Advanced hydrocracking unit flow scheme optimization and integration approach to maximize refinery margins for a residue upgrading project

Vinod Ramaseshan is a hydroprocessing engineering specialist for Saudi Aramco and has over 22 years of experience in the petroleum refining industry. He began his career with Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. and worked for UOP Ltd. before joining Saudi Aramco. Mr. Ramaseshan has been involved with commissioning, operating, troubleshooting and optimizing new and revamped hydrocracking and hydrotreating units in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and India regions. He holds an MS degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, and is a charted engineer in the UK.

Stephen Gajadhar is a Facilities Planning Specialist at Saudi Aramco, leading techno-economic feasibility studies and conceptual engineering of refining and chemicals projects. He is a chartered chemical engineer with 26 yr of experience in the oil and gas industry. He earned Bch and MS degrees in engineering from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago.

Abdulaziz A. Ghabbani is a Hydrocracking Process Engineer at Saudi Aramco, working at the RTR. He has 11 yr of experience at the refinery, covering multiple engineering, operations, production planning and economics functions. He earned a Bch degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK.

Hassan A. Abdulal is a Facilities Planning Engineer at Saudi Aramco, specializing in feasibility studies and early engineering of refining and chemicals projects. He has 8 yr of experience in the refinery and petrochemicals industries. He earned a BSc in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S.A

Neeraj Tiwari is a Principal Hydroprocessing/Renewables Process Specialist at Honeywell UOP, specializing in the design of Ecofining™, heavy oil, hydrotreating and HCUs. He has 19 yr of experience in the refining and petrochemical industry and been granted 7 U.S. patents. He earned an MS degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India.

Mahendra Balodia is a Project Development Manager at Honeywell UOP, specializing in hydrocracking, aromatics and bottom-of-the-barrel upgrading technologies. He has more than 20 yr of experience in the industry and has held various positions in engineering, technology licensing and catalyst businesses. He earned an MS degree in computer-aided process plant design from IIT Roorkee, India.

Massimo Sangalli is a Lead Research Engineer at Honeywell UOP, specializing in hydroprocessing and refining conversion technologies. He has more than 25 yr of experience in the industry in various functions. He earned a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, USA.

Simmi Sood is the Senior Business Leader for UOP hydroprocessing, FCC, alkylation, treating and heavy oils technologies. She has more than 26 yr of experience in the oil and gas industry. She is the author of two U.S. patents. She earned a Bch degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.