September 2020
Catalyts
Driving FCCU value through fresh and flushing catalyst activity modeling
Refiners are continually challenged to maximize economic gain in the face of cost pressures and plant operating constraints. The fluidized catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) plays an integral role in the optimization of the facility. FCC catalyst is often one of the largest budget items in the refinery. Therefore, the balance between FCCU performance and catalyst costs has a significant impact on refinery profitability.
The Authors
Alexis Shackleford is an Executive Account Manager for BASF. She provides technical and commercial support for FCCUs. She joined BASF’s refining catalyst division in 2009 and has held a variety of roles, including Technology Specialist, Marketing Specialist and Technical Service Engineer. She has authored many oil and gas publications. Prior to BASF, Ms. Shackleford worked at Shell Oil Co.’s Deer Park refinery. She earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, with a minor in biomedical engineering.
Alvin Tan is the Regional Technical Service Manager for BASF’s refining catalyst business in Asia Pacific. He has more than 12 yr of experience in FCC operations and process engineering. Prior to joining BASF, Mr. Tan was the lead FCC engineer at Singapore Refining Co. As a member of the BASF Global Technical Service Team, Mr. Tan is a key player in providing quality technical service support to meet customers’ needs. He earned an honors degree in chemical engineering from the National University of Singapore.
Baha Eren is a Technical Service Engineer for BASF’s refining catalyst business, and is based in Houston, Texas. In addition to providing technical service for North American accounts, he utilizes his experience in FCC kinetic modeling and statistical analysis to support the broader technical service teams. Mr. Eren earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas.
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