Published September 1996
Hydrotreating is the most widely used catalytic refinery process. As a result of environmental legislation, growing demand for light fuels, and increasingly sour crude oil supplies, hydrotreating units can be found in nearly every conversion refinery in the world. Hydrotreating, which is one of the most versatile petroleum refining processes, can treat feedstocks from the lightest naphthas to the heaviest vacuum resids.
This report reviews hydrotreating chemistry, equipment, and technology, and discusses the role of hydrotreating in modern refineries. We evaluate the economics of four hydrotreating technologies needed by today's refiners--hydrotreating gas oil for fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) feed, hydrotreating atmospheric resid for residual FCC feed, hydrodesulfurizing diesel fuel, and saturating diesel fuel aromatics. We also discuss the trends driving hydrotreating use and include a detailed listing of operating capacities and announced plans for new hydrotreating construction.
