Lube Feedstock Selection

An ExxonMobil extraction process used to extract aromatics from lube feedstocks to improve the viscosity index and quality of lubricating oil base stocks, integrated with HYDROFINING In solvent refining processes, that portion of the oil which is dissolved in and removed by the selective solvent the solvent rich phase. Contains a low percentage of oil which is typically high in aromatic content. 

Simple conventional refining is based essentially on atmospheric distillation. The residue from the distillation constitutes heavy fuel, the quantity and qualities of which are mainly determined by the crude feedstock available without many ways to improve it. Manufacture of products like asphalt and lubricant bases requires supplementary operations, in particular separation operations and is possible only with a relatively narrow selection of crudes (crudes for lube oils, crudes for asphalts). The distillates are not normally directly usable processing must be done to improve them, either mild treatment such as hydrodesulfurization of middle distillates at low pressure, or deep treatment usually with partial conversion such as catalytic reforming. The conventional refinery thereby has rather limited flexibility and makes products the quality of which is closely linked to the nature of the crude oil used. 

Petroleum sulfonates have traditionally been produced by both batch and continuous treatment of petroleum oils with oleum. These processes have been covered in several reviews (138,139). Natural petroleum sulfonates are coproducts in the manufacture of a variety of refined oils, most notably white (mineral) oils, lube oils, and process oils (plasticizer oils for mbber compounding). The feedstocks are selected primarily on the basis of the desired characteristics of the refined oils which generally contain 15—30% aromatics. 

Petroleum Sulfonates Most of the surfactant formulations for EOR involve petroleum sulfonates. These petroleum sulfonates are prepared from selected refinery products. Among several refinery products, the furfural extract from solvent lube operations is considered an attactive feedstock for oil recovery sulfonates. Lube oil stocks are sulfonated to separate aromatic components. The petroleum sulfonate is in short supply due to the limited demand for lube oil stocks. 

---