424
The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum
oil that is shipped to a conventional refinery for further processing. Conceivably, a heavy feedstock could be upgraded in the same manner and, depending upon the upgrading facility, upgraded
further for sales.
Finally, there is not one single heavy oil upgrading solution that will fit all refineries. Market conditions, existing refinery configuration, and available crude prices can all have a significant effect
on the final configuration. Furthermore, a proper evaluation, however, is not a simple undertaking
for an existing refinery. The evaluation starts with an accurate understanding of the market for the
various products along with corresponding product values at various levels of supply. The next step
is to select a set of crude oils that adequately cover the range of crude oils that may be expected to
be processed. It is also important to consider new unit capital costs as well as incremental capital
costs for revamp opportunities along with the incremental utility, support, and infrastructure costs.
The costs, although estimated at the start, can be better assessed once the options have been defined
leading to the development of the optimal configuration for refining the incoming feedstocks.
15.14 PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
Petroleum products (Chapter 26), in contrast to petrochemicals (Chapter 27), are those bulk fractions that are derived from petroleum and have commercial value as a bulk product. In the strictest
sense, petrochemicals are also petroleum products, but individual chemicals that are used as the
basic building blocks of the chemical industry.
The use of petroleum and its products was established in pre-Christian times and is known
largely through documentation by many of the older civilizations (Chapter 1) and, thus, use of petroleum and the development of related technology is not such a modern subject as we are inclined to
believe. However, there have been many changes in emphasis on product demand since petroleum
first came into use some five to six millennia before the present time (Chapter 1). It is these changes
in product demand that have been largely responsible for the evolution of the industry, from the
asphalt used in ancient times to the gasoline and other liquid fuels of today.
Petroleum is an extremely complex mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, usually with minor
amounts of nitrogen-containing, oxygen-containing, and sulfur-containing compounds as well as
trace amounts of metal-containing compounds (Chapter 8). In addition, the properties of petroleum
vary widely (Chapters 1 and 10). Thus, petroleum is not used in its raw state. A variety of processing steps is required to convert petroleum from its raw state to products that have well-defined
properties.
The constant demand for products, such as liquid fuels, is the main driving force behind the
petroleum industry. Other products, such as lubricating oils, waxes, and asphalt, have also added to
the popularity of petroleum as a national resource. Indeed, similar to fuel, products derived from
petroleum supply more than half of the world’s total supply of energy. Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil provide fuel for automobiles, tractors, trucks, aircraft, and ships. Fuel oil and natural gas are
used to heat homes and commercial buildings, as well as to generate electricity. Petroleum products
are the basic materials used for the manufacture of synthetic fibers for clothing and in plastics,
paints, fertilizers, insecticides, soaps, and synthetic rubber. The uses of petroleum as a source of raw
material in manufacturing are central to the functioning of modern industry.
Product complexity has made the industry unique among industries. Indeed, current analytical
techniques that are accepted as standard methods for, as an example, the aromatics content of fuels
(ASTM D-1319; ASTM D-2425; ASTM D-2549; ASTM D-2786; ASTM D-2789), as well as proton
and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance methods, yield different information. Each method will yield
the % aromatics in the sample, but the data must be evaluated within the context of the method.
Product complexity becomes even more meaningful when various fractions from different
types of crude oil as well as fractions from synthetic crude oil are blended with the corresponding
petroleum stock. The implications for refining the fractions to salable products increase. However,
for the main part, the petroleum industry was inspired by the development of the automobile and
The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum
oil that is shipped to a conventional refinery for further processing. Conceivably, a heavy feedstock could be upgraded in the same manner and, depending upon the upgrading facility, upgraded
further for sales.
Finally, there is not one single heavy oil upgrading solution that will fit all refineries. Market conditions, existing refinery configuration, and available crude prices can all have a significant effect
on the final configuration. Furthermore, a proper evaluation, however, is not a simple undertaking
for an existing refinery. The evaluation starts with an accurate understanding of the market for the
various products along with corresponding product values at various levels of supply. The next step
is to select a set of crude oils that adequately cover the range of crude oils that may be expected to
be processed. It is also important to consider new unit capital costs as well as incremental capital
costs for revamp opportunities along with the incremental utility, support, and infrastructure costs.
The costs, although estimated at the start, can be better assessed once the options have been defined
leading to the development of the optimal configuration for refining the incoming feedstocks.
15.14 PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
Petroleum products (Chapter 26), in contrast to petrochemicals (Chapter 27), are those bulk fractions that are derived from petroleum and have commercial value as a bulk product. In the strictest
sense, petrochemicals are also petroleum products, but individual chemicals that are used as the
basic building blocks of the chemical industry.
The use of petroleum and its products was established in pre-Christian times and is known
largely through documentation by many of the older civilizations (Chapter 1) and, thus, use of petroleum and the development of related technology is not such a modern subject as we are inclined to
believe. However, there have been many changes in emphasis on product demand since petroleum
first came into use some five to six millennia before the present time (Chapter 1). It is these changes
in product demand that have been largely responsible for the evolution of the industry, from the
asphalt used in ancient times to the gasoline and other liquid fuels of today.
Petroleum is an extremely complex mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, usually with minor
amounts of nitrogen-containing, oxygen-containing, and sulfur-containing compounds as well as
trace amounts of metal-containing compounds (Chapter 8). In addition, the properties of petroleum
vary widely (Chapters 1 and 10). Thus, petroleum is not used in its raw state. A variety of processing steps is required to convert petroleum from its raw state to products that have well-defined
properties.
The constant demand for products, such as liquid fuels, is the main driving force behind the
petroleum industry. Other products, such as lubricating oils, waxes, and asphalt, have also added to
the popularity of petroleum as a national resource. Indeed, similar to fuel, products derived from
petroleum supply more than half of the world’s total supply of energy. Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil provide fuel for automobiles, tractors, trucks, aircraft, and ships. Fuel oil and natural gas are
used to heat homes and commercial buildings, as well as to generate electricity. Petroleum products
are the basic materials used for the manufacture of synthetic fibers for clothing and in plastics,
paints, fertilizers, insecticides, soaps, and synthetic rubber. The uses of petroleum as a source of raw
material in manufacturing are central to the functioning of modern industry.
Product complexity has made the industry unique among industries. Indeed, current analytical
techniques that are accepted as standard methods for, as an example, the aromatics content of fuels
(ASTM D-1319; ASTM D-2425; ASTM D-2549; ASTM D-2786; ASTM D-2789), as well as proton
and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance methods, yield different information. Each method will yield
the % aromatics in the sample, but the data must be evaluated within the context of the method.
Product complexity becomes even more meaningful when various fractions from different
types of crude oil as well as fractions from synthetic crude oil are blended with the corresponding
petroleum stock. The implications for refining the fractions to salable products increase. However,
for the main part, the petroleum industry was inspired by the development of the automobile and