Process Technology Quick Reference Cards

Hydrotreating

Chapter from the Process Technology Quick Reference Cards.

HYDROTREATING

Process Objective

Remove sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, metals, and saturate olefins/aromatics from petroleum fractions to meet product specifications and protect downstream catalysts.

Key Operating Variables

Variable	Typical Range	Effect / Notes
WABT	550-750°F	Higher T → more HDS/HDN, but faster deactivation
Pressure	200-1,500 psig	Higher P → deeper desulfurization
LHSV	1-6 hr⁻¹	Lower LHSV → more residence time → deeper treating
H2/Oil Ratio	500-3,000 SCF/BBL	Adequate H2 for stoichiometry and catalyst wetting
Feed Sulfur	0.01-5 wt%	Higher S → more H2 consumption, higher WABT

Process Configurations

Naphtha HDT: 200-400 psig, mild — HDS for reformer feed prep (sulfur to <0.5 ppm)
Distillate HDT: 400-800 psig — ULSD production (sulfur <15 ppm)
VGO HDT: 800-1,500 psig — FCC feed pretreating, deep HDN
Resid HDT: fixed bed (atmospheric/vacuum resid) or ebullated bed (very heavy feed)

Products & Yields

Hydrotreated product: same boiling range as feed but lower S, N, metals
H2S: removed in amine system → sulfur recovery
NH3: in sour water → sour water stripper
Light ends: small amount of cracking produces C1-C4

Common Troubleshooting

High product sulfur: WABT too low, catalyst deactivation, feed quality change
High ΔP: scale, fines, coking at reactor inlet — check guard bed
Excessive H2 consumption: olefin saturation (FCC naphtha), aromatics saturation
EOR (end of run): WABT at metallurgical limit, plan catalyst change

Source: Process_Tech_Quick_Reference_Cards_v1.xlsx · sheet “Hydrotreating”

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