Total Conversion of the Barrel

Eni Slurry Technology (EST) is a proprietary technology, developed to face this challenge and to represent a long lasting, sustainable and competitive advantage. Eni's aim is to create an integrated technological chain integrated technological chain  capable of extracting heavy and extra heavy crude oils as well as bitumen and converting them – even at the well head - into low environmental impact low environmental impact  automotive fuels, hence eliminating petcoke production.
EST is an innovative process for hydroconversion which employs a slurry nano catalyst and a particular process scheme in order to refine different types of heavy feedstocks, such as residues from the distillation of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils (eg Venezuelan crude from Orinoco Belt) or non conventional oils (eg bitumen from tar sands), characterized by high contents of sulfur, nitrogen, metals, asphaltenes and other polluting species difficult to manage with traditional refining processes. Compared to the refining technology commercially available, EST does not produce by-products and completely converts the charge into distillates.
The EST project is advancing towards industrial development on the basis of the results obtained in the demonstration plant (1200 barrel per day, b/d) located at Eni's Taranto refinery, that started in 2005. In 2009 and 2010 testing was mainly aimed at validating the upgrading performance and the plant operation. Innovative solutions for maximising process yields have also been devised.

The building of the first industrial plant (23,000 b/d) based on EST technology is in progress at Sannazzaro de' Burgondi (PV) refinery; the start up is expected in 2012.

The use of structured nanomaterials is one of the keys to process innovation and intensification, because material innovations allow to multiply the effects on the system. Projects to study and develop nanomaterials potentially able to radically improve the full conversion of the barrel are underway

The Dual Catalyst technology, based on the use of nano-catalysts, has been tested at pilot scale and protected by patent application. It could lead to a breakthrough development of EST, which can increase productivity and improve product quality.

It is under development a catalytic system obtained by the combination of two catalysts, that not only can remove sulfur and hydrogen from the feedstock, but also increase the degree of cracking and the nitrogen removal. In the project Flexible FCC new zeolite or zeolite-like proprietary additives are being studied to promote the conversion of feedstock heavy fraction without increasing the residue percentage. These additives, combined with a new process scheme, would change the gasoline/diesel ratio of in favor of diesel.
In the last period application tests have been going on, confirming the results, and the synthesis scale-up was started with the target of reaching the final forming of the additive for an industrial reactor.

This application is also covered by patent application and won the Eni Award 2009 for Eni Innovation.
A new class of porous crystalline aluminum silicate organic-inorganic hybrids was recently synthesized for the first time; some patent applications have been filed.

The project aims to test the upstream and downstream applications of the microwave technology for handling crude oil and for improving thermal conversion (eg visbreaking), reducing the use of flux in both areas. Within the downstream flux could be used to improve development in particular pro distillates, resulting in an increase in product yield.
In 2010, in order to consolidate the results obtained at laboratory scale, a micro pilot plant was realized in order to check the possibility of significant and permanent decrease in the viscosity of crude oils, bitumen and refinery residues.
In 2009 two patent applications were filed.