Forming asphalt fractions from three-product deasphalting
Systems and methods are provided for using a three-product deasphalter to produce advantageous combinations of deasphalted oil, resin, and rock. The desaphalted oil, resin, and rock can then be further combined, optionally with other vacuum gas oil fractions produced during the distillation that generated the feed to the three-product deasphalter, to produce a product slate of improved quality while also maintaining the quality of the resulting asphalt product and reducing or minimizing the amount of lower value products generated. The additional “resin” product from the three product deasphalter can be generated by sequential deasphalting, by using a resin settler to separate resin from the deasphalted oil, or by any other convenient method.
1. A method for processing a heavy oil fraction, comprising:
separating a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum resid fraction from a heavy oil feedstock;
performing solvent deasphalting using a C 3 or C 4 solvent under first solvent deasphalting conditions on at least a portion of the vacuum resid fraction to produce a first deasphalted oil and a first deasphalter residue;
performing solvent deasphalting on at least a portion of the first deasphalted oil under second solvent deasphalting conditions to form a second deasphalted oil and a second deasphalter resin, the second solvent deasphalting conditions comprising higher yield deasphalting conditions than the first solvent deasphalting conditions;
forming a product slate from at least a portion of a) the vacuum gas oil fraction, b) the first deasphalter residue, c) the second deasphalted oil, and d) the second deasphalter resin, the product slate comprising an asphalt fraction and one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof, a volume of the product slate comprising 95 vol % or more of a combined volume of the vacuum gas oil fraction and the vacuum resid fraction;
performing further processing on the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof, the further processing comprising hydroprocessing, fluid catalytic cracking, or a combination thereof; and
incorporating the asphalt fraction into an asphalt product.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the product slate comprises 105 vol % or less of the combined volume of the vacuum gas oil fraction and the vacuum resid fraction.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product slate further comprises a fuel oil fraction.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product slate comprises products formed from at least a portion of the first deasphalted oil, at least a portion of the vacuum resid fraction, or a combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second solvent deasphalting conditions comprise a higher temperature than then first deasphalting conditions; or a combination thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum gas oil fraction comprises a T10 distillation point of 482° C. or higher.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof comprise a Conradson Carbon content of 10 wt % or less.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof comprise an API Gravity of 14 or more.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a yield of the first deasphalted oil is 60 wt % or more.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the asphalt fraction comprises at least a portion of the second deasphalter resin, the method further comprising air blowing the asphalt fraction.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the asphalt fraction is incorporated into the asphalt product without exposing the asphalt fraction to thermal cracking conditions.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first solvent deasphalting conditions produce a yield of first deasphalted oil of 50 wt % or less of the feedstock.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second solvent deasphalting conditions comprises a C 5 , C 6 , or C 7 solvent.
14. A method for processing a heavy oil fraction, comprising:
separating a vacuum gas oil fraction and a vacuum resid fraction from a heavy oil feedstock;
performing solvent deasphalting using a C 3 or C 4 solvent under first solvent deasphalting conditions on at least a portion of the vacuum resid fraction to produce a first deasphalted oil and a first deasphalter residue, the first solvent deasphalting conditions producing a yield of first deasphalted oil of 50 wt % or less of the feedstock;
performing solvent deasphalting using a C 5 , C 6 , or C 7 solvent on at least a portion of the first deasphalter residue under second solvent deasphalting conditions to form a second deasphalter residue and a second deasphalter resin, the second solvent deasphalting conditions comprising a lower severity than the first solvent deasphalting conditions;
forming a product slate from at least a portion of a) the vacuum gas oil fraction, b) the second deasphalter residue, c) the first deasphalted oil, and d) the second deasphalter resin, the product slate comprising an asphalt fraction and one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof, a volume of the product slate comprising 95 vol % or more of a combined volume of the vacuum gas oil fraction and the vacuum resid fraction;
performing further processing on the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof, the further processing comprising hydroprocessing, fluid catalytic cracking, or a combination thereof; and
incorporating the asphalt fraction into an asphalt product.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the volume of the product slate comprises 105 vol % or less of the combined volume of the vacuum gas oil fraction and the vacuum resid fraction.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the product slate further comprises a fuel oil fraction.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the product slate comprises products formed from at least a portion of the first deasphalter residue, at least a portion of the vacuum resid fraction, or a combination thereof.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second solvent deasphalting conditions comprise a lower temperature than then first solvent deasphalting conditions; or a combination thereof.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof comprise a Conradson Carbon content of 10 wt % or less.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more fuels feeds, lubricant feeds, or a combination thereof comprise an API Gravity of 14 or more.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the asphalt fraction is incorporated into the asphalt product without exposing the asphalt fraction to thermal cracking conditions.
22. An asphalt composition, comprising:
an air blown asphalt fraction comprising a deasphalter resin having a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of 5000 cSt or more.