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– Unification—small molecules are converted into larger molecules through
alkylation, polymerization, and related processes.
– Reforming—molecules are rearranged into different geometric structures by
processes like catalytic reforming, isomerization, etc.
• Treatment processes—processes such as hydrodesulphurization, desalting, solvent refining, solvent extraction, sweetening, and dewaxing to get finished
products.
• Blending—to meet the specific performance properties of the finished products
by mixing and combining hydrocarbon fractions, additives, and other components.
• Otherrefining operations—These include various components water stripping,
recovery, product storage and handling, waste treatment, and acid-tail gas treatment [1].
Dynamic market demands and governmental policies and regulations regulate
the number and quality of manufactured products from crude oil. Therefore, refining is considered to be a complex dynamic process which requires periodic modernization and revitalizing. Ever since the first oil refinery was opened at Ploiesti,
Romania, in 1856, refining technology has evolved from simple distillation technique into a more sophisticated and advanced cascade of processes in order to transform crude oil into various fractions. The number of processes needed to produce
any fuel of a given set of specifications depends on the specifications as well as the
quality of the oil used as feedstock.
1 Refinery Processes
Since the composition of two crude oils is not identical, the refineries require different separating operations and processes to treat different crude oils. The various
processes used in the refineries are:
• Distillation—atmospheric and vacuum distillation
• Catalytic cracking
• Catalytic hydrocracking
• Hydroprocessing and resid processing
• Hydrotreating
• Catalytic reforming and isomerization
• Alkylation and polymerization
• Coking and thermal processes
• Blending
• Supporting processes—gas processing unit, hydrogen production-purification,
acid gas removal, sulfur recovery processes, etc.
Let us discuss each of these processes briefly.
Subhashini and T. Mondal
– Unification—small molecules are converted into larger molecules through
alkylation, polymerization, and related processes.
– Reforming—molecules are rearranged into different geometric structures by
processes like catalytic reforming, isomerization, etc.
• Treatment processes—processes such as hydrodesulphurization, desalting, solvent refining, solvent extraction, sweetening, and dewaxing to get finished
products.
• Blending—to meet the specific performance properties of the finished products
by mixing and combining hydrocarbon fractions, additives, and other components.
• Otherrefining operations—These include various components water stripping,
recovery, product storage and handling, waste treatment, and acid-tail gas treatment [1].
Dynamic market demands and governmental policies and regulations regulate
the number and quality of manufactured products from crude oil. Therefore, refining is considered to be a complex dynamic process which requires periodic modernization and revitalizing. Ever since the first oil refinery was opened at Ploiesti,
Romania, in 1856, refining technology has evolved from simple distillation technique into a more sophisticated and advanced cascade of processes in order to transform crude oil into various fractions. The number of processes needed to produce
any fuel of a given set of specifications depends on the specifications as well as the
quality of the oil used as feedstock.
1 Refinery Processes
Since the composition of two crude oils is not identical, the refineries require different separating operations and processes to treat different crude oils. The various
processes used in the refineries are:
• Distillation—atmospheric and vacuum distillation
• Catalytic cracking
• Catalytic hydrocracking
• Hydroprocessing and resid processing
• Hydrotreating
• Catalytic reforming and isomerization
• Alkylation and polymerization
• Coking and thermal processes
• Blending
• Supporting processes—gas processing unit, hydrogen production-purification,
acid gas removal, sulfur recovery processes, etc.
Let us discuss each of these processes briefly.
Subhashini and T. Mondal