Application: The Shell Thermal Gasoil process is a combined residue and waxy distillate conversion unit. The process is an attractive low-cost conversion option for hydroskimming refineries in gasoil-driven markets or for complex refineries with constrained waxy distillate conversion capacity. The typical feedstock is atmospheric residue, which eliminates the need for an upstream vacuum flasher. This process features Shell Soaker Visbreaking technology for residue conversion and an integrated recycle heater system for the conversion of waxy distillate.
Description: The preheated atmospheric (or vacuum) residue is charged to the visbreaker heater (1) and from there to the soaker (2). The conversion takes place in both the heater and soaker and is controlled by the operating temperature and pressure. The soaker effluent is routed to a cyclone (3). The cyclone overheads are charged to an atmospheric fractionator (4) to produce the desired products including a light waxy distillate. The cyclone and fractionator bottoms are routed to a vacuum flasher (6), where waxy distillate is recovered. The combined waxy distillates are fully converted in the distillate heater (5) at elevated pressure.
Yields: Depend on feed type and product specifications.
Feed atmospheric residue Middle East
Viscosity, cSt @ 100°C 31
Products, % wt.
Gas 6.4
Gasoline, ECP 165°C 12.9
Gasoil, ECP 350°C 38.6
Residue, ECP 520°C+ 42.1
Utilities, typical consumption/production for a 25,000-bpd unit,
dependent on configuration and a site’s marginal economic values for
steam and fuel:
Fuel as fuel oil equivalent, bpd 675
Power, MW 1.7
Net steam production (18 bar), tpd 370
Licensor: Shell Global Solutions International B.V., and ABB Lummus Global B.V.
