Shell Global Solutions

RESIDUE GASIFICATION
CONVERTING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL INTO VALUABLE PRODUCTS

Traditionally, refinery residues have been sold as marine bunker

AT A GLANCE fuel or used on-site as furnace fuel. However, with changing
legislation, refineries are under pressure to reduce their emissions
CUSTOMER DRIVER: Access to resources (unconventionals), changing and the sulphur content of their products, and the market for
feedstock slates (heavy and/or sour crudes), changing demand fuel oil is shrinking. The Shell Gasification Process (SGP) can
patterns (fuel specifications), sustainable operations (emissions) be combined with other upgrading and treating technologies
to convert a wide range of low-value heavy residues and
SOLUTION: The SGP, which can convert a wide range of asphaltenes into synthesis gas (syngas) for:
low-value heavy residues and asphaltenes into syngas integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power
generation (with optional carbon dioxide capture);
VALUE DELIVERED: Enhanced yield of high-value products,
hydrogen via carbon monoxide shift; and
increased hydrogen production, ability to process a wide range
other applications such as chemicals manufacturing.
of crude oils
Shell Global Solutions provides business, operational-support and
PROOF POINT: Three plants (nine reactors) commissioned
project-execution services from design and engineering through to
in the last 10 years
commissioning and start-up, experience transfer, master planning
and training.

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES US
Our gasification experience dates back to the 1950s; more
than 170 Shell gasification reactors have been built.
We continuously improve our technologies by incorporating
lessons learned into our master designs.
SGP units can process a wide range of feedstocks, including
highly viscous, high-sulphur residues.
Our designs offer performance advantages by helping to
minimise oxygen and fresh water consumption, reduce soot
formation and enhance syngas yield.
Because Shell is both a gasifier owner and an operator, it has
extensive experience in their start-up, operation and maintenance.
A TYPICAL SHELL GASIFICATION PROCESS SCHEME
Oxygen High-pressure steam Raw syngas to gas treatment

Oxygen
pre-heater
SOOT
SCRUBBER
Filtrate to waste
SOOT
Residue QUENCH
water stripper

Steam SYNGAS Filter cake

EFFLUENT SOOT to processing
COOLER SEPARATOR or disposal

GASIFICATION
REACTOR
ECO

Boiler feed water SOOT FILTRATION SYSTEM

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The non-catalytic partial oxidation of hydrocarbons takes place
CASE STUDIES
in a refractory-lined reactor. The syngas is cooled in the syngas
effluent cooler, which is directly connected to the reactor, and MEETING REFINERY ENVIRONMENTAL AND
high-pressure saturated steam is produced. The low level of soot PRODUCT QUALITY NEEDS
in the syngas is removed when it passes through a quench, a At the Shell Pernis refinery, the Netherlands, a gasification
separator and a scrubber. An automated heat-up, start-up and unit was integrated with a new hydrocracking unit and a
shutdown system helps to provide reliable plant operation. cogeneration plant to help meet stringent environmental and
product-quality requirements. A revamped deep thermal
PERFORMANCE
cracker produces 1,650 t/d of high-sulphur, heavy residue as
Special burner and reactor designs help SGP technology to: gasification feed. The syngas produced is used in making
convert high ash, sulphur and viscosity feeds; 285 t/d of hydrogen for the hydrocracker and as a clean fuel
give high syngas yield – typically >2,600 Nm³ syngas per for power generation in a 117-MWe IGCC plant.
tonne of feedstock;
operate with low oxygen consumption and low soot formation PRODUCING SYNTHETIC CRUDE FROM OIL SANDS
(<1 mg/Nm³ of soot in raw syngas); and Bitumen extracted by Nexen Inc. from the Athabasca oil sands,
provide enhanced thermal efficiency through the syngas Canada, is converted using the OrCrude™ process to partially
cooling process (with high-pressure steam generation). upgraded product and a heavy asphaltene by-product. The
heavy asphaltene feeds a 3,800-t/d SGP unit. The gasifiers
VALUE generate hydrogen for a distillate-hydrocracking unit, which
The gasification process provides an intermediate product and upgrades the product further into premium-quality synthetic
is integrated into an existing (refinery) complex. This makes our crude. Excess syngas is used to generate steam and power for
gasification technology highly flexible and configurable to meet bitumen extraction.
different needs. It can help in:
improving product quality while reducing plant emissions;
producing hydrogen for processing today’s clean fuels;
adapting processing facilities as demand for fuel oil diminishes;
reducing demand for natural gas;
converting low-value products into high-value products;
using bottom-of-the-barrel oil for power; and
implementing an enhanced oil recovery project using
carbon dioxide.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED HOW YOU CAN

n improve product quality while simultaneously reducing
plant emissions?
n produce sufficient hydrogen to increase the yield of
clean fuels that meet ever more stringent requirements?
n adapt your processing facilities as demand for fuel oil
diminishes?

For further information, please visit our website at www.shell.com/globalsolutions

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