Crude Oil to Chemicals
The refining and petrochemical industries each have distinct benefits and challenges, but can miss out on holistic product maximisation; Shell Catalysts & Technologies integrate petrochemicals technology with refinery catalysts to create major opportunities for cost savings and facility efficiency.
Shifting Towards a Crude-to-Chemicals Mode
Shell Catalysts & Technologies integrates refinery catalysts with petrochemical technology to process crude oil into chemicals. Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ affiliates in the Shell group that are owner-operator at a number of refineries have allowed the research team unique insights into holistic product maximisation in crude-to-chemicals operations.
Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ strengths reside in supporting both refining and petrochemical operations, including at many Shell affiliate sites that operate integrated complexes. This access has permitted collaboration around leveraging new catalyst and process technology developments.
Over the years, it has also provided site flexibility in producing fuels, lubricants, and chemical products as market demands shift. As the future picture emerges around the concept of converting more crude oil molecules into petrochemical feedstocks, our ability to help our customers visualize the possibilities by discussing application of catalyst and process optimizations can lead to some valuable co-created solutions.
Process Technologies for Oil to Chemicals
Petrochemical plant operators are seeing new capacity expected to come into the market in the near future. To position operators to thrive in this environment, Shell Catalysts & Technologies is leveraging refinery-petrochemical integration to increase operational and economic gains.
Using refinery technology in petrochemical operations allows for the optimisation of catalyst processing and energy savings due to this feedstock cycle, effectively improving return on investment. Petrochemicals facilities can transform gas and liquid hydrocarbons to a wider range of petrochemical products. Feedstocks used to produce these chemicals (like LPG, naphtha, and gasoil) are often from refineries. Additionally, byproducts from petrochemical throughput like C4s, pygas, pyoil, and hydrogen are feedstocks required by refineries.
Improve facility efficiency
Improve facility efficiency
Petrochemical facilities, typically in the production of olefins, predominantly remove hydrogen to produce functionalised, more reactive, unsaturated molecules which are used to produce intermediates. Shell Catalysts & Technologies designs its processes around the integration of steam crackers and refinery operations, allowing hydrogen byproduct to be used as fuel; this mitigates the need for extensive outside resources and enhances cycle efficiency.
Increase operating margin
Increase operating margin
Reduce production costs
Reduce production costs
Shell Catalysts & Technologies petrochemical technology licensees can realise lower capital investment costs when utilising our petrochemical processing plant solutions. Petrochemicals integration with refineries allows for less equipment due to hot feeding and reduced catalyst recovery time, as well as reduced storage volume of feed and products and reduced design margins.
Receive expert technical service support
Receive expert technical service support
Shell Catalysts & Technologies has over decades of experience with our affiliates that own and operate isoprene recovery processes with acetonitrile extractive distillation technology. Our technical service teams include catalyst specialists and engineers with extensive plant and research experience.
Get customised refining solutions and technical support from our team of experts.
Shell Catalysts & Technologies integrate petrochemicals technology with refinery catalysts to create major opportunities for cost savings and facility efficiency. Informed by the experience of our affiliates as owners/operators, we are uniquely positioned to provide catalyst innovations with our combined technological know-how and first-hand operational experience in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Regardless of unit design, operating conditions, feed properties or product targets, we work with our customers to recommend the best possible solutions that address specific catalyst needs.
White Paper: Oil to Chemical Solutions Designed Through a Smarter Lens
The white paper explores drop-in solutions that can help enhance refinery integration towards chemicals. Explore how refills, upgrades, and revamps that leverage latest-generation catalysts can unlock major business benefits.
