Residuum conversion using hydprocessing with delayed coking

The US petroleum industry currently has adequate crude oil supplies for the foreseeable future. However, as has been demonstrated over the past decade, crude oil avails are dictated by the producing countries. It is expected that longer term crude avails will move toward heavier grades as production is adjusted to reflect reserves. Also, most of the recent large reserves added domestically consist of heavy crude oils. Residuum conversion, an effective operating step to meet varying crude qualities and product demands, is discussed.