Resolving the alpha versus internal olefin challenge?

Shell chemicals companies employ the proprietary Shell Higher Olefin Process (SHOP) technology to produce alpha olefins. The flexibility of SHOP then enables us to make internal olefins to customer demand, which provides a reliable supply of C15 to C18 internal olefins for drilling fluid applications.

What's so challenging about making olefins?

Alpha olefins and internal olefins are both produced using ethylene. Most technologies used to produce alpha olefins from ethylene result in a broad spectrum of alpha olefin products. This broad range of products is produced in a fixed ratio and producers have limited ability to control the relative quantity of alpha olefins they can make.

Having produced them, the manufacturers must economically market all the products in the range. Since end use markets for olefins vary significantly - from detergents to polyethylene co-monomer, to oilfield fluids and lubricants - meeting the demands for each grade and market is challenging. This was especially true for the oilfield fluids market, when in 1998-2002 there were supply shortages.

Enter superior technology...

The Shell Higher Olefin Process (SHOP) is proprietary technology that is well-suited to meet the volatile demands of the oilfield fluids market. SHOP gives Shell chemicals companies significant flexibility, allowing them to alter the chain lengths of alpha olefins and convert them to usable internal olefins. Using this technology, a reliable supply of C15 to C18 internal olefins can be made without the challenge of fixed ratio production.

Capacity, expansion and logistics improvements completed in 2002 at the Geismar, Louisiana, manufacturing plant enable Shell chemicals companies to extract products in the C15 to C18 range and deliver them efficiently to market. Improvements at Geismar also included more tank storage and better logistics flow to truck, rail, barge and ocean-going ships.