Presentation from downstream track at KBC Europe Software User Conference June 2018

1. ABU DHABI NATIONAL OIL COMPANYADNOC REFINING
PREDICTIVE MODEL OF GAS
OIL HYDROTREATER UNIT FOR
STUDYING DIFFERENT FEEDS
HALA KELANI
PROCESS SIMULATION ENGINEER

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
2
• Introduction: ADNOC,ADNOC Refining & ADNOC Refining Research Centre
• Project Background
• Unit Description
• Model Development
• Model Applications
• Conclusions

3. ADNOC – GROUP OF COMPANIES
3
Refining
Crude
Gas
Final Products

4. ADNOC REFINING
4

5. ADNOC REFINING REFINERIES
5

6. ADNOC REFINING RESEARCH CENTRE
6
2006: ADNOC’s vision that the technology and innovation supported by scientific
research are essential to its strategy.
2009: ADNOC Refining Research Centre (ARRC) started its research activities to be the
first applied entity with UAE in the field of oil and gas.
2011: ADNOC Refining Research Centre was officially inaugurated

7. ADNOC REFINING RESEARCH CENTRE
7

8. ORGANIZATION OF ARRC
8

9. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
9
Department
Manager
Process Modeling
& Simulation
Section Head
Sr. Process
Simulation
Engineer
Process Simulation
Engineer
Process Simulation
Engineer
Sr. CFD Engineer
Sr. Modeling
Engineer

10. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
10
PM&S
First
Principles
Modeling
Computer
Aided
Engineering
Process
Simulation

11. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
11

12. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
12
PM&S
First
Principles
Modeling
Computer
Aided
Engineering
Process
Simulation
• Unit-level process improvement.
• Units performance monitoring
• Energy optimization.
• Refinery-wide simulation.
Process
Simulation

13. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
13
PM&S
First
Principles
Modeling
Computer
Aided
Engineering
Process
Simulation
• CFD studies to troubleshoot
and optimize plant operations.
• FEA studies for Fitness for
Service and Remaining Life
analysis.
Computer
Aided
Engineering

14. PROCESS MODELING & SIMULATION AT ARRC
14
PM&S
First
Principles
Modeling
Computer
Aided
Engineering
Process
Simulation
Support other Sections at
ARRC, and Perform Vital
Functions in Research &
Technology Development
Provide Modeling Support to
ADNOC Refining Refineries and
Supply Division to achieve
Operational Excellence, and
Improve Profit Margins
Provide Modeling Support to ADNOC Refining
Refineries for Operations Optimization,
Troubleshooting and Conduct Asset Integrity Studies

15. PROJECT BACKGROUND
15
• Process Modeling & LP Modeling: One of the focus areas of
Operational Excellence activities at ADNOC Refining.
• Objective of Focus Area:
• Establish Modeling Awareness across ADNOC Refining
• Establish industrial best practices in modeling across ADNOC
Refining
• Establish coordination and alignment for modeling activities in
ADNOC Refining
• Monitor Modeling & Simulation software usage and ensure
maximum utilization in ADNOC Refining
• Develop UAE nationals as modeling experts and leaders

16. Project Workflow
16
ARRC
ARRC

17. PROJECT GOALS
17
Objective:
• Develop a Steady State Model of a Gas Oil Hydrotreater Unit in ADNOC Refining Refinery.
• Utilize the model to support production modeling team and refinery process engineers for
optimization studies.
Scope:
• Utilize the model to generate data for LP (Linear Programming) base and delta vectors
generation for production planning.
• Utilize the model to conduct process parametric studies.
• Predict unit performance for different types of feed to assist in production and operations
planning.
• Utilize the model to provide operational insight to refineries and suggest improvement
opportunities.

18. HYDROTREATING
18
• A fixed bed catalytic process in the presence of large
amount of hydrogen for hydrotreating a wide range of
feedstock.
• It is designed primarily to:
• Remove organic sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen
compounds contained in the hydrocarbon.
• Saturates the olefinic/aromatic compounds.

19. HYDROTREATING REACTIONS
19

20. HYDROTREATING REACTIONS
20

21. UNIT SCHEMATIC
21

22. MODEL DEVELOPMENT
22
Information required for Model Development
• Process and design information
• PI data ( Process operation data)
• Lab analysis for feed and the products
• DCS Snapshots
• Unit PFD
• DHTR-SIM Module of Petro-SIM software by KBC
used to develop the model of the Gas Oil Hydrotreater
Unit.
Petro-SIM v6.0

23. MODEL DEVELOPMENT
23

24. MODEL DEVELOPMENT
24

25. MODEL TUNING
25
• Differences:
• Off gases flow rates
• Bottom sulfur content

26. MODEL TUNING
26

27. MODEL RESULTS – Back Prediction
27
• DHTR-SIM is operated in calibration mode, thereby generating reaction kinetics parameters,
yield factors and reaction extent factors.
• Back-prediction of the base case data is then executed and is in excellent agreement.

28. MODEL RESULTS – Model Validation
28
• DHTR-SIM is operated in calibration mode, thereby generating reaction kinetics parameters,
yield factors and reaction extent factors.
• Prediction using the another set of input data is then executed and the predictions again
show excellent agreement.

29. MODEL APPLICATIONS: PARAMETRIC STUDIES
29
“Predict” function is used to investigate model response at various Parametric Scenarios:
1. LHSV
2. S.G of the feed
3. Make up hydrogen purity
4. Reactors Inlet temperatures
5. Product sulfur content

30. MODEL STEP-OUT CASES
30

31. MODEL APPLICATION: FEED VARIATIONS
31
• The validated model was utilized to predict unit performance.
• Three cases were predicted:
• 15% LVGO with 85% HGO
• 20% LVGO with 80% HGO
• 30% LVGO with 70% HGO

32. MODEL APPLICATION
32

33. MODEL APPLICATION
33

34. MODEL APPLICATION
34
8,600
8,800
9,000
9,200
9,400
9,600
9,800
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
H2MakeupFlowRate(Nm3/hr)
LVGO Percentage in the Feed
H2 Make Up Flow Rate

35. MODEL APPLICATION
35
0.96
0.98
1
1.02
1.04
1.06
1.08
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
DeactivationRate(°C/(m3/kg))
LVGO Percentage in the Feed
Deactivation Rate

36. MODEL APPLICATION
36
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
ChemicalH2Consumption(Nm3/m3)
LVGO Percentage in the Feed
Chemical H2 Consumption

37. MODEL APPLICATION
37
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
TotalDeltaTemperature(°C)
LVGO Percentage in the Feed
Total Delta Temperature

38. MODEL APPLICATION
38
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
4.1
4.2
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
RemainingCatalystLife(yrs)
LVGO Percentage in the Feed
Remaining Catalyst Life

39. DATA FOR LP VECTORS
39
Data from model step-out cases is provided to production planning for LP Vectors
generation

40. MODEL UTILIZATION & BENEFITS
40
SD – Data for LP Model
• Increase Refinery Throughput
• Improve Refinery Yields
• Investigate flexibility to process Gas Oil feed from different sources
Process Improvement
• Process Monitoring
• Improve Hydrogen Management
• Increase ability to react to market changes
Refinery-wide Simulation
• Monitor impact of unit changes in a global picture

41. CONCLUSIONS
41
• A steady-state process model of a Gas Oil Hydrotreater unit has been developed and
calibrated for plant operating conditions
• The model has been used for LP vectors (Base and Delta vectors) generation for input to
Production Planning model for profit improvement
• The model has been used for parametric studies and predicting unit performance using
different feeds to support refinery operations
• Path forward:
• Develop models of all units in ADNOC Refining
• Update refinery-wide model with updated / new unit models
41
RR
ARRC
ADNOC RefiningSD

42. ADNOC REFINING
THANK YOU