Considerations for Upgrading Light Cycle Oil with Hydroprocessing Technologies

AbstractThe worldwide demand for additional transportation fuels is primarily focused on more diesel fuel. The need for more diesel fuel far outpaces gasoline growth and the demand for heavy fuel oil is even declining. Light cycle oil (LCO) is a diesel boiling range product from fluid catalytic cracking units. However, LCO is a poor diesel fuel blending component without further processing. Discussed in this paper are various ways of economically upgrading LCO, which include hydrotreating, high pressure hydrocracking for full conversion of LCO into naphtha and a more optimised partial conversion hydrocracking process. The optimised partial conversion hydrocracking process provides an effective and flexible process to process LCO into desired products such as very-low sulphur diesel and high-octane high-aromatics naphtha.