VGO (FCC feed) mild hydrocracking:
When used upstream of the refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC), MHC provides a profitable minimal investment route to achieve incremental vacuum gas oil (VGO) conversion while producing high quality, low-sulfur fuels (Oil & Gas Journal online, June 2002).
MHC upstream of the FCC:
- Reduces the FCC feed sulfur, often eliminating the need for FCC gasoline post-treating which avoids undesired octane loss
- Lowers the basic nitrogen and metal content of the FCC feed, improving FCC catalyst activity, cycle length and gasoline yield
- Converts heavy hydrocarbons to distillate fuels, helping to optimize the refinery product slate and debottleneck FCC operations
LCO (FCC product) mild hydrocracking:
When used downstream of the refinery FCC unit, MHC upgrades light cycle oil (LCO), a product typically destined for fuel oil and converts it to more profitable low or ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
MHC downstream of the FCC:
- Increases the refinery profitability by converting a low value product into a high value product