Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE):Conditions Affecting the ...

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There are four primary MTBE processes, depending on the source of the isobutylene. Brief descriptions of the different sources of isobutylene and of each process are presented below in table 1-1; more detail is presented in appendix E. Each of the four processes is used to varying degrees in the United States. In Saudi Arabia, the primary production process used is butane dehydrogenation. 13 (...continued) gas, with the molecular formula C 4H 10, that includes the individual isomers n-butane and isobutane. 1-5
Table 1-1. The four main sources of isobutylene and their associated MTBE processes Process Source of isobutylene Steam crackers .. Isobutylene obtained directly from C 4 streams 2 generated by steam crackers during the manufacture of ethylene. Butadiene is usually extracted from the steam cracker stream before use; the resulting stream can be called raffinate 1. Refineries generally consume the isobutylene produced. Fluid catalytic cracker units (FCCUs) ....... Tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA) .... Butane dehydrogenation 5 . Isobutylene obtained directly from C 4 streams generated by FCCUs in refineries. The refineries that produce these streams consume them captively. Isobutylene produced from TBA, a coproduct of propylene oxide (PO), that is itself derived from isobutane. The isobutylene produced is then used captively to manufacture MTBE. Isobutylene produced from the dehydrogenation of isobutane. The isobutylene produced is consumed captively. An isomer of isobutane, n-butane, can also be used as a starting material for this process but must be converted, or isomerized, into isobutane before the dehydrogenation step. Whereas many U.S. production facilities start with either n-butane or isobutane, some facilities, generally those in Europe and Saudi Arabia, start with a feed of mixed butanes (also called “field butanes”). Average production capacity Barrels per day 1,000 to 8,000 1,000 to 8,000 3 14,000 to 33,000 4 12,000 to 25,000 4 1-6 Typical consumer of the MTBE produced Generally consumed captively in the producing refinery. Generally consumed captively in the producing refinery. Generally sold on the merchant market, largely to refiners, with some to gasoline blenders Generally sold on the merchant market, largely to refiners, with some to gasoline blenders; most of the production in Saudi Arabia is exported. Share of total U.S. MTBE production capacity, 1998 1 Share of Saudi MTBE production capacity, 1998 Percent Percent 4 4 31 4 20 Not used 35 92 1 The total percentage of production capacity in the United States accounted for by each source of isobutylene does not total 100 percent because some facilities use combined feeds (e.g., those from steam crackers and from FCCUs or from steam crackers and butane dehydrogenation). 2 C4 streams, regardless of their source, primarily contain hydrocarbons with 4 carbon atoms–e.g., mixed butylenes, including isobutylene and n-butylene. 3 The capacity is limited by the volume of the C4 streams produced. In many cases, the MTBE production unit was added to add value to the isobutylene produced internally. 4 These facilities are generally large scale in terms of production capacity. 5 Facilities producing MTBE using this process are often called “on-purpose” plants. Source: Derived from information presented in appendix E.
Page 1 and 2: Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE):
Page 3 and 4: ITC READER SATISFACTION SURVEY Meth
Page 5 and 6: U.S. International Trade Commission
Page 8 and 9: TABLE OF CONTENTS iii Page Abstract
Page 10: Tables-Continued TABLE OF CONTENTS-
Page 13 and 14: accounts for about 30 percent of U.
Page 15 and 16: volatile organic compound emissions
Page 17 and 18: gases in Saudi Arabia regardless of
Page 19 and 20: Register (64 F.R. 5312) of February
Page 21: eportedly purchased imported MTBE d
Page 25 and 26: Table 2-1 MTBE production levels of
Page 27 and 28: Saudi Arabia, 13 Venezuela, the UAE
Page 29 and 30: The third group of countries, the m
Page 31 and 32: (1) in refineries using either thei
Page 33 and 34: production capacity is fairly recen
Page 35 and 36: Table 3-2 31 (...continued) In the
Page 37 and 38: Table 3-3 The cost of producing MTB
Page 39 and 40: accounted for approximately 94 perc
Page 41 and 42: exploring their options regarding a
Page 43 and 44: Table 3-7 U.S. MTBE import-to-consu
Page 45 and 46: Table 3-10 Average monthly and annu
Page 47 and 48: Table 3-12 Components of LDP unit v
Page 49 and 50: Transportation Costs Practically al
Page 51 and 52: Source: Compiled by the Commission
Page 53 and 54: the section describes health and en
Page 55 and 56: volume, 90 and contain no lead or h
Page 57 and 58: that opted in to the program, 112 m
Page 59 and 60: appendixes H and J). In addition, t
Page 61 and 62: prohibit the use of jet skis and, i
Page 63 and 64: produce disruptions in the fuel sup
Page 65 and 66: According to one source, the “vol
Page 67 and 68: level almost reached the record hig
Page 69 and 70: Europe consider ethanol to be too c
Page 71 and 72: TAME is produced in about five to s
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our continued economic growth.” 4
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with $5.5 billion in 1996. 17 As of
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Port in Madinat Al-Jubail. 35 Both
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Alujain was to have held about 30 p
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(presented in descending order). 59
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Using minimum estimated operating r
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The cost of producing MTBE from n-b
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Table 4-3 Butane dehydrogenation pr
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consumed domestically “as fuel an
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price would be determined by deduct
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Government Policies This section pr
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e available to all sectors in the K
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intent of the investment condition
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that “this is only a limited cush
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In another argument, several source
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Opinions within the industry differ
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4-34
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Appendix C Witness List
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Appendix D Glossary
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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-the
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D-4
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MTBE Production Processes STEAM CRA
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Figure E-2 is not available in the
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dehydrated to form isobutylene) or
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Appendix F U.S. Production and Cons
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Table F-1 U.S. methanol producers,
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Table F-3 U.S. methanol production,
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increased during this period; Canad
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another 3 to 5 percent is reportedl
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2 percent. This growth rate was in
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Table F-6 Annual production of liqu
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Table F-7 U.S. annual production, t
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Appendix G U.S. Tariff Treatment an
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Appendix H Chronology of Events Rel
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Year MTBE-related incidents, academ
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Chronology of Events Related to the
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Appendix J Legislation and Other Ac
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Jersey introduced legislation that
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