xxiii
Preface
The success of the first four editions of this text has been the primary factor in the decision to
publish a fifth edition.
In addition, the demand for petroleum products, particularly liquid fuels (gasoline and diesel fuel)
and petrochemical feedstocks (such as aromatics and olefins), is increasing worldwide. Traditional
markets such as North America and Europe are experiencing a steady increase in demand for liquid
fuels, whereas emerging Asian markets such as India and China are witnessing a rapid surge in
demand. This has resulted in a tendency for existing refineries to seek fresh refining approaches to
optimize efficiency and throughput. Furthermore, the increasing use of the heavier feedstocks for
refineries is forcing technology suppliers/licensors to revamp their refining technologies in an effort
to cater to the growing customer base.
The evolution in product specifications caused by various environmental regulations plays a major
role in the development of petroleum refining technologies. In many countries, especially in the
United States and Europe, gasoline and diesel fuel specifications have changed radically in the past
half decade (since the publication of the fourth edition of this book in 2007) and will continue to do
so in the future. Currently, reducing the sulfur levels of liquid fuels is the dominant objective of many
refiners. This is pushing the technological limits of refineries to the maximum, and the continuing
issue is the elimination of sulfur in liquid fuels as tighter product specifications emerge worldwide.
These changing rules also cause an impact on the market for heavy products such as fuel oil.
Refineries must, and indeed are eager to, adapt to changing circumstances and are amenable
to trying new technologies that are radically different in character. Currently, refineries are also
looking to exploit heavy (more viscous) crude oils and tar sand bitumen (sometimes referred to
as extra heavy crude oil) provided they have the refinery technology capable of handling such
feedstocks. Transforming the higher boiling constituents of these feedstock components into liquid
fuels is becoming a necessity. It is no longer a simple issue of mixing the heavy feedstock with
conventional petroleum to make up a blended refinery feedstock. Incompatibility issues arise that
can, if not anticipated, close down a refinery or, at best, a major section of the refinery. Therefore,
handling such feedstocks requires technological change, including more effective and innovative
use of hydrogen within the refinery.
Heavier crude oil could also be contaminated with sulfur and metal particles that must be
removed to meet quality standards. A better understanding of how catalysts perform (both chemically and physically) with the feedstock is necessary to provide greater scope for process and catalyst improvements.
However, even though the nature of crude oil is changing, refineries are here to stay in the foreseeable future, since petroleum products satisfy wide-ranging energy requirements and demands
that are not fully covered by alternate fossil fuel sources such as natural gas and coal. Moreover,
alternative energy technologies involving the use of biomass are poised to become part of many
refinery scenarios.
The reader might also be surprised at the number of older references that are included. The purpose of this is to remind the reader that there is much valuable work cited in the older literature—
work which is still of value, and even though in some cases there has been similar work performed
with advanced equipment, the older work has stood the test of time. This is particularly true of some
of the older concepts of the chemical and physical structure of petroleum. Many of the ideas are still
pertinent and should not be forgotten in terms of the valuable contributions they have made to petroleum science and technology. However, many of the older references included in previous editions
Preface
The success of the first four editions of this text has been the primary factor in the decision to
publish a fifth edition.
In addition, the demand for petroleum products, particularly liquid fuels (gasoline and diesel fuel)
and petrochemical feedstocks (such as aromatics and olefins), is increasing worldwide. Traditional
markets such as North America and Europe are experiencing a steady increase in demand for liquid
fuels, whereas emerging Asian markets such as India and China are witnessing a rapid surge in
demand. This has resulted in a tendency for existing refineries to seek fresh refining approaches to
optimize efficiency and throughput. Furthermore, the increasing use of the heavier feedstocks for
refineries is forcing technology suppliers/licensors to revamp their refining technologies in an effort
to cater to the growing customer base.
The evolution in product specifications caused by various environmental regulations plays a major
role in the development of petroleum refining technologies. In many countries, especially in the
United States and Europe, gasoline and diesel fuel specifications have changed radically in the past
half decade (since the publication of the fourth edition of this book in 2007) and will continue to do
so in the future. Currently, reducing the sulfur levels of liquid fuels is the dominant objective of many
refiners. This is pushing the technological limits of refineries to the maximum, and the continuing
issue is the elimination of sulfur in liquid fuels as tighter product specifications emerge worldwide.
These changing rules also cause an impact on the market for heavy products such as fuel oil.
Refineries must, and indeed are eager to, adapt to changing circumstances and are amenable
to trying new technologies that are radically different in character. Currently, refineries are also
looking to exploit heavy (more viscous) crude oils and tar sand bitumen (sometimes referred to
as extra heavy crude oil) provided they have the refinery technology capable of handling such
feedstocks. Transforming the higher boiling constituents of these feedstock components into liquid
fuels is becoming a necessity. It is no longer a simple issue of mixing the heavy feedstock with
conventional petroleum to make up a blended refinery feedstock. Incompatibility issues arise that
can, if not anticipated, close down a refinery or, at best, a major section of the refinery. Therefore,
handling such feedstocks requires technological change, including more effective and innovative
use of hydrogen within the refinery.
Heavier crude oil could also be contaminated with sulfur and metal particles that must be
removed to meet quality standards. A better understanding of how catalysts perform (both chemically and physically) with the feedstock is necessary to provide greater scope for process and catalyst improvements.
However, even though the nature of crude oil is changing, refineries are here to stay in the foreseeable future, since petroleum products satisfy wide-ranging energy requirements and demands
that are not fully covered by alternate fossil fuel sources such as natural gas and coal. Moreover,
alternative energy technologies involving the use of biomass are poised to become part of many
refinery scenarios.
The reader might also be surprised at the number of older references that are included. The purpose of this is to remind the reader that there is much valuable work cited in the older literature—
work which is still of value, and even though in some cases there has been similar work performed
with advanced equipment, the older work has stood the test of time. This is particularly true of some
of the older concepts of the chemical and physical structure of petroleum. Many of the ideas are still
pertinent and should not be forgotten in terms of the valuable contributions they have made to petroleum science and technology. However, many of the older references included in previous editions