STUDY OF CRITICAL PROCESSES TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION FOR

PETROCHIMICAL SUPPLIES
Roberta A. Pereira1, Peter Seidl 2, Maria José O. C. Guimarães3
Odebrecht Óleo e Gás 1 Escola de Química – UFRJ2,3

Abstract

The development of new technologies for petrochemical feedstocks, has grown significantly in recent years.
This fact can be proved by the number of publications involving critical processes for the production of petrochemical
feedstocks, such as the Atmospheric Distillation and Vacuum Distillation Petrochemical FCC. This latter process will be
used for the first time in Brazil in the Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro (COMPERJ) and will have in the same
industrial, a Basic Petrochemical Unit (BPU) and Associated Petrochemical Units (APU's), where the first generation,
the UPB, will produce the petrochemicals of first generation: ethylene and propylene and in the second generation, the
UPA's will become the basic petrochemical resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, styrene, among others.
Considered crucial for the country, the COMPERJ will provide competitive advantages to domestic industry, leveraging
the production in large scale of petrochemical feedstocks, due to better and higher processing of domestic heavy oil
(lower º API), especially in the Marlim Field. The complex will increase the value of national economy due to the
substitution of heavy oil exportation with lower commercial value by products exportation with higher commercial value
produced in Comperj.The technological analysis of principal processes for petrochemical products production allows
the identification of innovation trends in Brazil compared to other countries within a particular technical field and
analysis period. In this paper was done a technological prospective of critical processes in COMPERJ. It was used the
main scientific databases: INPI, Delphion, Espacenet, USPTO and SciFinder Scholar. In the study period between the
years 2000 to 2009 were found about 400 references in the database Delphion for modified FCC process for production
of petrochemical feedstocks. This result was lower than that found in the analysis of the Atmospheric and Vacuum
Distillation processes. However, due to the increasing of demand for basic petrochemical products in recent years, the
number of publications involving the modified FCC process for the production of petrochemical feedstocks has shown a
important increase in the analysis.

1. Introduction

The technology development in refine and petrochemical area has contributed a lot for the increase of the
processed oil quantity in the country and is expected to expected to have more investment to this growth, as a result of
this the number of patents in this area has grown proportionately. An example of this growth is the more and more
introduction of complex that comprising the refinery with petrochemicals. This is a consequence of growing demand for
basic petrochemical products, primarily ethylene and propylene products (first generation) and polyolefin (second
generation products). In general the refining and petrochemical industries are more concerned with the investments of
new technologies for light olefins production. The main objective of these projects is to utilize petrochemical feedstocks
with alternative technological routes, reducing the gap in the trade balance of the petrochemical industry, and also
allows a better exploitation of domestic oil.
The technological innovations in the processes within Refining-Petrochemicals area are consequences of large
changes in the market of oil products. This also allows alternative sources of raw materials are used, such as natural gas,
refinery gas and ethanol. Investments in processes both in petrochemical plants and refineries representing other sources
of supply for the future petrochemical market
But even with these investments, the amount produced by these alternative sources is still not enough to meet
all the demand for the coming years. The synergy between critical processes that occur in Comperj will allow the
integration to be done in the best possible way, producing in order to meet all domestic demand for petrochemical
supplying the growing market of petrochemicals.
Through this work we could meet the technological evolution of the main critical processes such as atmospheric
and vacuum distillation and FCC Petrochemical for production of petrochemical feedstocks in Comperj. Besides
identifying the main players and their development within the refining and petrochemical area using scientific bases,
such as Delphion, USTO, Espacenet, SciFinder Scholar and others.

______________________________
1
M.Sc., Engenheira Química – Odebrecht Óleo e Gás
2
PhD – Escola de Química/UFRJ
3
DSc – Escola de Química/UFRJ
2. Methodology

The analysis of the critical processes that will be mutually integrated in Comperj was performed in a period
between the years 2000 to 2009, using the scientific database SciFinder School and Delphion. It were used also
others databases, such as USPTO, Espacenet, PTO and Science Direct in order to analyze the various innovations
used in these processes.The research methodology to access the Delphion patents database was divided as follows:

 Selection of the technical field to be analyzed, where the critical processes that will occur
simultaneously in COMPERJ;
 Checking the technical field in class in International Patent IPC (International Patent Classification);
Identifying keywords of technical field;
Search by title, abstract, body text and claims.
 Search by author, by name of the inventor, applicant, such as organization: Shell, Ipiranga, Petrobras,
Exxon Mobil, among other companies of oil and gas industry that acts in the refining and
petrochemical industries in Brazil and the world and,or patent office.
 Search by time period (2000-2009) in order to verify how the evolution of research regarding the
processes used in Comperj over the years.

The technical field which the study refers framed in class international patent C10G1. .

The research methodology to access the scientific database SciFinder Scholar was divided as follows:

 The searches were divided by type process;

 It was done a filter in the desired period (2000-2009);
 It was used the keywords: Atmospheric Distillation, Vacuum Distillation and Petrochemical FCC;
 The searches were performed by Company in part on refining searches such as Petrobras and Shell.

In relation to other bases (Espacenet, INPI, USPTO, Science Direct) the methodology used followed the same
logic.

3. Prospection Results

The analysis in scientific database SciFinder Scholar was made in the period between the years 2000 to 2009 in
relation to the publications referent to main critical processes of Comperj such as atmospheric and vacuum distillation,
and the petrochemical FCC was found the following results shown in Figures 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 below:

1
This class is the oil hydrocarbon cracking, hydrocarbons liquid mixtures production, for example, Destructive hydrogenation, oligomerization,
polymerization, hydrocarbons oil recuperation, naphtha reforming, refining mixtures, mainly consisting of hydrocarbons and others.

2
 Figure 3.1. Evolution of publications related to the Atmospheric Distillation
Font: SciFinder Scholar

Using the database SciFinder Scholar were found about 40 organizations that have published works where the
Atmospheric Distillation was cited. It was observed that in 2005 was the year with more publications of this process to
drop again in 2007 and increasing in subsequent years. In relation to vacuum distillation in the same assessment period
between 2000 and 2009 were found 351 companies / organizations that have published articles, patents and other
publications involving the Vacuum Distillation and 2004 was the year with a higher number as can be seen in Figure
3.2.

Figure 3.2. Evolution of publications related to the Vacuum Distillation

Font: SciFinder Scholar

Regarding the progress of the works published during the period between the years 2000 to 2009 where the
petrochemical FCC mentioned, can be concluded that in 2006 there were a higher number of publications decreasing in
subsequent years, as can be seen in Figure 3.3

Figure 3.3. Evolution of publications related to the Petrochemical FCC

Font: SciFinder Scholar

3
 Doing an analysis of the number of patent and applications published in other database Delphion and making a
comparison between the technological evolution of the critical processes was reached the following results shown in
Figure 3.4

Figure 3.4: Evolução tecnológica dos processos do Comperj

Font: Elaboração própria a partir dos dados do DELPHION

Through the figure 3.4 it was observed that the greater number of publications was in 2005 for the three
processes analyzed. The publications in relation to the technical process of Petrochemical FCC had the lowest number
found over the years.This fact can be explained because the process of FCC modified to produce petrochemical
feedstocks is relatively new, because the FCC was not used for this purpose but to produce gasoline and diesel.
Nowadays, many companies have invested in technologies for production of petrochemical feedstocks and an example
of this is increasing the number of patents and applications published from players that use the technology of the
petrochemical FCC as shown in Figure 3.5 below:

Figure 5.18: Analysis of players for the petrochemical FCC process

Font: Elaboração própria a partir dos dados do DELPHION

4 Conclusion

The analysis of the critical processes evolution that will occur in Comperj such as atmospheric and vaccum
distillation and petrochemical FCC will serve to better understanding of the technological development of these
processes for production of petrochemical products in integrated form. By results was proved an increased of the
number of companies with publications using the FCC process for petrochemical feedstocks production indicating a
trend of increased use of this procedure in the future due to the increasing demand for basic petrochemical products.

4
5. Acknowledgements

The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) through the ANP (PRH 13) Human
Resource program of Chemistry School.
The Chemistry School by learning and familiarity in this institution during the graduation and postgraduate,
which allowed a solid and professional academic formation.
By Peter Seidl teacher for support and encouragement during the Masters
By Maria Jose teacher for their dedication and support given during the whole time.

6. Reference

DELPHION. Available at www.delphion.com. Accessed in September 2009.

ESPACENET. Database of European patent office. Available at http://ep.espacenet.com/. Accessed in May
2008.
INPI. Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Intelectual. Available at www. http://www.inpi.gov.br. Accessed in
August 2008.
SCIFINDER SCHOLAR. Data base. Available at https://scifinder.cas.org. Accessed in July 2009.
PEREIRA, A.R.; SEIDL, R.P,; GUIMARÃES, C.O.J.M. Analysis of critical processes for petrochemical
supplies. Dissertation, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Escola de Química, Fevereiro, 2010.