PTQ Q2 2023 Issue

Figure 7 Residence time impact on fouling mitigation (grid revamp)

Additional validation As a validation exercise on the effectiveness of additive #1 and, more importantly, to ensure no detrimental impact on downstream operations from adding the nano-additive, a Suncor-affiliated ebullated bed pilot was operated with the nano-additive. On a qualitative basis, the reactor operated longer than expected with the same feedstock, and the reac- tor walls were clean post-run, reducing turnaround time, which had never happened before. The performance of the reactor was the same or slightly better than without the addi - tive (within measurement accuracy), with the key takeaway being that the additive appears to prevent foulant build-up in the reactor without a negative impact on performance. Conclusions Successful implementation of the WRI continuous pilot operation and testing has revealed that the nano-addi- tive is highly effective in mitigating and reducing multiple instances of upgrader/refinery fouling. Based on this pilot testing, it is acknowledged that magnesium sulphonate with MgO nanoparticles has multiple uses as an asphal- tene dispersant, mitigating asphaltene precipitation and preventing thermal coke formation and polymeric coke

build-up in diluent recovery, vacuum unit, and coker cir - cuits, including the coker fractionator kero pumparound.

References 1 Remesat, D., Reliability vs recovery for delayed coking fractionators. 2 Kister, H. Z., et al ., Distillation Design, Vol. 1, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1992. Darius Remesat provides design and process optimisation support in the oil and gas industry. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University. Email: dremesat@ucalgary.ca Justin Martin is Vice President of sustainable emerging technologies at Western Research Institute in Laramie Wyoming. He obtained a chemical engineering degree and a Masters of Business Management from the University of Wyoming. Email: justmart@uwyo.edu Edward Maharajh is a consultant providing solutions to improve op- erational performance at hydrocarbon processing facilities. Edward has over 40 years of industry experience and holds a Msc in chemistry from McMaster University. Email: emaharajh@energytr.ca Youssef Elgahawy supports technology development at Suncor Ener- gy. He holds an MSc degree in Chemical Engineering from the Univer- sity of Calgary and a BSc in Petroleum Engineering from the American University in Cairo. Email: yelgahawy@suncor.com

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PTQ Q2 2023