in meeting the refinery’s product slate. In the case of the energy refineries, it can be
upgraded to prime distillate products by a recycling thermal cracking process (see
the chapter “▶ Upgrading the Bottom of the Barrel”), coking, deep oil fluid
catalytic cracking (see the chapter “▶ Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) in Petroleum
Refining”) or hydrocracking, or a combination of these processes.
In the case of the production of lube oils, the vacuum residue can be processed to
remove the heavy asphaltene portion of the stream. This deasphalted product is an
excellent lube oil blending stock, commonly called “Bright Stock”, which, when
dewaxed and subject to other lube oil processes, becomes the precursor for a variety
of lube oil products (see chapter “▶ Non-energy Refineries in Petroleum
Processing”). The asphalt portion of the deasphalting process has a wide spectrum
as precursor to the many grades of bitumen used in building and road paving (see
chapter “▶ Upgrading the Bottom of the Barrel”). The vacuum residue itself also
figures in the production of bitumen. Where nonenergy products are significant in
the refinery’s product slate, the vacuum residue, as produced, is the key component
in bitumen production.
Typical Properties of Some Straight Run Product Streams
These cuts and stream properties are based on Arabian crude and are shown here for
the light, medium, and heavy Arabian crude oil (Table 1).
Product Streams from Intermediate and Finishing Processes
Most finished marketable petroleum products are blends of some straight run
product streams with the products from further processing of some of these streams
(see section “Petroleum Products” of this chapter). This section deals with the
intermediate or finishing product processes which provide the finished product
precursors. Some of these more common intermediate products together with
reference to their respective processes are described and discussed in the following
paragraphs.
The LPG products. These two finished products, propane LPG and butane LPG,
are products from straight run sources combined with the products from intermediate processes such as the cracking and the naphtha reforming processes. Their
finished specifications, except for some mild desulfurization treating, are met by the
distillation of the source streams and the central light ends units (see chapter
“▶ Distillation of the “Light Ends” from Crude Oil in Petroleum Processing”).
No further precursors are added, except for injection of odorizing chemicals for the
detection of leaks and thus their safe storage. Finished LPGs are stored in spheres
for propane and, usually, bullets for butane.
Butane LPG is however used extensively as a finished gasoline product precursor to correct for the volatility of the finished gasoline.
Petroleum Products and a Refinery Configuration
59
upgraded to prime distillate products by a recycling thermal cracking process (see
the chapter “▶ Upgrading the Bottom of the Barrel”), coking, deep oil fluid
catalytic cracking (see the chapter “▶ Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) in Petroleum
Refining”) or hydrocracking, or a combination of these processes.
In the case of the production of lube oils, the vacuum residue can be processed to
remove the heavy asphaltene portion of the stream. This deasphalted product is an
excellent lube oil blending stock, commonly called “Bright Stock”, which, when
dewaxed and subject to other lube oil processes, becomes the precursor for a variety
of lube oil products (see chapter “▶ Non-energy Refineries in Petroleum
Processing”). The asphalt portion of the deasphalting process has a wide spectrum
as precursor to the many grades of bitumen used in building and road paving (see
chapter “▶ Upgrading the Bottom of the Barrel”). The vacuum residue itself also
figures in the production of bitumen. Where nonenergy products are significant in
the refinery’s product slate, the vacuum residue, as produced, is the key component
in bitumen production.
Typical Properties of Some Straight Run Product Streams
These cuts and stream properties are based on Arabian crude and are shown here for
the light, medium, and heavy Arabian crude oil (Table 1).
Product Streams from Intermediate and Finishing Processes
Most finished marketable petroleum products are blends of some straight run
product streams with the products from further processing of some of these streams
(see section “Petroleum Products” of this chapter). This section deals with the
intermediate or finishing product processes which provide the finished product
precursors. Some of these more common intermediate products together with
reference to their respective processes are described and discussed in the following
paragraphs.
The LPG products. These two finished products, propane LPG and butane LPG,
are products from straight run sources combined with the products from intermediate processes such as the cracking and the naphtha reforming processes. Their
finished specifications, except for some mild desulfurization treating, are met by the
distillation of the source streams and the central light ends units (see chapter
“▶ Distillation of the “Light Ends” from Crude Oil in Petroleum Processing”).
No further precursors are added, except for injection of odorizing chemicals for the
detection of leaks and thus their safe storage. Finished LPGs are stored in spheres
for propane and, usually, bullets for butane.
Butane LPG is however used extensively as a finished gasoline product precursor to correct for the volatility of the finished gasoline.
Petroleum Products and a Refinery Configuration
59