With profit at the core, the gas deep-processing industry chain continues to expand
Thread Content
In recent years, with the rapid development of the gas deep-processing industry chain, the pursuit of feed gas by deep-processing enterprises has driven up its prices continuously. At present, with the accelerating pace of oil product upgrading and manufacturers’ pursuit of profits, the major refineries that serve as the primary sources of raw materials for deep processing in China are preparing to put deep processing facilities into operation in order to extend the oil refining value chain and increase their profits. This has heightened concerns among downstream processing manufacturers regarding the difficulties in securing raw gas in the future. While many manufacturers are actively seeking to import raw gas, some companies intend to increase the production capacity of their MTBE plants to meet their own raw gas needs.
According to JinYinDao, Shijiazhuang United Petrochemical has already built an MTBE plant with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons, and plans to put it into operation next month； Additionally, the company’s existing sec-butyl acetate plant is currently shut down, with plans to start operating it next month in conjunction with the MTBE plant. By then, it is expected to be able to meet its own needs for the raw materials required for sec-butyl acetate. According to market reports, Xinxinyuan Chemical, a subsidiary of Xinqiyuan Chemical, is currently constructing facilities for butane isomerization with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons, isobutane dehydrogenation with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons, and MTBE production with an annual capacity of 280,000 tons ； It is expected to be completed and put into operation gradually by the end of 2015 at the earliest. By then, the chemical industry chain of Xinqiyuan Chemical will continue to lengthen, while the external demand for carbon tetra compounds derived from ethers will continue to decline.
Of course, the above is merely a theoretical analysis of the devices and the industrial chain, representing a relatively perfect model for such an industrial chain. However, given the current market and industry conditions, it is difficult to ensure a seamless integration of this supply chain, whether in terms of the demand for various products or the quality of the relevant raw materials. On the one hand, affected by the ongoing weakness in international crude oil prices, the domestic oil products market remains sluggish; the demand for raw materials used in oil processing is average, which limits the enthusiasm of gas processing manufacturers that use tetrahydrocarbons as raw materials, resulting in overall operation rates remaining at low levels. At present, n-butane and isobutane in China are mainly produced as by-products of these facilities, which results in a low supply level of these two substances. On the other hand, although the operation of the industrial chain is theoretically straightforward, given the current state of the industry, various facilities have different requirements regarding the quality of the raw materials needed. Moreover, **the regulations and oversight related to environmental protection in chemical processing facilities pose significant obstacles to the smooth operation of the industrial chain.
Therefore, although an increasing number of companies are currently seeking to extend and expand the refining-chemical industry chain, it remains worth watching to see how many of them will actually be able to establish a complete industrial chain and operate it smoothly.
These are troubled times; let’s first focus on keeping our own jobs before worrying about anything else!
Butane isomerization – isobutane dehydrogenation – MTBE: this process should not result in the formation of tetrahydrocarbons as a by-product. . . Will there still be olefin components in the gas produced by MTBE?
It’s not that complicated; in China, people’s safety is still guaranteed
The industrial chain involving n-butane isomerization, isobutane dehydration, and the production of MTBE from isobutylene is essentially a dead end; it requires too much energy to operate. Due to the competition from alkylated oils, demand for M in the market is limited.