S-Oil awards contracts to Axens for expansion of facilities at Onsan refinery

21-Jul-15

South Korea's S-Oil has awarded contracts to Axens to provide services for expansion of its residue conversion facilities at Onsan refinery. As per Chemicalstechnology.com, the residue upgrading complex project (RUCP) is the result of a conceptual study conducted by Axens' Performance Programs business unit. The project is designed to reduce the production of fuel oil, and increase polymer-grade propylene quantities by converting atmospheric residue. Under the contract, Axens will provide an atmospheric residue desulphurisation unit (Hyvahl) to produce diesel and enhance residue quality. This unit includes a permutable reactor system (PRS). The deal also covers a high-severity FCC unit (HS-FCC), Sulfrex unsaturated liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) extractive sweetening unit, Prime-G+ desulphurisation unit, and a C4-stream processing section. HS-FCC is designed to convert the hydro-treated residue produced by the Hyvahl unit, while Sulfrex will be used for treatment of LPG cut generated from the HS-FCC unit upstream of polymer-grade propylene recovery process (PRU). Using a down flow reactor, the HS-FCC technology maximises propylene production. Prime-G+ is designed for the treatment of HS-FCC gasoline. The C4-stream processing section includes a C4 selective hydrogenation unit, a MTBE unit, a super-fractionator and a butane isomerisation unit. The unit will produce MTBE and 1-butene, which are used as a co-monomer in polymerisation applications, and isobutane feed for an alkylation unit. Axens will also provide technology licenses, basic engineering, catalysts, adsorbents and equipment for the complex.