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Timeline for the Delayed Coker in the United States

A synopsis of an article called "History of the Delayed Coking Process" by Paul J. Ellis and Christopher A. Paul of Great Lakes Carbon Corporation of Port Arthur, TX. For their interesting and informative article request History of the Delayed Coker.

1860’s

Refiners boiled petroleum in an iron still to distill kerosene. Afterwards, the coke and tar where dug out. Single horizontal stills were used. The coking process could be stopped prematurely to produce a heavy lubricating oil.

1880’s

Several stills were run in a series to process more fractions with the first still producing the coke.

1920’s

Bubble cap distillation trays patented by Koch ushered in the modern distillation column in the tube furnace. The entire outside of the horizontal still was in direct contact with the flue gases for maximum heavy gas oil production.

1929

Standard Oil of Indiana builds the first delayed coker. The Burton process developed by Standard Oil at Whiting, Indiana converted gas oil to gasoline with the production of petroleum coke. This thermal cracking of gas oil for the production of gasoline and diesel fuel led to the vertical coke drum. Lack of a heavy oil market in central United States led to the production of the heavy fuel oil in a delayed coker to produce more gasoline and diesel fuel.

1930’s

The development of hydraulic decoking by Shell Oil at Wood River, Illinois. In delayed coking the use of pressure with heat for cracking and separating the heater from the coker and the use of two drums enabled continuous operation.

1955 to 1975

The growth of delayed cokers increases with the growth of fluid catalytic cracking and rapid decline in thermal cracking. Fluid cokers are developed but do not become as popular.