Abstract: Measures for optimizing the production of heavy lube base oil from light propane deasphalted oil (DAO) in SINOPEC Jingmen Company were reviewed. The feedstock of propane deasphalting was broadened by blending the vacuum residue (VR) of Nanyang and Jianghan mixed paraffinic base crude into the VR of intermediate base pipeline crude. The propane deasphalting process was optimized by proper adjusting the C4 content in propane stream and raising the top temperature of settler to obtain light DAO with high yield and good quality simultaneously. In furfural refining unit according to the critical solution temperature of light DAO in furfural, the solvent to oil ratio, top and bottom temperature of the extraction tower were optimized to increase throughput and treated oil yield. Besides optimizing the hydro-upgrading temperature, in ketone-benzol dewaxing unit the water content of solvent was reduced and filter aid was applied to increase the yield of dewaxed oil. Since adopting the above optimization measures, heavy lube base oil was successfully produced by using light DAO from broadened VR feedstock.

Key words: propane deasphalting, furfural refining, hydrotreating, ketone-benzol dewaxing