Q&A

(2019) Question 10: What causes metal-catalyzed coking (MCC) that obstructs catalyst circulation in CCR reformers? What actions do you take to mitigate MCC formation?

BILL KOSTKA (AXENS NORTH AMERICA)
Metal-catalyzed coke (MCC) formation typically occurs on 3d valence transition metals such as iron and nickel. Under CCR-like conditions of low hydrogen partial pressure (less than about 620 kpa), high temperature (more than about 480 °C) and low or stagnant flow

(2019) Question 11: Where are your liquid-phase chloride treaters installed for reforming units? What are the advantages of each location?

BILL KOSTKA (AXENS NORTH AMERICA)
Liquid-phase Cl treaters are typically used in three locations for reforming units.

Treating the unstabilzed reformate stream provides several advantages. The stream is heated upstream of the stabilizer column which ensures that any ammonium chloride is

(2019) Question 14: What are your strategies to reduce alky acid consumption?

ABIGAIL SLATER (HollyFrontier)
The most impactful parameter affecting alky acid consumption is feed quality. Reducing feed contamination will greatly reduce acid consumption. There are also operational changes that can be made to reduce acid consumption, but the biggest impact will be feed

(2019) Question 28: In light of IMO (International Maritime Organization) 2020 and the potential for shipping intermediate streams from refinery to refinery, what are your plans to ensure H2S specification in the vapor space is met, either at the shipping or receiving point?

STEVE WILLIAMS (Marathon Petroleum Corporation)

• Movement of intermediate streams from refinery to refinery has been a common practice, including movement of heavy oils. This activity is expected to increase following implementation of the IMO 2020 rules reducing the sulfur content in maritime

(2019) Question 30: What progress have you made in crude analysis in a timely manner, establishing stability criteria, scheduling blends, and mitigating processing constraints when blending multiple crude unit feedstocks?

XIOMARA PRICE (SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions)
Crude blending is still largely based on the economics of the blends and less on the processing constraints that may exist. Real time analytic and predictive tools are available to the industry to help quickly determine the blends relative

(2019) Question 31: Is intermittent or continuous mud washing considered your best practice and why?

STEVE WILLIAMS (Marathon Petroleum Corporation)
• Mud wash is utilized to help keep the bottoms of a desalter vessel relative free of solids build up.
• Utilizes a distribution header with nozzles located near the bottom of the desalter to create a liquid disturbance at the bottom to preclude

(2019) Question 32: Where are ammonium chloride and amine hydrochloride salt found in your crude unit? What is your best practice to monitor and mitigate the resulting corrosion and fouling?

Ammonium chloride and amine hydrochloride salts can form in the top section of the Atmospheric and Vacuum Towers, and the overhead exchangers of the tower. The formation of these salts is a function of partial pressures which dictated by the concentrations of ammonia, amines, chlorides in addition to operating conditions such as overhead temperature, pressure, steam flow rate and hydrocarbon flow rate.

(2008) Is your company planning to install modified HF acid capability (usage of the volatility suppressing additive)? What are the incentives for doing this? What alternatives have you considered?

In March 2006, in our continuing effort to support safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation, we announced our plans to apply for a permit to independently initiate an alkylation process improvement project in our Philadelphia HF alkylation unit.

(2008) Question 70: How frequently do you have fires on reformer reactor flanges? What bolting techniques and gasket types do you use to prevent leaks? What other fixes, such as flange resurfacing, have you employed? Do you use steam ri

GRUBB (Chevron USA, Inc.) Chevron has had some experience with flange fires in the past, so I’ve consulted with Dave Reeves, our corporate expert and also our Best Practice that we’ve developed for this. I know that I said temporary fixes up on the slide, but it’s not really a temporary fix.

(2008) Question 71 Is your company planning to install modified HF acid capability (usage of the volatility suppressing additive)? What are the incentives for doing this? What alternatives have you considered?

METKA (Sunoco, Inc.) In March 2006, in our continuing effort to support safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation, we announced our plans to apply for a permit to independently initiate an alkylation process improvement project in our Philadelphia HF alkylation unit.

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