1. Advances in Ethane Cracking
Gabriel Castaneda, P.E. Gabchem Solutions
(713)
Linde

2. Table of Contents Economics Process Overview Areas of Improvement
Energy Consumption
Reliability / Operational Issues
Compression and Fouling
Refrigeration
Furnaces

3. Economical Advantage Mark Eramo, IHS
Low gas prices thanks to hydraulic fracturing technology
Mark Eramo, IHS

4. Ethylene Capacity Expansions
Company
Project
Capacity
Location
Start-up
Sasol
New cracker
1.5m tonnes
Lake Charles, Louisiana
2017
Occidental Chemical/Mexichem
544,000 tonnes
Ingleside, Texas
Feb-17
ExxonMobil Chemical
Baytown, Texas
Late 2016
Chevron Phillips Chemical
Cedar Bayou, Texas
mid-late 2017
Dow Chemical
Freeport, Texas
Shell
1m tonnes
Monaca, Pennsylvania *
Formosa Plastics
1.2m tonnes
Point Comfort, Texas
Williams
Expansion
272,158 tonnes
Geismar, Louisiana
Q4 2013**
INEOS
Debottleneck
115,000 tonnes
Chocolate Bayou, Texas
end 2013
Westlake Chemical
113,399 tonnes
2014
82,000 tonnes
Calvert City, Kentucky
Q2 2014
LyondellBasell
363,000 tonnes
La Porte, Texas
mid-2014
113,000 tonnes
Channelview, Texas
2015
Corpus Christi, Texas
Late 2015
BASF Fina Petrochemicals
180,000 tonnes
Port Arthur, Texas
Joseph Chang, ICIS
* ICIS Estimate **did not consider 2013 explosion

5. Considered Expansions
Company
Project
Capacity
Location
Start-up
LyondellBasell
New cracker
World-scale US NA
Hanwha Chemical
Axiall
Indorama Ventures
1.3m tonnes
SABIC
Braskem
PTT Global Chemical
Aither Chemicals
272,000 tonnes
US Northeast
2016
NOVA Chemicals
Expansion
Corunna, Ontario, Canada
Joseph Chang, ICIS

6. Process Overview
Emerson

7. Areas to Improve
Energy Consumption
Reliability / Operational Issues

8. Energy Consumption, Ethane Cracking
Operation
Fraction
Pyrolysis 65
Compression 15
Separation 20
Fuel gas provides most of the energy
Tao Ren, Utrecht University

9. Production Loss due Reliability
Solomon Associates

10. Equipment Fouling
GE, Dorf Ketal

11. Polymerization Rate Constant
120oF oF oF oF
ABB/Lummus

12. Fouling Deposits in Compressors
Labyrinth Ends
Balance Piston
Inserts
Return channel
Impeller
Mitsubishi
Hans Joachim Moellering
Siemens

13. Fouling Control in Cracked Gas Compressors
Hans Joachim Moellering
Siemens

14. Water and Wash Oil Injection
Oil composition > 80% aromatics
Hans Joachim Moellering Siemens

15. Water Injection in Compressors
Hans Joachim
Moellering
Siemens

16. Refrigeration

17. Ethane Cracker Process Flow Diagram
Chevron Phillips

18. Single Refrigerant Chevron Phillips Frank Del Nogal
Ethylene : 3 levels
Propylene : 2 levels
Chevron Phillips
Frank Del Nogal

19. Cascade Process Environment Propylene Ethylene Process
Ethylene and propylene used

20. Mixed Refrigerant

21. Cooling Curve of Gas Natural gas MR: 8% N2 45% C1,45%C2, 2% C3
Cracked Gas MR: Methane/Ethylene, Methane/Ethylene/Propylene
7-20% Methane, 7-20% ethylene, %propylene
Lee

22. Natural Gas Cooling Curves
Double
Mixed Refrigerant
Mixed and
Single Refrigerant
Single Refrigerant
Mixed Refrigerant
Il Moon et al

23. Efficient Heat Exchanger Arrangement used with Mixed Refrigerants
Kettle vs BAHE
Frank Del Nogal

24. Olefin Plant Refrigeration System
In 2010 there were 13 mixed refrigeration systems in operation and 9 more in engineering
Lummus
US 6,637,237

25. Coalescers
Pall

26. Furnace
Linde

27. Tubes 1-2.5 in DI tubes Length reduced to about 30-40 feet
Operate between oF
Residence time : 0.2 seconds
Element C Ni Cr Mn Al Ta Ti Si
% min
.35 38 28 .5 -
Add
0.5
% max .6 42 32
1.5 3
add 2
Carburization resistance, longer run lengths
Sandvik
G Verdier, Manoir Industries

28. Gas Chromatography
Mass Chromatograph vs GC
Emerson

29. Coke Resistant Coating
CAMOL Coating, BASF, Quantiam

30. Camol Coating Benefits
Quantiam / BASF

31. Effect of Fins on Furnace Efficiency
Nova Chemicals, US 2012/ A1

32. Thanks!
Gabriel Castaneda, P.E.

33. Water Injection In Compressors
Hans Joachim Moellering Siemens

34. Steam Cracking Furnace
A Chauvel

35. Heat Exchanger for Cracked Gas
US 2008/

36. Linde Furnace US

37. KM Van Geem

38. Steam Cracking Furnace
Nova Chemicals, US 2012/ A1

39. Mixed Refrigerant Loop for Ethylene Process
M Amidpour

40. Composite Curve of System

41. Selection of Mixed Refrigerant Composition
C1 to C4 and Nitrogen

42. Cracked Gas Compressor Failures/ Problems Overview
Bill Broussard Emerson

43. Steam Cracking Furnace
A Chauvel

44. Linde Furnace US

45. Cold Separation of Products
A Chauvel

46. Hydraulic Fracturing
Propublica.org

47. North America New Polyethylene Projects
Sarpol

48. Global Polyethylene Capacity Additions
Sorpol

49. Furnace Main Components
Linde

50. Hydrocarbon Pyrolisis FurnaceUS

51. Heat Exchanger for Cracked Gas
US 2008/

52. Announced Capacity, 1000 MT IHS 2012-2014 2016-2020
BASF/Total (Port Arthur)
180
Chevron Phillips (Cedar Bayou)
1500
Dow (Taft/ Freeport)
396
1500*
Eastman 90
Equistar (all locations)
521
Exxon (Baytown)
Formosa (Point Comfort)
800
Ineos (Chocolate Bayou)
107
Oxy (Ingleside)
550*
Sasol (Lake Charles)
1400
Shell (Northeast)
1000*%
Westlake (Lake Charles / Calvert City)
310
Williams (Geismar)
300
Nova (Sarnia)
250*
Braskem / Idesa (Mexico)
1000
Total
1894
9500
Cummulative Total
11394
IHS

53. Coalescers/ Filters in Ethane Cracking Process
Pall

54. Ethylene Production Costs, Naphtha, 2010
item
dollars/ton
naphtha
1651.1
catalyt and chemicals
3.6
raw materials cost
1655
fuel
195.1
high pressure steam, (40 bar)
24.1
cooling water 14
electricity
5.9
other utilities
0.3
total utilities
239.4
total variable costs
1894.4
direct fixed cost
38.8
allocated fixed cost
31.8
total costs
1965