Economic and geopolitical trends in global oil markets are unfolding alongside significant structural changes in the fuel and energy industry (FEI). These developments are driving a transition to alternative vehicle fuels due to worsening environmental conditions and promoting the refining of crude oil into petrochemical products. This transformation is critical for meeting domestic demand and complying with increasingly stringent environmental and economic standards in foreign markets. A key objective for the crude refining complex (REF) is now to supply feedstock to the petrochemical sector (PETR). Steam crackers, the cornerstone of the global petrochemical industry, use different feedstocks depending on the region: naphtha in Europe and Asia, gas in North America and the Middle East, and coal in China. (However, in China, the reliance on coal is outdated. Currently, the primary energy source is Nahphtha based). In our country, the steam cracker is designed to process both liquid (naphtha) and gaseous (ethane) feedstock. However, limited crude throughput has created supply challenges for straight-run naphtha, a vital input for fuel production (catalytic reforming) and petrochemical production (steam cracking). Since oil refineries are the primary source of petrochemical feedstock, this article evaluates how intensifying crude refining processes could expand feedstock availability. Seven refining configurations were developed, incorporating new processes (hydrocracking, deasphalting) and modifications to existing processes (catalytic cracking). The analysis shows that deep catalytic cracking and deasphalting could boost feedstock supply to steam crackers by 8-10 %. Case 3 was identified as the most suitable configuration for the short term through comprehensive technical and economic calculations, ensuring optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Keywords: crude refining; petrochemicals; liquified gases; deep catalytic cracking; deasphalting; hydrocracking.
Alkhasli et al. (Mon,) studied this question.