The high price of oil and increasing global demand for refined products have resulted in unprecedented refining margins, especially for those refiners processing heavy, high sulphur crudes. Many refiners are reinvesting their profits by upgrading existing refining facilities, focusing primarily on the ability to process heavier, higher sulphur and higher naphthenic acid crudes by adding delayed cokers or ebullated bed hydrocracking technologies. For those refiners currently processing light, sweet crudes, the switch to a heavier crude slate and the addition of a delayed coking unit or an ebullated bed hydrocracking unit will significantly increase their refining margin.
 
This paper shows how the combination of delayed coking and ebullated bed hydrocracking can significantly increase the conversion capabilities of a refinery versus either technology alone. In particular, the paper shows how the addition of an ebullated bed hydrocracker to a refinery that already includes a delayed coker can improve the economics of the refinery versus the addition of incremental coking capacity. The paper also shows how the addition of a delayed coker to a refinery that already includes an ebullated bed hydrocracker can eliminate the production of heavy fuel oil and improve the refinery economics.