Secondary co‐refining of petroleum and coal distillates

Straight-run distillates derived from North Sea (Brent) crude oil and coal-derived distillate obtained from the 200 t/day coal liquefaction pilot plant at Bottrop, Germany, have been used to prepare light and middle distillate feedstocks. Light distillates have been hydrotreated yielding raffinates, which meet the reformer feed specifications. Hydrotreating of middle distillates including blends has been studied in order to achieve heteroatoms reduction to hydrocracker feed specification. Process conditions were found to be in accordance with the low-severity conditions conventionally applied in the petroleum industry. Hydrotreating blends with elevated coal-oil concentrations caused severer process conditions to be established. The hydrotreated middle distillate blends have been hydrocracked with and without middle-distillate recycling thus mainly yielding naphtha reformer feedstock and diesel fuel, respectively