Crude Distillation Process by Total

Application: The D2000 process is progressive distillation to minimize the total energy consumption required to separate crude oils or condensates into hydrocarbon cuts, which number and properties are optimized to fit with sophisticated refining schemes and future regulations. This process is applied normally for new topping units or new integrated topping/vacuum units but the concept can be used for debottlenecking purpose.

Products: This process is particularly suitable when more than two naphtha cuts are to be produced. Typically the process is optimized to produce three naphtha cuts or more, one or two kerosine cuts, two atmospheric gas oil cuts, one vacuum gas oil cut, two vacuum distillates cuts, and one vacuum residue.

Description: The crude is preheated and desalted (1). It is fed to a first dry reboiled pre-flash tower (2) and then to a wet pre-flash tower (3). The overhead products of the two pre-flash towers are then fractionated as required in a gas plant and rectification towers (4).

The topped crude typically reduced by 2/3 of the total naphtha cut is then heated in a conventional heater and conventional topping column (5). If necessary the reduced crude is fractionated in one deep vacuum column designed for a sharp fractionation between vacuum gas oil, two vacuum distillates (6) and a vacuum residue, which could be also a road bitumen.

Extensive use of pinch technology minimizes heat supplied by heaters and heat removed by air and water coolers.

This process is particularly suitable for large crude capacity from 150,000 to 250,000 bpsd.

It is also available for condensates and light crudes progressive distillation with a slightly adapted scheme.

Licensor: TOTAL and Technip.