Finnegans Wake and Online Research

According to Wikipedia, “Finnegans Wake is a book by Irish writer James Joyce … Owing to the work's linguistic experiments, stream of consciousness writing style, literary allusions, free dream associations, and abandonment of narrative conventions, Finnegans Wake remains largely unread by the general public.”
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnegans_Wake

Stream of consciousness can be useful in keeping up with items of interest in your field.  For example …

A Google® Scholar alert notified me of a recent Neste Oyj patent titled “Low sulfur fuel oil bunker composition and process for producing the same.”

Bunker oil is one of the worst offenders when it comes to sulfur, so it caught my eye.

After perusing the Neste Oyi patent (excerpts shown below) I Googled Neste Oyj Low sulfur fuel oil bunker

Search results led me to a press release on the partnership between Neste Oyi and German shipping company BMT. The press release, at least the version that I discovered, was published in Bioenergy International. The text of the press release appears after the patent excerpts shown below.

TIP: Set up Google® Scholar alerts using keywords that match your interests. Scan the alerts that land in your inbox. 95% of the alerts will not interest you. But 5% will. Explore them, and let your stream of consciousness take over. This may lead you nowhere, but it may lead you somewhere … you’ll never know until you row your boat down that stream.

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Low sulfur fuel oil bunker composition and process for producing the same
[ EXCERPTS from the Neste Oyj patent ]
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to marine fuel compositions having low sulfur content and processes for making such compositions.
C10G67/14 Treatment of hydrocarbon oils by at least one hydrotreatment process and at least one process for refining in the absence of hydrogen only plural serial stages only including at least two different refining steps in the absence of hydrogen
US20200277533A1
Inventor: Varpu Markkanen
Current Assignee: Neste Oyj
Application US16/645,935
Application filed by Neste Oyj: 2020-03-10
Assigned to NESTE OYJ: 2020-09-03
Publication of US20200277533A1
Status: Pending

Description
    FIELD OF THE INVENTION
    [0001]
    The present invention relates to marine fuel compositions having low sulfur content and processes for making such compositions. Herein is provided a low sulfur fuel oil bunker component having advantageous properties. It also relates to upgrading vacuum residue.
    SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
    [0012]
    Herein is disclosed a low sulfur fuel oil bunker component the properties of which essentially correspond to earlier fuel oil bunker components, except for the sulfur content, which is less than 0.5 wt-% and preferably less than 0.1%-wt. More specifically, the low sulfur fuel oil bunker component is defined in independent product claim 1. Such low sulfur fuel oil bunker component provides benefits when used in marine engines. Compared to use of higher sulfur content fuels, the need for flue gas cleaning system is avoided. Compared to low sulfur lighter bunkers, the adjustments of engines due to lower density and/or viscosity are not necessary.
    [0013]
    The low sulfur fuel oil bunker component is produced by a novel process. The present low sulfur bunker is produced by using vacuum residue treated at a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit as feed for residue hydrocracking system. From residue hydrocracking, a low sulfur bunker oil component is obtained as residue. Vacuum distillate is used as feed, whereby the residue value is increased and hydrocracking residue value can be improved. Further, the process provides sulfur removal for residues, which earlier were considered too complex and demanding to be desulfurized as such. The steps of the present production method are defined in independent process claim 7.
    [0014]
    Here is further disclosed a system suitable for production of low sulfur bunker oil component according to claim 1 and for running process according to independent process claim 7. The essential elements of the system are defined in independent system claim 12. The embodiment of said system provide advantages through economical use of feeds and fractions thereof, enabling better value products and through process flexibility and adjustability.
    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [0015]
    The invention will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached accompanying drawings, in which
    [0016]
    FIG. 1 shows a schematic process outline for the present process and system. Starting from vacuum residue, a SDA feed pretreatment is applied before feeding the stream to residue hydrocracking unit. The residue recovered from residue hydrocracking unit has low sulfur content and is readily applicable as heavy bunker component;
    [0017]
    FIG. 2 shows as schematic process outline the steps preceding the process and system of FIG. 1, and can be considered as an embodiment of said process and corresponding system. The starting material for process of FIG. 2 is crude oil. It is subjected to distillation steps and residue is recovered for further refining;
    [0018]
    FIG. 3 shows schematically another embodiment of the present process and system, wherein the process units and lines in-between are adjustable to two arrangements, one with solid line and other with dashed line, to provide flexibility.
View the full patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20200277533A1/en
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After reading the patent, I wanted more information, so I decided to Google® Neste Oyj Low sulfur fuel oil bunker

One result is the following press release …

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Neste partners with BMT to bring IMO2020-compliant low-sulphur marine fuel to Germany
Bioenergy International - Storage & Logistics, November 8, 2019

Finland-headed oil refiner and renewable products producer Neste Oyj and BMT Bunker und Mineral transport GmbH, a German bunkering services company with extensive experience in the sales of marine fuels, have signed a partnership agreement concerning the distribution and sales of Neste Marine 0.5, a new IMO2020 sulphur compliant marine fuel.
This new marine fuel, containing a maximum of 0.5 percent sulphur, has been available in Bremerhaven, Germany, since the beginning of November 2019. BMT is well-known especially in the North Sea coast in Germany, which is a key logistics channel for global shipping companies.

    We are proud to bring our BMT expertise and Neste’s high-quality marine fuels together. We value cooperation with Neste, one of the leading providers of cleaner and more sustainable fuel solutions. BMT is committed to building strong partnerships, which is also our key driver with Neste, said  Andreas Mestermann, CEO of BMT.

By choosing Neste’s low-sulphur fuel, shipping companies will have a solution, which is easy to switch to, and guarantees immediate compliance with the International Maritime Organisation’s IMO2020, the global sulphur cap. The high-quality Neste Marine 0.5 contains a maximum of 0.5 percent sulphur.

The product is manufactured with components from Neste’s refinery in Porvoo, Finland. Leveraging on its long-term refining expertise, Neste says that it is able to ensure stable product quality and technical feasibility. These are verified by full-scale fuel equipment system and engine tests in laboratory and onboard, both generating excellent results.

    We are truly delighted that BMT is our marine fuel channel partner in Northwestern Europe. They share our passion for cleaner shipping and have the ability to distribute Neste Marine 0.5 to global shipping companies operating via Bremerhaven, said Sveta Ukkonen, Head of Marine Fuels and Services at Neste.
source: https://bioenergyinternational.com/storage-logistics/34116
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Continuing to row down this stream of consciousness, I Googled® patents neste oyj

One result: Patents Assigned to Neste Oyj - Justia Patents Search

This search produced the following list of NESTE OYJ INVENTORS, for 2020.

Annika Malm
Annika Malm
Arto Heiska
Blanka Toukoniitty
Blanka TOUKONIITTY
Blanka TOUKONIITTY
Blanka Toukonitty
Chris CASTANIEN
Fredrik NISSFOLK
Heidi Vainio
Ilkka Lehtomäki
Jaana KANERVO
Jaana MAKKONEN
Jaana MAKKONEN
Jarno KOHONEN
Jenni NORTIO
Johan GRONQVIST
Jouko NIKKONEN
Jouko Nikkonen
Juha JAKKULA
Juha Jakkula
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka Myllyoja
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka-Pekka PASANEN
Jukka-Pekka PASANEN
Jukka-Pekka Pasanen
Kaija Isokoski
Kari KULMALA
Kati SANDBERG
Kati Sandberg
Marina Lindblad
Marina Lindblad
Marja TIITTA
Markku KURONEN
Meri HOVI
Mervi Waddilove
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika Sipponen
Olavi Myllymäki
Ossi Pastinen
Outi PIIRAINEN
Outi Piirainen
Pekka AALTO
Pekka Aalto
Pekka AALTO
Pekka NURMI
Pekka SAVOLAINEN
Perttu Koskinen
Petri Lindqvist
Pia Bergström
Rami PIILOLA
Sami TOPPINEN
Seppo MIKKONEN
Seppo Mikkonen
Simo Laakso
Sonja KOUVA
Ulla KIISKI
Ulla Kiiski
Ulla KIISKI
Ulla Kiiski
Ulla Kiiski
Veli-Matti PUROLA
Vesa NIEMI
Vesa Niemi
Ville ALOPAEUS
Ville PAASIKALLIO
Ville PAASIKALLIO
Ville Pihlajaniemi

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I chose to Google® Ulla Kiiski, one the most productive inventors on the list.

Search results yielded the following Neste Oyj bio …

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Sustainability
12.11.2019
The brave and the innovative: History maker Ulla Kiiski
[ EXCERPTS ]
Words: Ninni Sandelius.
You may not have heard the name Ulla Kiiski. But the Finnish scientist’s breakthroughs in inventing renewable, non-fossil diesel are poised to go down in history. “Resilience against difficult odds runs in my blood,” she tells journalist Ninni Sandelius as we kick off our series interviewing the innovative people leading our industry into a more sustainable tomorrow.
Ulla Kiiski is the scientist whose team is behind the innovation that changed the course of the global fuel industry. And yet, like Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the internet, Kiiski would rather be working than posing for the cameras, more satisfied with her legacy than with fame and fortune.
Kiiski has worked for 33 years at the research center inside Neste, the Finnish oil refining company that has become the global leader in renewable fuels. Among the many patents she holds is one that sounds as unlikely today as it did 23 years ago when her team at Neste hit on it: a renewable, non-fossil fuel that can power planes, cars and boats.
Now 59, Kiiski is humble and matter-of-fact. And yet, like Berners-Lee or the scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, it is just possible that her team’s work will one day be seen as a turning point in the human story, opening up new possibilities and striking a decisive blow against climate change.
Ulla Kiiski was born in 1960 into a farming community in Liperi, near Joensuu in the North Karelia region of eastern Finland. Her parents farmed cattle and hay, and the children—she was the second-youngest of seven—were expected to help around the farm.
It was in her later years of secondary school that Kiiski’s fascination with chemistry—and the journey toward her breakthrough—began. In fact, Kiiski can pinpoint it to the hour.
She remembers one particular lab assignment, in which she was asked to combine sodium and chlorine ions to make salt. “It was a revelation to witness how molecules are composed. I realized that this isn’t difficult. It’s fun and it’s fascinating!”
She went on to study chemistry at Joensuu, where she joined the research group of Tapani Pakkanen, a professor who taught physical chemistry, the study of how matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level, and how chemical reactions occur. He would go on to become an important mentor and inspiration, and Kiiski today acknowledges what she calls his “crucial” influence on her future.
Pakkanen led a dynamic team, introducing his students to his network in the chemical industry. They travelled to conferences and published articles. Under his supervision, Kiiski completed her master’s thesis in the field of catalysis.
She recognizes the element of adventure and quest in chemistry—a prospect that still inspires her to this day. Pakkanen happened to know Outi Krause, the director of catalysis research at Neste, and the company gave her a grant for her postgraduate studies. That sealed her future. After two years, she had finished her degree and became a researcher at Neste’s research center .
The breakthrough
At the beginning of the 1990s, the world had started to change. The Cold War’s close had opened up new global agendas, and climate change was beginning to find traction as a reality. The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 showed that more action was needed. And when the world changed, so did the oil refining industry. There was a demand for renewable fuels.
At the time, Kiiski was studying catalytic processes—the ways in which molecules are shaped by catalysts. Part of her job was to compose written reports on new ventures in the field of oil refining.
In 1993, while working on a report on catalytic conversion of vegetable oils by hydrogenation, she became convinced that Neste should test this new technology. She could see the possibly outstanding properties of a new product: The renewable diesel produced with the technology would contain paraffinic hydrocarbons and no aromatics, meaning no smell, and was recognized to have beneficial properties like lower exhaust gas emissions; in short a top-quality paraffinic diesel. And she knew that Neste could utilize its existing oil refining technology and expertise in the process development.
Ensio Tukiainen, the director of research at the time, asked the still-young researcher to share her ideas. Won over by her case, he green-lit the project, and Kiiski and her colleagues started testing how catalysts would work with vegetable oils, namely rapeseed oil, known as canola oil in the US, and tall oil fatty acid.
Soon, they managed to develop a fuel combining good cold properties  and a great cetane rating, the number indicating the combustion speed of diesel fuel and compression needed for ignition. Kiiski and her colleagues Outi Piirainen and Pekka Aalto filed a patent application in 1996. Kiiski remembers the day well: It was February 5, the day commemorating Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
The world catches up
The testing continued after the patent, but there was a break in development, and the project did not advance to production. “It was the late 1990s, and the time was just not ripe,” Kiiski says. At the time Neste was also contemplating the possibilities of first-generation bio diesels.
In the meantime, Kiiski started working in the product development team. But as the 2000s dawned, the world changed again: The pressure to reduce carbon emissions became more and more urgent as the data on climate change began to stack up. “Neste was at a crossroads and decided to take a bold decision toward manufacturing sustainable fuels,” Kiiski remembers. This restarted the project around the innovation that Kiiski and the team had patented.
The EU’s Transportation Biofuels Directive in 2003 obliged nations to replace 5.75% of all transportation fossil fuels with biofuels by 2010. The revised 2009 directive introduced a binding target of 10% by 2020. The Finnish national target is even more ambitious.
These obligations drove changes across the whole energy industry, and in 2002, Kiiski was working again on the NEXBTL, the technology she and her team had helped to create. Now she had an opportunity to study the fuel properties of this remarkable product.
It was time for Neste to take a calculated risk—to move the company in a fresh direction by investing in this new technology to create renewable fuels. This was something that was noisily criticized at the time, by investors, employees and customers alike, but a risk that is now widely recognized as one worth taking.
In 2007, the company opened a brand-new unit in Porvoo refinery, where Kiiski was working. Its purpose was to make Neste MY Renewable Diesel, 100% from various wastes and residues as well as vegetable oils. In addition, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%.
It turned out to be a smart move. Within a decade, Neste has transformed its operations to become the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel. It has made investments worth billions in renewable products, building refineries in Rotterdam and Singapore. In fact, renewable diesel now brings in the majority of the company’s revenue.
The power of curiosity
Still, Kiiski is not satisfied with just one successful product. She says she prefers “handling multiple projects at the same time,” and has her sights set on new challenges, further breakthroughs.
Within the piles of paper in her office are studies and reports that hint at the direction in which her thoughts are taking her. Some are on recycling waste plastics to fuels and chemicals, or on future raw materials such as algae oil and lignocellulose.
Read the full text at: https://www.neste.com/corporate-info/news-inspiration/articles/the-brave-and-the-innovative-history-maker-ulla-kiiski
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I was intrigued by this article. The subject Ulla Kiiski is extremely interesting, of course. Beyond that, the article gave me a glimpse into the role that serendipity plays in the development and commercialization of innovative products and processes.

You can use serendipity to your advantage. The trick is to go just far enough down the serendipitous path to inspire creativity, but not so far that you get nothing done. This is a matter of judgment. And good judgment comes from experience. So my advice is to just get started … you will know when you are there.

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Google® Better!
Jean Steinhardt served as Librarian, Aramco Services, Engineering Division, for 13 years. He now heads Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC, producing the same high quality research that he performed for Aramco.

Follow Jean’s blog at: http://desulf.blogspot.com/  for continuing tips on effective online research
Email Jean at research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com  with questions on research, training, or anything else
Visit Jean’s Web site at http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/  to see examples of the services we can provide

SINOPEC and IMO

Hydrocarbon Processing, 3/4/2019, announced the following …

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Sinopec's Hainan refinery delivers first low-sulfur bunker fuel cargo
Sinopec Corp’s subsidiary refinery in the southern island province of Hainan delivered its first shipment of low-sulfur bunker fuel that meets the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) emission rules, state media reported.
A vessel carrying 2,200 tons of the fuel left the Hainan refinery in late February heading to Ningbo on the east coast. The fuel will be put to pilot use at a maritime institution in Shanghai, China Securities Journal reported
The Hainan plant is the second refinery under Sinopec to produce the low-sulfur marine fuel that meets IMO standards. In January, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Corp shipped 6,000 tons of the fuel
IMO will ban ships from using fuel oil with sulfur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, unless they are equipped with exhaust “scrubbers” to clean up sulfur emissions, starting 2020
Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Rashmi Aich
source: https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2019/02/sinopecs-hainan-refinery-delivers-first-low-sulfur-bunker-fuel-cargo

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WHY THIS MATTERS
“The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will enforce a new 0.5% global sulphur cap on fuel content from 1 January 2020, lowering from the present 3.5% limit. The global fuel sulphur cap is part of the IMO’s response to heightening environmental concerns, contributed in part by harmful emissions from ships.”
Source: source: http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/images/PDFs/SOMWME-whitepaper_Sulphur-p2.pdf

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TIP: Google® imo bunker fuel regulations 2020

A sample search result …

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Seatrade Maritime News
What You Need to Know: The 2020 IMO Fuel Sulphur Regulation
[ EXCERPT ]
What It Means for the Refiners
It is without doubt that the 0.5% sulphur rule will have huge implications for the global refining sector in terms of refinery configuration and operations. Simple refineries that produce a substantial share of their crude run into HFO may face margins pressure, while complex refineries may potentially boost margins with a larger production of low-sulphur products.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) mentioned that by 2020 the price of fuel oil is expected to drop in tandem with demand. This will in turn put pressure on (fuel oil) cracks and simple refineries with high fuel oil yields. On the other hand, it could become more attractive to modern, complex refineries who have the secondary units capable of upgrading fuel oil into higher value lighter products.
The IEA stated: “Global refiners will be put under enormous strain by the shifting product slate. If refiners ran at similar utilisation rates to today, they would be unlikely to be able to produce the required volumes of gas oil. If they increased throughputs to produce the required gas oil volumes, margins would be adversely affected by the law of diminishing returns. In order to increase gas oil output, less valuable products at the top and bottom of the barrel would be produced in tandem, which would likely see cracks for these products weaken and weigh margins down.”
The world’s three leading oil majors – BP, ExxonMobil and Shell – have not mentioned anything on a mass production of 0.5% blends, neither have they announced commitments to invest in reconfiguring their crude runs on a global scale to produce 0.5% fuels. “At present, we have not heard of new refinery investments announced as a result of this regulation. It is too early to have that, as IMO’s decision in July will influence many of these uncertainties,” said Serena Huang, research analyst-downstream, Asia Pacific, Wood Mackenzie.
In general, oil majors and refiners are looking to support the shift in bunker fuel demand arising from the new sulphur regulation in various ways. Firstly, refiners can increase ULSFO production by extracting low sulphur fuel oil streams that are currently blended into LSFO or HSFO to be made available to the market as ULSFO. ExxonMobil, for instance, has launched a relatively new product, Heavy Distillate Marine ECA 50 (HDME 50), that can be handled onboard like HFO and has only 0.1% sulphur content.
Secondly, refiners in general have an issue of managing their surplus residue. “In some instances, exploring residue destruction investments may make sense, but this option comes with higher risk on returns of investment, as gas oil demand is predicated on shippers’ uptake of alternative options such as scrubber installation and LNG bunkering,” said Huang.
Thirdly, refiners can raise LNG bunker supplies in major bunkering hubs. In Singapore, Shell and ExxonMobil are working with Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to supply LNG as fuel. In Rotterdam, Shell this year launched a LNG bunker tanker to supply LNG from Rotterdam’s Gate Terminal.
source: http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/images/PDFs/SOMWME-whitepaper_Sulphur-p2.pdf
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The Rime of the Ancient Marine Bunker

Marine bunker is one of the dirtiest fuels around. This is why an ExxonMobil patent describing low sulfur marine bunker is worth examining.

This item came to my attention as the result of a Google® email alert on ExxonMobil.

Here’s a tip … when you are alerted to an item of interest, take the next step.

TIP: Google® exxonmobil bunker

Search results will include ExxonMobil corporate info on their products, as well as other sources of information on marine bunker.

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Low sulfur marine bunker fuels and methods of making same
Inventor:  Christopher E. Robinson, Sara DAWE, Erik Karlsson, Hédi GRATI 
Current Assignee:   ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co
2018-03-20 US9920270B2 Grant
Abstract
This invention relates to low sulfur marine bunker fuel compositions and methods of making the same. The invention also relates to an uncracked, hydrotreated vacuum resid for use in making the low sulfur marine bunker fuel composition. Contrary to conventional marine/bunker fuel compositions, the low sulfur marine/bunker fuel composition uses mostly uncracked components, including a (cat feed) hydrotreated vacuum resid. The low sulfur marine/bunker fuel composition can also have reduced contents of residual components.
SUMMARY
[0010]
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for making a low sulfur marine bunker fuel composition with a reduced concentration of components that have been cracked, the method comprising: contacting a vacuum resid feed stream having at least about 2000 wppm, for example at least about 2000 wppm, at least about 5000 wppm, at least about 7500, or at least about 10000 wppm sulfur, with a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of a hydrotreating catalyst under effective hydrotreating conditions in a catalytic feed hydrotreater, such that the product exhibits at most about 5000 wppm, for example at most about 1500 wppm sulfur, a pour point of at least about 20° C., and a kinematic viscosity of at least about 350 cSt at 50° C., without the product being subject to a substantial amount of cracking; and optionally blending at least a portion of the uncracked product with 0-60 vol % of other components, selected from viscosity modifiers, pour point depressants, lubricity modifiers, antioxidants, and combinations thereof, to form a marine bunker fuel composition. The resulting marine bunker fuel composition contains: (1) the uncracked product having at most about 2000 wppm, for example at most about 1500 wppm or at most about 1000 wppm sulfur; (2) no more than about 10 vol % of a first diesel boiling range hydrocarbon stream having no more than about 20 wppm sulfur; and (3) no more than about 50 vol % of a second diesel boiling range hydrocarbon stream having no more than about 10 wppm sulfur.
[0011]
Another aspect of the invention relates to a low sulfur marine bunker fuel composition comprising: 40 vol % to 100 vol % of an uncracked, hydrotreated vacuum resid having at most about 5000 wppm—for example at most about 2000 wppm, at most about 1500 wppm, or at most about 1000 wppm—sulfur; and up to 60 vol % of other components, selected from viscosity modifiers, pour point depressants, lubricity modifiers, antioxidants, and combinations thereof The low sulfur marine bunker fuel composition has: at most about 5000 wppm., for example at most about 1000 wppm sulfur; and at least one of a kinematic viscosity at about 50° C. from about 20 cSt to about 400 cSt, a density at 15° C. from about 800 kg/m3 to about 1000 kg/m3, and a pour point from about 20° C. to about 35° C.
[0012]
Another aspect of the invention relates to a low sulfur, uncracked, hydrotreated vacuum resid having at most about 5000 wppm for example at most about 2000 wppm, at most about 1500 wppm, or at most about 1000 wppm—sulfur, a T50 of at least 600° C., a pour point of at least about 20° C., and a kinematic viscosity of at least around 100 cSt at 50° C.
source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160160139A1/en
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