Petroleum refining

process

RAWSHT SARWAT
MR. BROSK FRYA ALI
Table of content
- Introduction
- Fundamentals of petroleum refining process
 Physical separation processes
 Chemical catalytic conversion process
 Thermal Chemical Conversion Processes
- Vacuum distillation
- Reflux process
- References
INTRODUCTION
Petroleum products (unlike petrochemicals) are such petroleum-derived bulk fractions that have
market interest as a bulk commodity. Petrochemicals are not petroleum products in the strictest
sense because they are specific chemicals that are used as the chemical industry's essential
building blocks. Petroleum and petrochemical are among the most prolific and dynamic
industries of this century. Mankind consumes over 2,500 million tons of oil annually. This
reveals the magnitude, economic edifice and need of industry in a significant way. A great
change has taken place during these years from the most backward process of mining and
production of petroleum, this is due to the timely inductions into refinery operations by the
scientific and technological advances. There are many developments and knowledge are
growing, with these things one needs to keep an eye on. this report briefly describes the
fundamentals of refining process including processes to increase product quality and raise the
yields of daily consumed products also a small distinguishes between modern and distillation
process.

FUNDAMENTALS OF PETROLEUM REFINING PROCESS

Crude oil is used in a variety of ways from driving cars and heating homes, to building highways
and processing petrochemical products. But before the resource can be sold as a finished product,
it must undergo three key processing stages: separation, conversion, and treatment.

Physical separation process

1. Crude distillation
Crude oils are first desalted and then introduced with steam to an atmospheric distillation
column. The atmospheric residue is then introduced to a vacuum distillation tower perating at
about 50 mmHg, where heavier products are obtained.

2. Solvent deasphalting
This is the only physical process in which carbon is largely discarded Fraction of fuel, such as
vacuum residues. Fluid-form propane (at Moderate pressure) will generally be used to dissolve
the entire oil, leaving asphalt to precipitate. Since these are removed with asphalt, deasphalted oil
(DAO) has low Sulphur and metal content.
3. Solvent extraction
In this process a solvent such as N-methyl is used to treat lube oil stocks Pyrrolidone (NMP),
capable of dissolving the aromatic components in one Phase (extract) and remaining oil in a
different phase (raffinate). The Solvent is extracted from both processes, and dewaxed raffinate.

4. Solvent dewaxing
The raffinate is dissolved in a solvent (methyl ethyl ketone, MEK) and the solution is gradually
cooled, with high molecular weight paraffin (wax) is crystallized, the remaining solution is
filtered. The extracted one and the resulting dewaxed oil is called ‘’lube oil’’. The removal of
aromatics and waxes in some modern refineries is achieved through catalytic processes in "any
process of hydrogenation."

Chemical catalytic conversion process

1. Catalytic reforming
A special catalyst (platinum metal supported on silica or silica base alumina) is used in this
process to restructure the fraction of the naphtha (C6–C10) into aromatics and isoparaffins. The
naphtha reformate produced has a much higher-octane count than the feed. This reformate is
used as a feedstock for aromatic production (benzene – toluene – xylene, BTX) and for gasoline
formulation.

2. Hydrotreating
This is one of the major processes for purifying fractions of petroleum Impurities such as
sulphur, nitrogen, oxy-compounds, chlorocompounds, hydrogen-using aromatics, waxes, and
metals. The catalyst is chosen according to the degree of hydrotreatment and type of impurity.
Catalysts, such as cobalt and molybdenum oxides, are commonly used on alumina matrix.
 3. Catalytic Cracking
The main player in the production of gasoline is catalytic cracking (FCC). In this case the
catalyst for the cracking feature is a zeolite base. The principal feed for FCC is VGO and the
result is petrol, but some gas oil and it also produces refining gases.

4. Alkylation
Alkylation is the mechanism by which isobutane interacts with olephins including Butylene
(C=4) which produces an alkylate gasoline range. In this case, the catalyst is either sulfuric acid,
or hydrofluoric acid. In liquid phase the hydrocarbons and the acid react. Isobutane and olefins
are mainly obtained from FCC and the delayed coker.

5. Isomerization
Isomerization of light naphtha is the process in which low octane number hydrocarbons (C4, C5,
C6) are transformed to a branched product with the same carbon number. This method generates
products with a high number with octans. One of the main advantages of this process is to
separate hexane (C6) before it enters the reformer, thereby preventing the formation of benzene
which produces carcinogenic gasoline-burning products. In this case, the principal catalyst is a
base of Pt-zeolite.

Thermal Chemical Conversion Processes

These processes are considered as upgrading processes for vacuum residue, we explain it briefly
in the upcoming pages.

1. Delayed Coking
This process is based on vacuum residue thermal cracking by carbon rejection forming coke and
lighter products such as gases, gasoline, and gas oils. It can be produced in three types of coke:
sponge, shot, and needle. The vacuum residue is heated in a furnace and flashed into large drums
where coke is deposited on the walls of these drums and distillation removes the rest of the
products.

2. Flexicoking
Most of the coke is gasified into fuel gas via steam and air in this thermal process. Coke burning
by air will provide the heat needed for this Heat cracking. The products are gases, gasoline and
gas oils with very little coke.

3. Visbreaking
This is a mild thermal cracking method used to break the high viscosity and pour vacuum residue
points to the degree that can be used in more downstream processes. In this case, the residue will
either be split in the furnace coil (coil visbreaking) or soaked for a few minutes in a reactor
(soaker visbreaker). The goods are fuels, diesel, gas oil and the excess not converted.

A schematic diagram of a modern refinery containing most of the processes

described above is given in the figure below:
VACUME DISTILLATION
Refineries today are facing new challenges in order to meet the requirements with respect to
environment, health and safety of the plant personnel and the quality of the finished products.
With increasing crude oil prices, refineries are processing heavier, lower quality crudes that set
new challenges to further develop the processes and maximize the yield of valuable distillates in
an energy efficient way. Plant run-time targets are increasing which sets more challenges for
equipment reliability and process control.
Hydrocarbons should not be heated to too high
temperature due to cracking reactions that take
place above about 400 °C. Coke deposits on
piping and equipment increase maintenance
costs and reduce process unit run-time.
Therefore, crude distillation bottom (residue) is
further processed in a vacuum column to
recover additional distillates, light and heavy
vacuum gasoil as feedstock to cracking units or lube-oil
processing.
Three types of vacuum towers are used:
1. Dry (no steam).

2. Wet without stripping.

3. Wet with stripping.

Therefore, there will be some product based differences between normal classic refining and
upgraded modern facilities, the most obvious differences are in the ratio of light and heavy
products, it’s clear that modern units produce more light products such as Gasoline, and lesser
heavy products like residual fuel oil compared to normal fractionation units. The figure below
shows the differences:

REFLUX PROCESS
Reflux refers to the portion of the overhead liquid product from a distillation column or
fractionator which is returned to the upper part of the column as seen in a typical industrial
distillation column schematic diagram. The downflowing reflux liquid within the column
provides cooling and condensation of the upflowing vapors and thus improves the performance
of the distillation column. The further reflux produced for a given number of theoretical plates,
the stronger the separation from higher boiling materials by the column is. Conversely, the more
reflux is given for a certain desired separation, the less theoretical plates are needed. The
condensed liquid extracted from the device is known as the top component, or distillate.
Therefore, inside the column there are internal flows of vapors and liquid as well as external
flows of feeds and fluid streams, into and out of the column.

REFERENCES
 Ernst Worrell, Galitsky, C., Berkeley,
L., California Energy Commission and United States. Department Of Energy (2004). Profile
of the petroleum refining industry in California: California Industries of the Future
Program. Berkeley, Calif.: Energy Analysis Dept., Environmental Energy Technologies
Dept., Ernest Orlando Berkeley National Laboratory.
 ‌Fahim, M.A., Alsahhaf, T.A. and Elkilani, A. (2010). Fundamentals of petroleum refining.
Amsterdam: Elsevier.
 ‌Al-Kinany, M.C. and Aldrees, S.A. (2019). Advanced catalysis processes in petrochemicals
and petroleum refining: emerging research and opportunities. Hershey Pa: Engineering
Science Reference.
 ‌Gary, J.H. and Handwerk, G.E. (2001). Petroleum refining: technology and economics. New
York: M. Dekker.
 Speight, J.G. (2007). The Chemistry and technology of petroleum. Boca Raton, Fl: Crc Press.
 ‌Khairudinov, R.I., Bystrov, A.I., Tikhonov, A.A. and Khairudinov, I.R. (2019). Process
implementation of liquid-phase thermal cracking of high-viscosity oils. World of OIL
Products the Oil Companies Bulletin, 03(03), pp.12–15.
 Abdel-Aal, H.K., Aggour, M. and Fahim, M.A. (2003). Petroleum and gas field processing.
New York, Ny Dekker.
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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS OF PETROLEUM REFINERIES

Refineries are commonly considered a major source of pollutants in areas they are located in and
are governed by a variety of air, land and water related environmental laws. Some of the
regulations affecting the refining sector are the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
Air pollution hazards: oil refineries are an important source of hazardous and toxic air
pollutants, such as BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene). They 're also
a significant source of Air pollutants criteria: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx),
carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S), and Sulphur dioxide (SO2). Some of the
chemicals released are known or suspected cancer-causing agents, responsible for problems with
development and reproduction. They may also aggravate some respiratory conditions such as
asthma in infancy.
Water pollution hazards: Refineries are also potentially significant contributors to
contamination of groundwater and surface water. Some refineries use deep-injection wells to
dispose of within the plants produced wastewater, some of which end up in aquifers and
groundwater. Then, such waste is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Soil pollution hazards: Pollution of soils from the manufacturing processes is usually less of a
problem compared to air and water pollution. Past manufacturing practices may have led to spills
on the refinery property that should now be cleaned up. Natural bacteria which can use the
petroleum products as food often clean up petroleum spills and leaks compared to many other
pollutants. Contamination of the soil including certain hazardous waste, spent Catalysts or coke
dust, tank bottoms and sludges from treatment processes can occur from leakage, as well as from
accidents or spills on or off-site during transport.