Luca Mancuso

Petroleum coke (petcoke) and refinery residues

Abstract Nowadays refineries face the challenge of developing cost-effective strategies for maximizing their yield of lighter and higher-value products to improve their economics and dispose of their residue. Conversion technologies have been developed and improved over the years under the pressure of this challenge. However, the zero-residue production still remains an impossible target. Conversion, even in its most advanced form, leaves the refinery with a residual bottom product, reduced in volume, but more contaminated with sulfur and metals. The integration of a gasification plant in the refinery complex represents a cost-effective answer for the generation of high-value and clean products. Furthermore, when coupled with circulating fluidized bed boiler technology, the latter allowing the conversion of the heavy residues into steam and power via combustion, new potential market scenarios are opened for the refinery to maximize its economics. This chapter provides an overview of petroleum coke for use in gasification plants and shows the results of various technical and economic assessments of gasification-based plants, designed to coproduce power, hydrogen, or chemicals.