Minutes from the Small Group Discussion on Synthetic Crudes
COQA Meeting – June 7, 2007
Chicago, IL
The Syncrude discussion covered the following topics. Potential follow up items for the COQA have been highlighted in red.
1. Cracked Stock:
A. Enbridge keeps batches of cracked oils segregated by requiring buffer batches and tank heel sweeps to the shipper of the cracked oil.
B. BP and Shell pipelines do not allow any unhydrotreated cracked stock on their systems.
C. The COQA could contact other pipelines (Kinder Morgan, Marathon, others?) to determine their policies on transporting cracked oils and post the findings on our website. How is the cracked material kept segregated upstream of the Enbridge system, Kinder Morgan, others?
D. The COQA could pull together a 1-pager on testing for olefins in crude, referencing formal specifications and work done by CAPP, Enbridge, Capline, and BP (Bromine Number, nmr).
E. Cracked stocks contain problematic olefins and nitrogen functionality. The impact and mitigation depends on how much of these compounds there are, and in what boiling range they fall.
F. Nitrogen and olefins have caused off-spec jet and nitrogen break-through at reformers. Sulfur and copper impacts were also mentioned, but it was not clear this was related to any Canadian synthetic crudes.
2. Compatibility
A. Compatibility is not a particular problem with sweet syncrudes. Sweet synthetics are already used to dilute heavy Canadian oil indicating they are not terribly prone to precipitate asphaltenes from other crude oils. Compatibility of sweet synthetics with other oils needs to be assessed on a case by case basis, similarly to other crude oils. Companies should follow their standard processes when evaluating sweet syncrude compatibility.
B. The producter of Albian Heavy has cautioned against mixing Albian upgrader sweet synthetic with Albian Heavy oil.
3. Batch to batch consistency
A. This appears to be a grade by grade issue both in Canada and Venezuela. Some grades seem extremely stable, others vary in yields and other properties indicating unstable upgrader performance or irregular blending being driven by upgrader economics.
B. Syncrude (Imperial) indicated each batch of their sweet synthetic crude is analyzed to ensure consistency.
C. Suggest COQA review CAPP/Crude Monitor surveillance data for sweet syncrudes, and potentially recommend additional testing such as yields, especially on grades showing density or sulfur variation.
D. COQA could ask each syncrude producer to provide what they consider acceptable variation and how they ensure their product meets those specs. 'Recipe' of the syncrude should be known, hydrotreating severity of various fractions is good to know too.
E. Since WCS is a blend, can we get an update on their efforts to manage consistency? This is listed separately as it is not a sweet syncrude but may contain it as a diluent.
F. Complicated logistics (long distances and multiple break out tanks) leads to delivered quality variation, Spearhead was mentioned specifically as having this issue. A bottomless synthetic was reported delivered with 13% vacuum residue.
G. Petrozuata Heavy and Zuata Sweet were mentioned as having possible quality issues, specifically amount of hydrotreating and nitrogen content.
4. US Department of Energy does not allow synthetic crudes in to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve due to concerns about long term storage and stability. This policy is based on their concerns not on data or experience. DOE is considering allowing syncrudes. COQA could track DOE progress on this issue, particularly if DOE carries out any testing to determine stability of sweet synthetics in the caverns.
5. Sweet synthetics are at the greatest risk for value/quality degradation due pipeline interfaces and tank heels. COQA could get more information from Enbridge about their incentive tolling agreement and how it specifically protects sweet synthetic crudes from picking up 1000F + residue from other crudes in the system. COQA could also work with CAPP, CCQTA, or Enbridge to help determine the value of keeping sweet synthetics 'bottomless', and discuss potential changes to Enbridge batching and scheduling operations if the value warrant it.
5. Sulfur and Nitrogen Speciation: It is believed that the sulfur and nitrogen left in the sweet synthetics after hydrotreating at the upgrader is more difficult to remove at the refinery than sulfur and nitrogen from virgin crude oil. ConocoPhillips is doing some work on the nitrogen aspects of this issue and may be able to share results at a future meeting. Ron Fisher will contact NCUT to see if they have published any data in this area.
6. Does method of production impact processing (e.g. solids, consistency). COQA should seek presenters on this subject. Did the processing or branding group consider 'method of production'?
7. Solids
A. Organic solids: diamondoids or other solids could cause fouling or desalting problems in refineries. Do we know if organic solids are present in syncrude?
B. Inorganic solids: catalyst fines, fine sands or silt from mining, sag-d, or huff-and-puff could be present in syncrudes.
C. It is believed most solids should be removed at the syncrude upgrader, laying down on catalyst beds or cokers. Syncrude has a sediment spec that is very low (number not written down, need to request it). Can CAPP/Crude Monitor test syncrudes and possibly common sweet streams for filterable solids?
D. CCQTA is running a project on bitumen quality and possibility. They are contacting producers to determine specific qualities of the various oils, solids type and particle size is in the scope of this CCQTA project. Data in the project is restricted to project participants. Contact Tim Blackmore at Omnicon Consultants for more information.
8. Syncrude (Imperial) had a representative at the meeting and they would like to know what concerns refineries have with their product. These meeting minutes will be accessible on our website, but the COQA could put together a list of concerns/questions that we agree are real and not rumored, sending it out to the Sweet synthetic producers in Canada and Venezuela, and posting their replies on our website.
9. Cetane and smoke were mentioned as possible issues due to aromaticity of the sweet synthetics. Some upgraders are moving to higher aromatic saturation in their upgraders to address this. This is not seen as an issue for the COQA as these qualities are what they are from each upgrader and they are easy to represent in an assay in a similar manner to conventional crudes.
Lloyd Wenger
ExxonMobil