我国国民经济持续高速增长面临资源和环境的双重制约。石油作为重要的不可再生资源，其加工过程和产品质量对它的利用效率和生态环境都有重大影响。因此，石油资源的绿色高效转化、石油基液体燃料的清洁化对我国经济和社会可持续发展具有至关重要的作用。
经过多年的开采，石油资源短缺和重质化、劣质化的趋势日益显现，而环保法规对石油加工过程绿色化、燃油清洁化的要求日趋严格，这一尖锐矛盾增加了高效、绿色利用石油资源的难度，也进一步增强了研究开发相关技术的紧迫性。
石油加工技术经过多年发展，已进入成熟期，要在石油资源高效、绿色利用方面取得突破，需要超越传统的认知体系。在分子水平上深入认识石油及其转化规律，积累新的科学知识，逐步形成以“分子水平炼油、原子经济化工”为目标的新生长点，才有可能实现石油组成分子的定向转化，达到石油资源高效、绿色利用的目标。
石油组成复杂，目前对石油轻质部分（占原油的20-40％）的认识已进入分子水平，但对重质部分（占原油的60-80％）的认识还基本停留在组分、族组成的水平，对其反应、转化也只能用集总方法进行描述，不能从分子水平认识石油、掌握其转化规律，严重制约了石油炼制和化工技术的进一步发展。近年来分析仪器和计算机技术的快速发展为从分子水平上认识石油及其转化规律提供了可能。
从新的科学认识出发到实现石油资源高效、绿色转化，还需要在新催化材料、新反应工程和新反应途径方面取得突破，起到支撑作用。在此基础上，围绕石油资源高效转化、清洁燃料生产和石油化学品绿色合成的相关重大科学问题开展研究，为发展具有自主知识产权的重大技术提供坚实的科学和技术基础。为此，本项目拟在以下三个层面安排研究课题：（1）石油资源分子水平鉴别和转化规律认识；（2）支撑与扩展相关技术的基础：新催化材料、新反应工程和新反应途径；（3）石油资源高效利用、清洁车用燃料生产和基本有机化学品合成的绿色化学。
通过以上研究，预期可在石油组成和转化规律的分子水平认识方面有新的发展，在新催化材料、新反应工程和新反应途径方面有新的发现，在车用燃料生产和基本有机化学品合成的绿色化技术研究方面有新的突破。在科学知识上，为实现分子水平炼油和原子经济反应生产石化产品奠定基础；在技术上，推动2-3项具有自主知识产权的重大技术工业应用，为满足国IV和欧V排放标准的清洁汽、柴油生产，高附加值石油化工产品的绿色化生产和将石油资源轻质油收率提高2-3个百分点（相当于每年节约石油资源约1000万吨）提供科学知识和技术支撑。
本项目是2005年结题的973项目“石油炼制和基本有机化学品合成的绿色化学”的延续。上一项目积累的科学知识、组织管理经验和形成的产学研紧密结合的研究团队为本项目的实施奠定了基础。中国石化作为特大型国有企业集团为项目实施提供了广阔的舞台，也将为项目提供必要的配套资金。

The sustained, rapid and healthy development of Chinese economy is now facing restrictions from resource availability and environment protection simultaneously. Petroleum, as the primary energy resource, its refining processes and product quality have an important impact on its utilization efficiency and ecological environment. Therefore, green and high-efficiency utilization of petroleum resources, and production of clean petrol-based liquid fuels is of great significance in promoting sustainable development of national economy and society.
After long time exploitation the supply of oil is limited and its storage is hard to increase. Meanwhile, the majority crude oil supply are heavy and in inferior-quality. On the other hand, the demand of  environmentally friendly fuels pushes refiners to adopt new technologies which are capable to convert the increasingly poor-quality crude oil into high-quality finished products. The serious problem is the growing imbalance between the rising demand for light products, particularly transportation fuels, and the declining supply of high-quality crude oils. The conflict between environment protection and economic development is becoming more prominent than ever before. The shortage of resources, the fragile ecological environment, and the insufficient environmental capacity, are becoming critical problems hindering China‘s further development.
In the past century, the technological development of petroleum processing has almost attained a level of maturity. It is getting more and more difficult now to make new breakthroughs for achieving green and high-efficiency utilization of petroleum resources on the basis of existing  knowledge. The further deep study and understanding of the chemistry of petroleum composition and its convertion on the molecular level is extremely necessary for acquiring new scientific knowledge, which will form the basis for technological innovation, to reach the goal “oil refining based on the understanding on molecular level, and petrochemical production based on atom economy”. Hence, it can then pave the way leading to green and high-efficiency utilization of petroleum resources.
Crude oils that vary in appearance and composition from one to another are complex mixtures containing many different hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon compounds. At present, the compositional and conversion chemistry of light hydrocarbons (accounted for 20-40％ of crude oils) has already been studied and understood on molecular level. However, knowledge to the heavier portion (accounted for 60-80％ of crude oils) has been kept on a fairly macroscopical level, and is basically on the level of group composition. Correspondingly, its reaction and convertion process can only be described on the basis of lumping models, which make it impossible to get deep insight to its conversion chemistry on molecular level. In the recent years, the great progress in analytical instrument and computer technology make it possible to acquire new knowledge of petroleum composition and its convertion chemistry on molecular level.
To achieve the objectives of green and high-efficiency utilization of petroleum resources, it is essential to realize technological breakthroughs through the innovations in catalytic materials, catalytic reaction engineering, processes and new synthetic routes and processes. Besides, we will focus on scientifically key points related to the high-efficiency convertion of petroleum resources, production of cleaner motor fuels and green synthesis of petrochemicals, and make every effort to solidify the scientific and technical foundations for developing innovative processes.
The three focused areas of the research project are as follows: (1) Molecular level analysis, characterisation, and convertion chemistry study of crude oils; (2) The bases for supporting the innovation of related technologies: novel catalytic materials, catalytic reaction engineering, new synthetic routes and processes; (3)High-efficiency utilization of petroleum resources, green chemistry related to the production of cleaner motor fuels and commodity organic chemicals.
From above-mentioned researches, we expect to have a new development based on the new knowledge of petroleum composition and its convertion chemistry, innovations in novel catalytic materials, catalytic reaction engineering, new synthetic routs and processes, and new breakthrough based on new scientific knowledge to reach the goal “oil refining based on the understanding on molecular level, and petrochemical production based on atom economy”. Technically, we will energetically promote the commercial development of 2-3 important technology with proprietary intellectual property rights. The program will provide powerful scientific and technical support for producing clean gasoline diesel oil meeting GBⅣ and EUⅤ specification, green synthesis of highly value-added petrochemical, and enhancing light products yields by 2-3 percent (it would be equivalent to a saving of about ten millions of crude oil feedstock).  
The present program is based on the original state key basic research  program entitled “Green chemistry related to oil refining and basic petrochemical production”, fulfilled in November 2005. The acquired scientific knowledge, effective managing pattern and well integrated research team consisting of production, education and research members, will pave the way for accomplishment of the tasks set forth in this program. China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC), as a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise, will offer a broad stage for prompt industrial and commercial application of innovative research results, and as it did previously, will financially support the program with an auxiliary fund of 15 million yuan.