US 7,550,642 B2
	Olefin production utilizing whole crude oil/condensate feedstock with enhanced distillate production
Donald H. Powers, Houston, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Equistar Chemicals, LP, Houston, Tex. (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/584,722.
Prior Publication US 2008/0093261 A1, Apr. 24, 2008
Int. Cl. C07C 4/04 (2006.01); C10G 9/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 585—648  [585/652; 208/130; 208/132]

8 Claims

1. A thermal cracking process that employs at least one cracking furnace and a liquid feed for said cracking furnace, said liquid feed consisting essentially of whole crude oil containing petroleum middle distillate, natural gas condensate containing petroleum middle distillate, and mixtures thereof, said petroleum middle distillate boiling in the range of from about 350 to about 650 F, said liquid feed first being subjected to a vaporization step other than distillation that produces a vaporous output and a liquid bottoms fraction that is separate from said vaporous output, said vaporous output from said vaporization step being fed to said at least one cracking furnace, carrying out said vaporization step under conditions such that said liquid bottoms fraction that is recovered from said vaporization step contains a substantial amount of said at least one petroleum middle distillate that was originally present in said liquid feed, and subjecting said recovered liquid bottoms fraction to at least one of atmospheric distillation and vacuum distillation to produce at least one petroleum middle distillate product.