There has long been a need to develop a more efficient way to upgrade the vacuum residue in crude oil to high quality transportation fuels without producing undesirable low value byproducts such as delayed coke. The combination of Chevron Lummus Global’s (CLG’s) RDS with RFCC has been an attractive alternative to delayed coking for full conversion of residue in cases where gasoline production is favored. In other cases, CLG’s LC-FINING or LC-MAX processes have provided a better option where middle distillate is needed and where feedstocks are heavier. However, both of these processes generate an unconverted bottom stream that must have a downstream processing outlet (such as delayed coking, burning, gasification, fuel oil, etc.). The planned
