distillates fraction at low pressure, a distinction has to be made between light (kerosene) and heavy (diesel) cuts.
Oil Refining
Hydrogen consumption is higher than we would like in our raw diesel hydrotreater. Can we lower it without loss of throughput?
Hydrogen consumption in a hydrotreater comes from hydrotreatment reactions but also from losses within the process.
Oil Refining
Our desalting rate drops away quickly when we use heavier feeds. What is the problem here?
To understand this phenomenon, it is required to remind how a desalter is designed. The water gravity separation is driven by the Hadamard–Rybczynski equation that gives the terminal velocity of a slowly moving spherical bubble through a fluid.
Oil Refining
We are aiming to boost our FCC propylene output. What recent developments would you recommend?
Beyond the obvious adjustments to the catalytic systems to include ZSM-5 and follow closely the latest catalytic developments, some upgrades on the technology side are possible.
Oil Refining
How can we minimise gas and coke make with heavy feed to our FCC?
Catalytic systems towards better coke and/or dry gas selectivities will certainly help, especially to face contaminant metals which catalyse side reactions. If not limited by catalyst circulation, low delta coke catalysts will increase cat/oil but coke yield should stay constant.
Oil Refining
Can I reduce riser outlet temperature in our FCC unit while maintaining conversion level? Is a higher activity catalyst needed?
There is certainly an advantage in challenging the catalyst formulation in order to better suit your needs. This could result in a better conversion at same operating conditions or, as suggested, similar conversion at reduced riser outlet temperature (ROT).
Oil Refining
Can you recommend a process route for residual fuel oil feed to help comply with the IMO’s revised targets for bunker fuels?
Refiners will address the upcoming January 2020 regulatory shift to lower sulphur marine fuels primarily utilising one of four strategies: (1) crude acquisition, (2) technology investment to produce compliant, low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO), (3) reliance on the persistence of an attractive market for high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), or (4) conversion of HSFO to lighter products with the goal of either reducing their fuel oil production or exiting the market altogether.
Oil Refining
Our tail gas unit is performing below spec. We are experiencing high levels of heat stable salts in the solvent. How do we deal with this?
The presence of heat stable salts does affect the performance of the amine solvent,1 consequently H2 S slip from the absorber may increase dramatically. To bring the H2 S slip back to acceptable levels, the amine solvent needs to be restored back to pristine conditions, either by a reclaiming process or by partial or full replacement.
Oil Refining
What type of catalyst would you recommend for processing deasphalted oil in our hydrocracker?
The quality of DAO is primarily a function of the vacuum residue properties, SDA solvent, and SDA operation.
Oil Refining
What are the key trends affecting the downstream processing industry in 2017 ?
In 2016, global growth should fall to 3.1% before rising back up to 3.4% in 2017 according to IMF’s latest estimations. Long-term perspectives in industrialised countries are moderate and a firming up of growth is forecasted at mid-term in emerging and developing countries.
Oil Refining
Demand for our diesel has dipped. What process steps do you recommend for increasing gasoline make?
With the fall of pump prices, US consumers have responded relatively quickly by increasing gasoline demand, which has led to increased gasoline crack spreads and incentives for refiners to switch from middle distillates to gasoline in the short term. This phenomenon has been especially true in markets affected by unexpected outages.
Oil Refining
We are getting organochlorides in some product streams and have traced this back to the catalytic reformer. Causes and prevention measures please.
Organochlorides are typically formed in the catalytic reformer when hydrogen chloride (HCl) reacts with olefins downstream of the reaction system.
Petrochemicals
What are the advanced catalysts being used to produce petrochemicals like styrene, polymers, and aromatics, which are used in various marketable products like textiles, detergents, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, and pharmaceuticals?
The most important building block molecules for the downstream aromatics derivatives value chain are benzene (BZ) and paraxylene (PX).
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
With the needle coke market expected to register a CAGR greater than 10% between 2022–2027, do you see scope for reconfiguring underutilised fuel-grade cokers to needle coke production?
Needle-grade coke is produced from highly aromatic feedstocks with low asphaltenes, sulphur, and ash contents. This coke, with high strength and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, is used for graphite electrodes and lithium batteries (anode material).
Any experiences you can share regarding the implementation of carbon management/digital data tools?
Digital transformation of the refining and chemical industry is now playing a crucial role in energy efficiency improvement and associated GHG emission reduction.
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
What do you see necessary for successful implementation of plant-wide AI and machine learning (ML) in the refinery and petrochemical complex? Can AI/ML strategies provide additional benefits beyond APC?
By unifying planning/scheduling and APC and coordinating the controllers’ objectives, plantwide optimisation provides additional benefits beyond APC.
Considering that new catalyst formulations play a significant role in successful reactor performance, what else is necessary for optimal reactor/catalyst performance?
In units featuring fixed-bed reactors, along with optimum catalyst design, overall reactor/catalyst performance can be enhanced using high-efficiency reactor internals.
Petrochemicals
What could be causing rapid catalyst deactivation in the hydrogenation of heavier fractions downstream of our steam cracker furnace?
Several cuts are valorised downstream of the steam cracker furnace. The heavier fraction corresponds to the pyrolysis gasoline, also known as pygas.
Carbon Capture & Storage
What options are there for CO2 capture from a SMR based hydrogen unit?
In a typical steam methane reforming (SMR) unit designed to produce high purity hydrogen, methane reacts with steam in a dedicated heater to produce a converted syngas which, after CO shift, contains mainly hydrogen and CO2.
Natural Gas
Oil Refining
What steps do we need to take to keep our sour water stripper at peak performance following a shutdown?
Shutdown operations of the sour water stripper unit should maximise the removal of H2S and NH3 from water, especially for long duration shutdowns, to minimise the safety concerns and corrosion issues during maintenance. If the sulphur recovery unit is not available, the sour gas should be routed to flare, then start the shutdown by decreasing the sour water feed to the unit manually and slowly.
Natural Gas
Solids in the feed are causing corrosion and erosion problems in our amine system. How do we remove them effectively and economically?
In order to ensure that there are no solids in the amine system, Axens recommends an amine filtration package which filters a slipstream of the lean amine to remove solid particles. The amine filtration package also includes an activated carbon filter for hydrocarbon elimination and a polishing filter to remove any charcoal fines.
Carbon Capture & Storage
We want to reduce the refinery’s carbon footprint, starting with SMR. What’s the best economic approach: CCUS, an alternative process, or buy in the hydrogen?
Starting with SMR in the refinery, you will have three steps for decarbonisation: Carbon capture on the SMR synthetic gas itself, retrofitting the existing SMR in order to reduce CO2 emissions and Carbon capture on the flue gas.
Carbon Capture & Storage
What options are there for CO2 capture from a SMR based hydrogen unit?
In a typical steam methane reforming (SMR) unit designed to produce high purity hydrogen, methane reacts with steam in a dedicated heater to produce a converted syngas which, after CO shift, contains mainly hydrogen and CO2.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
What are some of the optimal strategies for processing (or co-processing) second- and third-generation renewable feedstocks?
Processing and co-processing renewable feedstock is part of today’s main refineries’ strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of their activities.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
How can the refining industry supply the aviation industry’s growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)? What are the most efficient pathways?
Today, governmental authorities, refining companies, and the aviation industry are collectively exploring different technology pathways to substitute fossil-based jet fuels with SAF. A single solution will not fulfil future SAF demand. Rather, a combination of different technologies for every available feedstock around the world is required.
Oil Refining
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
How has the integration of alternative feedstocks impacted your overall energy efficiency (any pluses and minuses)?
The main incentive for using alternative feedstock is to reduce the overall CO footprint of the refinery, which is a key objective for any operator today.
Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals
What’s the range of drop-in fuels we could potentially produce from biofeedstocks (lipids) with an appropriate process line-up?
Lipids are biofeedstocks that, after hydrotreatment, will generate 100% linear paraffin streams in the typical range of C14-C20, free of sulphur and nitrogen.