Headwaters completes third commercial demonstration of its heavy oil catalyst technology
Headwaters Incorporated announced that it has completed two additional commercial runs of its HCAT catalyst technology designed to improve the upgrading of heavy oil to lighter transportation fuels like diesel and gasoline. The results of both commercial runs are consistent with the Company's belief that the HCAT catalyst is a highly efficient, breakthrough technology for the refining of heavy petroleum feedstocks.
The HCAT catalyst technology has been deployed in two separate runs at a commercial heavy oil hydrocracking unit located in a major North American refinery. The hydrocracking unit processes refinery vacuum residue. Similar to a 2005 European refinery test, preliminary data from both production runs indicates that the Headwaters Heavy Oil upgrading catalyst performed in a manner consistent with earlier pilot plant test results.
The second HCAT commercial run was completed in October and demonstrated HCAT's performance under varying operating conditions. The third commercial demonstration was unique because there was no intent to test varying conditions under which HCAT might perform. Rather, this test was designed to hold all operational parameters constant and test whether the addition of HCAT affected the performance of the unit when HCAT was the only variable changed. Consistent with prior commercial runs, there was an increase in reactor temperature, increased hydrogen uptake and increased liquid volume yield, all indicators of improved residue conversion. The results were positive and consistent with the other commercial runs that have been completed.
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