SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

CH8712-INTERNSHIP REPORT

Submitted by

DHWATHA. J (4204202203301)

in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CHEMCAL ENGINEERING

ADHIPARASAKTHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

MELMARUVATHUR

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

NOV 2023
SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
CH8712-INTERNSHIP REPORT

Submitted by

DHWATHA. J (4204202203301)

in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CHEMCAL ENGINEERING

ADHIPARASAKTHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

MELMARUVATHUR

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

NOV 2023

i
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this Internship report “SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM

PRODUCTS” is the Bonafide Work of “J. DHWATHA (420420203301)” who
carried out the Internship at BHARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION
LIMITED (10-07-2023 to 24-07-2023)

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
Mr. B. GANESH Mr. G. KARTHIKKUMAR
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
Department of Chemical Engineering Assistant professor
Adhiparasakthi Engineering College Department of Chemical Engineering
Melmaruvathur-603 319 Adhiparasakthi Engineering College
Melmaruvathur-603 319

Examination held on ______________

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With the divine blessing of Goddess Adhiparasakthi, We express our

deep gratitude to his Holiness Arulthiru Amma and Thirumathi Amma, for
providing the congenial environment for the development and promoting of our
B.Tech course in Chemical Engineering in our college. We are very grateful to
Sakthi Thiru Dr. G. B. Senthilkumar, Correspondent, APEC, for his constant
encouragement and inspiration.

Our sincere thanks to Dr. J. Raja, Principal for extending us moral support
to do Internship training in BARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION
LIMITED, KOCHI.

We also extend our whole hearted thank to Mr. Prince George and all the
staff members in BARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION LIMITED for their
concern and support during the period of training.

We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our Internship Coordinator

Mr. G. KARTHIKKUMAR, M. E., Assistant Professor and Mr. B. GANESH,
M. Tech., (Ph. D) Head of the Department (i/c) for his valuable advice,
sustained interest and invaluable help extended to us for the completion of this
Internship training successfully.

We also express our sincere thanks to Faculty Members and Non-Teaching

staff of Chemical Engineering Department for their valuable suggestions,
constant co-operation and encourage in pursuing my internship training. We are
extremely grateful to our Parents and Friends for providing us with all motivation
in making this Internship a grand success.

iii
 ABSTRACT

The products of this fuel based refinery include Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG),
Naphtha, Motor Spirit (MS), Kerosene, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), High
Speed Diesel (HSD), Fuel Oils (FO) and Asphalt. Specialty products for the
domestic markets include Benzene, Toluene, Propylene, Special Boiling Point
Spirit (SBPS), Mineral Turpentine Oil, Sulphur and Hydrogen. With the
prestigious Crude Oil receipt facilities consisting of Single Point Mooring (SPM)
and association Shore Tank Farm (STF) in the place since December 2007, the
Kochi refinery is equipped to receive crude oil in Very Large Crude Carriers
(VLCCs). The facility helps the refinery in reducing the freight charges to a great
extent, over and above increasing flexibility in crude oil selection. This, thereby,
is a major infrastructure facility to accelerate the future growth. Further to
Capacity Expansion cum Modernization Project (Phase-II), Kochi Refinery
enhanced its refining capacity to 9.5 MMTPA and Production of auto fuels
conforming to Euro-III and partly Euro-IV specifications. Post the Integrated
Refinery Expansion Project, the refining capacity of KR has been augmented to
15.5 MMTPA with facilities for Euro-IV/V compliant auto-fuels to meet the
growing demand of petroleum products in the Indian market. This would also
upgrade the refinery residue stream to value added distillates and create synergy
for future diversification into value added petrochemical products. So at this time
there are 3 Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) with further supporting units like
Propylene Derivation Petrochemical Project (PDPP) which would help KR to
produce value added petrochemical products. This project is slated to finish in
2019. Also there is a new MS block being constructed in order to meet the new
Bharat VI standards which will be implemented in 2022.

iv
 BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION
LIMITED
(KOCHI REFINERY)

The BPCL Kochi Refinery, embarked on its journey in 1996 with a

capacity of 50,000 barrels per day. Formerly known as Cochin Refineries
Limited, the refinery was originally established as a joint venture in collaboration
with Phillips Petroleum Corporation, USA. It was later renamed as Kochi
Refineries Limited, and today, it is a frontline entity as a unit of the Fortune 500
Oil and Gas Maharatna Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited with a capacity of
3,10,000 barrels per day.

v
 at Internship
(Reg.No.420420203301) keen his
has discipline (S.DHAKSHINAMURTHÝ)
MANAGER
(HR)-I/C
HRD
DHAKSHINAMURTHY
LTD. HRD
ONGC,
CAUVERY
ASSET
:09.08.2023
Date studying He in VC KARAIKAL-609
604
604
CORPORATION tooksuccess -(HR)
HRD 09.08.2023
in
KARAIKAL-609
Ph.No.04368-235086/235038 undergone he
09.08.2023 MANAGER
CONCERN
:: Engineering training,
all S.
ER him
/
GASHR has to on wish
ASSET: MAY J the
26.07.2023
COMPLEX,
NATURAL DHWATHA College Internship
File
Chemical
No.CAKKL/HRD/Stu.Trg/BVI-14/2023 DuringWe
IT
CAUVERY WHOMSOEVER work.life.
Engineering
AND NERAVY his Engineering.
and
Mr. B.Tech, from
OIL completedassigned
endeavours
that ONGC
certify Adhiparasakthi
of the
Chemical
at successfully
onGC to student Training in academic
is interest
This
a of
 TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii
ABSTRACT iv
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 TYPE OF STATION 2
2 HISTORY & METHODS OF DRILLING 4
2.1 EARLIEST KNOWN DRILLING 4
2.2 EARLY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 4
2.3 DRILLING METHODS 4
2.3.1 VERTICAL DRILLING 4
2.3.2 HORIZONDAL DRILLING 5
2.4 DRILLING MUD DEVELOPENT 5
2.4.1 DRILLING MUD TYPES 5
2.4.2 FLUID MIGRATION 6
2.4.3 CHEMICAL ISSUES – UE OF H2S
SCAVENGERS 6
2.5 USE OF CEMENTED CASE HOLE 6
2.5.1 CASING 6
2.5.2 USE OF RETADERS 7
2.5.3 USE OF CEMENT DISPERSANT 7
2.6 COPLETIONS 7
2.7 FRACKING 8
2.8 FLOW OF HYDROCARBONS 9
2.8.1 SUB-SURFACE SAFETY VALVE 9
2.8.2 SURFACE SAFETY VALVE 10
 2.8.3 WING VALVE 10
2.8.4 WELL SERVICE VALVE 10
2.9 ARTIFICIAL LIFT TECHNIQUE 12
3 GAS LIFT TECHNIQUE 15
3.1 CONTINOUS GAS LIFT 15
3.2 INTERMIDIENT GAS LIFT 16
4 NARIMANAM – GGS 18
5 CONCLUSION 21
 LIST OF FIGUERS
FIGURE NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
2.1 DIAGRAM OF WELL KNOWN
CASING 8
2.2 CHIRSTMAS TREE 11
2.3 CHIRSTMAS TREE DIAGRAM 12
2.4 SUCKER ROD PUMP REPERSENTATION 14
3.1 INTERMIDIANT GAS LIFT TECHNIQUE
REPERSENTATION 17
 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was set up in 1956 with
significant contribution in industrial and economic growth of the country. In
October the Commission was converted into a statuary body by the Oil and
Natural Gas Commission Act, 1959. In 1992, ONGC undertook exploitation of
Coal Bed. Methane (CBM) potential in Damodar valley. 4. In 1993, Company
was incorporated as 'Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited. In 1994, The
Company acquired the undertaking, business, assets and liabilities of the
erstwhile Oil and Natural Gas Commission on 1st February. In 1996, The
interpretation of Seismic data acquired in the deep water offshore areas led to
identification of a number of prospects in Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery basins. In
1997, Company was granted the 'Navratna' status and IOGPT has been awarded
by the prestigious certificate of ISO 9001 for design development and
consultancy. In 1998, Public sector giants ONGC and Gas Authority of India Ltd
(GAIL)have locked horns over the setting up of an LPG recovery plant at
Gandhar in Gujarat. In 1999, The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has set up an
expert committee to inquire into the first ever fire at a gas producing well. In
2000, The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is exploring the option of introducing
a voluntary retirement scheme for select groups which work in highly specialised
activities like drilling. In 2001, The Company has tied up with Indian Oil
Corporation for undertaking oil exploration for eight deep-water blocks under the
National Exploration Licensing Policy (Help) II. The tie up aims at reducing the
financial risks involved in deep-water exploration. In 2002, The board of directors
of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has approved the acquisition of the Aditya
Birla group's stake in the joint venture Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals
Ltd(MRPL). In 2002, Government authorises the company to retail petrol &
diesel. In 2003, Kicks off deep-water exploration programme. In 2004, Market

1
capitalisation crosses Rs 100,000 crore. In 2005, Six ONGC geoscientists bag
national mineral award. In 2005, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC)
bags trophy from Asia money for best deals of the year 2004'. In 2005, ONGC
Finance Director gets award. In 2007, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd
(ONGC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry
of Petroleum & Natural Gas, agreeing on a set of Performance Parameters and
targets for the financial year 2007-08. In 2008, ONGC starts drilling in Cauvery
deepwater block. In 2009, Awarded the Golden Peacock Award for occupational
health and safety. In 2010, Company was granted the 'Maharatna' status. In 2011,
Sri lanka government awarded 3 hydrocarbon blocks to ONGC. In 2013, ONGC
receives global recognition as oil major named in Green Rankings. In 2013,
ONGC creates world record on drilling deepest water depth well. In 2014, ONGC
and its subsidiaries OVL and MRPL receive 'Excellent' Rating for the Year 2012.
In 2014, ONGC Videsh awarded exploration permit in offshore New Zealand. In
2015, ONGC Maintains Excellence in Exploration & Production. In 2016, ONGC
receives Golden Peacock Award for excellence in CSR. In 2018, ONGC launches
govt museum clean up drive. In 2020, ONGC bags Golden Peacock Environment
Management Award for second consecutive year. In 2022, ONGC first Indian
Exploration & Production company to trade domestic gas on Indian Gas
Exchange. In 2022, ONGC Videsh announces new discovery in Colombia. In
2022, ONGC inks MoU with Shell for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage.

1.1 Type of stations:

1. EPS: Early production system
2. ETP: Effluent Treatment plant
3. GCS: Gas collecting station
4. GGS: Group Gathering station

2
 The hydrocarbons sector plays vital role in the economic growth of the
country as well as very crucial for demanding the energy, security for the
country. oil and gas continue to play a pre-eminent role in meeting the energy
requirements of the country 45% of the total energy needs would be met by the
oil and gas sector, though some amount of interchange between oil and gas is
foreseen. India’s Hydrocarbons Vision - 2025 is as follows to assure energy
security by achieving self-reliance through increased indigenous production and
investment in equity oil abroad. To enhance quality of life by progressively
improving product standards to ensure a cleaner and greener India, to develop
hydrocarbon sector as a globally competitive industry which could be
benchmarked against the best in the world through technology upgradation and
capacity building in the industry. The gap between supply and availability of
crude oil, petroleum products as well as gas from indigenous sources is likely to
increase over the years. The growing demand and supply gap would require
increasing emphasis to be given to the exploration and production sector.
Exploration & production activities are aimed to keep pace with technological
advancement and application and be at the technological forefront in the global
exploration and production industry also by achieving as near as zero impact, as
possible, on environment.

3
 CHAPTER 2
HISTORY & METHODS OF DRILLING

2.1 Earliest known drilling:

The earliest known oil wells were drilled in China during the 6th century. Using
drill bits attached to bamboo poles, they dug wells about 800 ft (240 m) deep. Oil
produced was transported via bamboo pipelines and was used for early lighting
and heating applications.

2.2 Early technology development:

Effects from the Industrial Revolution lead to an increased demand for a cheaper,
more efficient fuel than coal. This demand led to Colonel Edwin Drake's famous
1859 discovery of oil in Pennsylvania, which marked the first commercial well
drilled in North America. The first modern wells were drilled by using a 'cable-
tool' system that was raised and dropped to the earth percussively to create a
wellbore. The year 1901 is marked for what is often identified as the most famous
and influential oil well drilled in the Spindle top Oilfield located in South East
Texas. The success of this oilfield influenced the introduction and popularity of
the rotary drilling system, which became the globally accepted preferred method
of drilling. Parallel to the entry of the rotary drilling system, other key
technologies were developed, such as the introduction of the derrick/draw works
system, the tricone drill bit, and the first recorded use of drilling mud.

2.3 Drilling methods:

2.3.1 Vertical drilling:
Vertical drilling is considered the traditional drilling method for accessing
reservoirs directly beneath the surface. Vertical wells are considered simple and
offer some initial cost savings at start up by requiring less equipment and labour.
In larger formation zones, multiple vertical wells are required to effectively

4
produce oil & gas, which can negate some of the initial cost savings. Today,
vertical wells are mostly used during the exploratory phase in evaluating the
potential of new oil and gas zones.

2.3.2 Horizontal drilling:

Wells are considered horizontal when they approach a drilling angle 85-90' from
vertical. Horizontal drilling, also called directional drilling, facilitates an increase
of production volumes from a single wellbore by accessing a larger surface area
of an oil and gas zone.

2.4 Drilling mud development:

2.4.1 Drilling mud types:
First utilised during the drilling of the famous Spindle top Oilfield in 1900,
drilling mud was invented to help remove the unconsolidated mixture of sand and
clays debris generated by the drilling process as time and knowledge progressed,
the mud circulating systems became an integral part of all drilling rig operations.
The three most common types of drilling muds are water-based, oil-based and
synthetic-based. Depending on location and local environmental regulations, any
of the three types, or a combination, could be used during the drilling process.
Drilling mud systems are now not only used for removing debris. They also help
improve drilling rates, control formation pressures and extend the life of drill bits
by providing cooling and lubrication. Lignosulfonates are a natural fit for
reducing the viscosity of water-based muds due to their water solubility and well-
known proficiency for deflocculation.

5
2.4.2 Fluid migration:
Fluid loss control additives, or FLCA's, were developed to stabilise drilling muds
faced with various challenges in the drilling process. FLCA's reduce the tendency
of drilling mud to flow into the microspores of a formation by forming a barrier
called a filter cake. FLCA's create filter cakes by physically plugging these pores
themselves or acting as a clay deflocculant enabling clay particles to plug the
pores. Failure to properly control fluid loss can result in irreversible changes to
the drilling mud's density and rheology, creating wellbore instability. Commonly
used FLCA's are clays, dispersants, and polymers.

2.4.3 Chemical issues - use of H2S scavengers:

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) is an extremely hazardous substance encountered
during some drilling options. Even in a relatively small concentration, H2S gases
can be quite deadly. Beyond health hazards, H2S can also create costly corrosion
damage to equipment due to its corrosiveness to metal. H2S scavengers are added
to drilling muds to react directly with H2S, converting it to a more inert form.
Read more about our solutions for H2S scavengers.

2.5 Use of cemented case hole:

2.5.1 Casing:
Casing, introduced in the early 1900s, is a vital part of drilling. It prevents debris
from shallow zones from falling on the drilling assembly. Cement is added to
strengthen the well and protect underground zones. It is pumped down the
casing's inside and forced down by a rubber plug, filling the space between the
wellbore and casing (annulus). Once the cement hardens, drilling continues or the
well is completed for production. Some wells have multiple cemented casing
sections with decreasing diameters as depth increases. High temperatures inside
the well necessitate fluid loss additives, retardants, and dispersants during the
blending process to prevent premature cement setting.

6
2.5.2 Use of retarders:
Cement retarders slow down the cement hardening process when water is
introduced. The desired thickening time is determined in a lab using a consist
meter to simulate wellbore conditions. Once the ideal thickening time is achieved,
the cement slurry design is ready for bulk production. Retarders and additives can
be blended with cement in dry powder form at bulk facilities or as liquid additives
during mixing on job sites. Lignosulfonates are a common type of retarder used
in cementing. Offshore drilling or sites without bulk blending use liquid additives
for convenience.

2.5.3 Use of cement dispersants:

Dispersants enhance cement slurry mixing and pump ability by preventing
excessive viscosity at the required density. They counteract the increased
viscosity caused by reducing the water-to-cement ratio and the presence of other
additives like fumed silica and fluid loss agents. While dispersants should not
retard the cement, some may moderately increase thickening time. Careful
monitoring of dispersant concentrations prevents undesirable effects. Common
types of dispersants include naphthalene sulfonates, hydroxycarboxylic acids,
and lignosulfonates.

2.6 Completions:
Wellbore completion begins after the last section of a well is drilled and cemented
in place. The wellbore is filled with brine, also called completion fluid. The
completion fluid content can vary depending on formation type and availability
of chemicals. The most common completion fluid type is potassium chloride
brine, or "KCL water", which is used to prevent swelling of clays and shales when
the casing is perforated for production. Other additives such as filtration control

7
agents, viscosifiers, scavengers, surfactants and corrosion inhibitors may be
added to completion fluids as well, depending on well conditions.

2.7 Fracking:
Sub-Surface Safety valve: Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a well stimulation
method that uses pressurized fluids with sand (propellant) to enhance well
production. It became widely used in the 1950s and revolutionized oil shale
extraction. By creating fractures in the low- permeability shale formations,
trapped oil can flow back to the wellbore. Fracking fluids are tailored for each
region and formation. The type and amount of propellant are determined by the
formation pressure. Common fracking fluid types include linear gel, cross linked
gel, and slick water fluids, with various chemicals like acids, biocides, and
corrosion inhibitors used.

Fig 2.1 Diagram of well bore casing

8
2.8 Flow of hydrocarbon:
A Christmas tree is an assembly of valves and fittings at a wellhead, controlling
oil flow and pressure in petroleum extraction. It connects to distribution pipelines
for product transportation. A tree is utilized for gas or water injection to maintain
economic production levels in a producing or non-producing well. The control
system manages the downhole safety valve, with the tree serving as a conduit for
the control system to the downhole safety valve.

A Christmas tree consists of manual and actuated valves like the master gate
valve, pressure gauge, wing valve, swab valve, and choke. It connects to the
Casing Head and casing Hangers at the bottom, allowing access to the casing.
The tubing hanger positions the tubing correctly and seals the well, enabling
Christmas tree removal with pressure in the casing. The wellhead Christmas tree
assembly, resembling a cross, sits on the Production Deck of the platform.
Actuated valves include the Sub-Surface Safety Valve, Surface Safety Valve, and
Wing Valve, controlling flow and pressure. Christmas trees play a crucial role in
well operations, monitoring and regulating oil and gas flow.

2.8.1 Sub-Surface Safety valve:

The Sub-Surface Safety valve is a hydraulic operated valve, the location of which
is below sea level, above the sea bed. The actuator of this valve needs to be very
small, as it gets enclosed within the Annulus of the conductor. The actuator is
usually hydraulically operated. The control line for the hydraulic supply for the
SSSV runs within the conductor and terminates at a connection on the Christmas
tree.

9
2.8.2 Surface Safety Valve or Master Valve:
The Christmas tree has two master valves: upper and lower. The lower valve is
manually operated and the upper one is actuated through a hydraulic or pneumatic
system connected to the emergency shutdown.

These fail-safe actuators hold the valve open using oil or pressure against a
compressed coil spring. The master gate valve is of high quality, providing a full
opening for specialized tools to run through it. It must safely withstand the full
well pressure. Typically, the master gate valve remains fully open and doesn't
control flow. Positioned above the Mezzanine deck, the first actuated valve on
the tree is the master valve, with a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator based on the
Christmas tree's requirement. The pressure gauge, minimum instrumentation, is
placed above the master gate valve, with additional instruments like temperature
gauges often fitted.

2.8.3 Wing Valve:

The wing valve, positioned on the Christmas tree's arm at the flow line, can be a
gate valve or ball valve, actuated hydraulically or pneumatically based on
requirements. During well shutdown, the wing gate or valve is used to easily read
tubing pressure. Christmas trees may have one or two wing valves. One valve is
permanently connected to the hydrocarbon process system with an actuator, while
the other is manually operated for chemical or gas injection without disrupting
production. Both valves are offset from vertical lines for clear entry during
wireline work.

2.8.4 Well Service Valve

The Well Service Valve may be present on some Christmas trees, where Diesel
pumping is required for initial start-up. It is on the other arm of the Christmas
tree, and usually, the size is lesser than that of the wing valve. The valve at the

10
top is called the swab valve and lies in the path used for good interventions like
wireline and coiled tubing. A 'Choke' is a device, either stationary or adjustable,
used to control the gas flow, also known as volume, or create downstream
pressure, also known as back pressure. The Wellhead valves are all controlled by
a Well Head Control panel, which gives the hydraulic & pneumatic supply for
opening/closing these valves. There is logically built in the WHCP for allowing
the safe closure of all these wellhead valves, in case of an emergency, either due
to process upset or due to emergency/fire. In addition to these valves, the other
instrumentation which is associated with the Christmas tree is the Pressure gauges
and Transmitters for monitoring the Annulus pressures, the Flowing Tube Head
Pressure.

Fig 2.2 Christmas tree

11
 Fig 2.2 Christmas tree diagram

2.9 Artificial lift technique:

Sucker-Rod Pump:

The individual components of a sucker-rod pumping system can be divided into

two major groups:

1. Surface equipment

2. Downhole equipment

12
The surface equipment includes the following:

1. The prime mover provides the driving power to the system and can also be
used as an electric motor or gas engine.

2. The gear reducer or gearbox reduces the high rotational speed of the prime
mover to the required pumping speed and, at the same time, increases the torque
available at its slow speed shaft.

3. The pumping unit, a mechanical linkage that transforms the rotary motion of
the gear reducer into the reciprocating motion required to operate the downhole
pump. Its main element is the walking beam, which works on the principle of a
mechanical lever.

4. The polished rod connects the walking beam to the sucker rod string and
ensures a sealing surface at the wellhead to keep well fluids within the well.

5. The wellhead assembly contains a stuffing box that seals on the polished rod
and a pumping tee to lead well fluids into the flowline. The casing-tubing annulus
is usually connected, through a check valve, to the flowline

The downhole equipment includes the following:

1. The rod string, composed of sucker rods, run inside the tubing string of the
well. The rod string provides the mechanical link between the surface drive and
the subsurface pump.

2. The pump plunger, the moving part of a usual sucker rod pump, is directly
connected to the rod string. It houses a ball valve, called traveling valve, which,

13
during the upward movement of the plunger, lifts the liquid contained in the
tubing.

3. The pump barrel or working barrel is the stationary part (cylinder) of the
subsurface pump. Another ball valve, the standing valve, is fixed to the working
barrel. This acts as a suction valve for the pump, through which well fluids enter
the pump barrel during upstroke.

Fig 2.3 Sucker rod pump representation

14
 CHAPTER 3
GAS LIFT TECHNIQUE:

Gas lift is a method of artificial lift that uses an external source of high-pressure
gas for supplementing formation gas to lift the well fluids. The principle of gas
lift is that gas injected into the tubing reduces the density of the fluids in the
tubing, and the bubbles have a "scrubbing" action on the liquids. Both factors act
to lower the flowing bottom hole pressure (BHP) at the bottom of the tubing.
There are two basic types of gas lift. They are Continuous & Intermittent.

3.1 continuous gas lift:

Continuous-flow gas lift is a widely used method for artificial lift in high-volume
and high-static bottom hole pressure (BHP) wells, particularly suitable for
offshore formations with strong water drive or water flood reservoirs with high
gas/oil ratios. It involves injecting high-pressure gas from an external source into
the production conduit to supplement the formation gas. This reduces the density
and flowing pressure gradient of the produced fluid, creating a pressure
differential that allows the fluid to flow into the wellbore. Adequate and reliable
high-pressure lift gas supply is essential for continuous-flow gas lift to be
effective throughout the well's producing life.

The method is well-suited for wells with good production indices and abundant
low-cost gas. However, it imposes a relatively high backpressure on the reservoir,
leading to reduced production rates and increased power efficiency compared to
other artificial lift methods. Continuous-flow gas lift requires careful gas quality
management as poor gas quality can impede or halt production. Numerical
models are employed to predict well performance under continuous-flow gas lift,

15
taking into account mechanistic and empirical factors, as well as underlying
assumptions.

Despite its limitations, continuous-flow gas lift remains a viable and efficient lift
method for appropriate reservoir conditions and gas supply availability. Proper
design and implementation are crucial to ensure successful and sustained
production.

3.2 Intermittent gas lift:

Intermittent flow gas lift involves periodically displacing liquid from the tubing
by injecting high- pressure gas, similar to firing a bullet from a gun. The liquid
slug in the tubing represents the "bullet," and when the gas lift valve opens, the
high-pressure gas rapidly expands, forcing the liquid slug out of the tubing. This
method is suitable for wells with low volumes of fluid production and high
productivity index (PI) but low bottom hole pressure (BHP) or vice versa. It is
not capable of producing at high rates like continuous-flow gas lift and requires

16
an "on/off" need for high-pressure gas, leading to gas-handling challenges at the
surface and surging in flowing bottom hole pressure.

Intermittent gas lift is recommended for wells that have depleted to low rates or
for gas wells that have low rates due to liquid loading. It is a good choice when
there is an adequate, low-cost, high gas/oil ratio (GOR) gas supply available for
lifting fluids from shallow wells with some sand production.

Fig 3.1 intermittent gas lift technique representation

17
 CHAPTER 4
NARIMANAM - GGS

A "Group Gathering Station" (GGS) is a term commonly used in the oil

and gas industry. It refers to a facility or location where multiple well streams or
production streams from different oil and gas wells are collected and combined
into a single stream for further processing and transportation. The purpose of a
GGS is to efficiently gather and consolidate the production from several wells,
which can be located at various distances from the processing facility.

The process of gathering and transporting oil and gas typically involves the
following steps:

1. Production Wells: Oil and gas are extracted from multiple wells located in
different areas of an oilfield.

2. Gathering Lines: These are pipelines that connect the individual wells to the
Group Gathering Station.

3. Group Gathering Station (GGS): At the GGS, the well streams from various
wells are collected and brought together. This consolidation is important for the
next stages of processing, as it reduces the number of pipelines needed to
transport the produced fluids to the central processing facilities.

4. Separation and Processing: Once the well streams are combined at the GGS,
the oil, gas, and water components may need to be separated and treated to
remove impurities and ensure the quality of the products.

18
5. Transportation: After the separation and processing, the oil and gas are
transported via pipelines or other means to refineries, processing plants, or
distribution centers.

Sour gas:
Sour gas is natural gas that contains measurable amounts of hydrogen sulphide
(H2S). The gas is colourless and flammable and smells like rotten eggs.

Sweet gas:
Natural gas or landfill gas can be termed 'sweet gas' if it contains only trace
quantities of H2S and CO2. Sweet gas in its pure form is non-corrosive, requires
little refining, and we can transport and market it safely. The well containing sour
gas and the well containing sweet gas is processed separately

Process:
The fluids from high pressure well flow through H.P Header and the fluid from
medium pressure flow through the M.P Header and apart from H.P Header and
M.P header Test header in which the well which needed to test is flow in this
header. These headers are fitted with non-return valve which allows only
unidirectional flow.

Flow lines from individual wells are connected to manifold at GGS. The fluid
from H.P header flow in the H.P Seperator or 1st separator which has high
handling pressure

The fluid from M.P header flow through L.P Separator or 2 nd separator which
has low handing pressure than the H.P. Separator the gas from these two
separators are passed to the gas scrubber and the liquid from these separators are
passed to the oil separator. The gas from the gas scrubber will passed to the GDU

19
gas dehydrogenation unit then it is send to the consumer (GAIL). The liquid from
the oil separator is then flowed to the oil stabiliser and then it is stored in the
storage tank for further transportation to the refineries (CPCL)

For testing of the well from test header, the gas will come to the test separator the
gas from the gas separator will flow to the low pressure separator and to the gas
scrubber after being measured through orifice flow meter and liquid will flow to
low pressure oil separator the excess gas will be routed to the flare header.

The sour fluid is treated with 1,3,5 TRIS Hydroxymethyl hexa hydro trazine
accordind to the ratio to convert into sweet gas.

Heater Treater:
Horizontal Heater Treaters are used in the oil/gas industry to help facilitate
oil/water separation by speeding up emulsions separation through applying heat.
Heater treaters can be thought of as low pressure, three phase separators equipped
with fire tubes. They separate gas from the incoming emulsion and separate the
emulsion into a water phase and an oil phase. Heater treaters can also function as
a free water knockout, a heat exchanger, a filter, and as a water wash tank.

Applications: The heater treater is normally found downstream of a two-phase

separator on a high-pressure system. It can be found downstream of the well, a
free-water knockout or gun barrel on a low pressure system. Heater treaters are
used where the emulsion cannot be broken using just retention, quiescence and
chemical demulsifiers. The addition of heat is required to break the emulsion.
Heat lowers the viscosity of the oil making it easier for the water to settle. It also
creates molecular movement which aids in the coalescing of the water droplets.

20
CONCLUSION

My internship at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC)

(Cauvary Asset - Karailal) has been an enriching and fulfilling journey. I am
incredibly grateful for the knowledge, experience, and skills gained during this
period. The internship has further solidified my passion for the petroleum
industry and has prepared me for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
in my career. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the company and its employees
for their support and mentorship throughout this transformative experience.

21
SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
CH8712-INTERNSHIP REPORT

Submitted by

DHWATHA. J (4204202203301)

in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CHEMCAL ENGINEERING

ADHIPARASAKTHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

MELMARUVATHUR

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

NOV 2023
SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
CH8712-INTERNSHIP REPORT

Submitted by

DHWATHA. J (4204202203301)

in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CHEMCAL ENGINEERING

ADHIPARASAKTHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

MELMARUVATHUR

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

NOV 2023

i
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this Internship report “SYNTHESIS OF PETROLEUM

PRODUCTS” is the Bonafide Work of “J. DHWATHA (420420203301)” who
carried out the Internship at BHARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION
LIMITED (10-07-2023 to 24-07-2023)

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
Mr. B. GANESH Mr. G. KARTHIKKUMAR
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
Department of Chemical Engineering Assistant professor
Adhiparasakthi Engineering College Department of Chemical Engineering
Melmaruvathur-603 319 Adhiparasakthi Engineering College
Melmaruvathur-603 319

Examination held on ______________

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With the divine blessing of Goddess Adhiparasakthi, We express our

deep gratitude to his Holiness Arulthiru Amma and Thirumathi Amma, for
providing the congenial environment for the development and promoting of our
B.Tech course in Chemical Engineering in our college. We are very grateful to
Sakthi Thiru Dr. G. B. Senthilkumar, Correspondent, APEC, for his constant
encouragement and inspiration.

Our sincere thanks to Dr. J. Raja, Principal for extending us moral support
to do Internship training in BARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION
LIMITED, KOCHI.

We also extend our whole hearted thank to Mr. Prince George and all the
staff members in BARATH PETROLEUM COPRATION LIMITED for their
concern and support during the period of training.

We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our Internship Coordinator

Mr. G. KARTHIKKUMAR, M. E., Assistant Professor and Mr. B. GANESH,
M. Tech., (Ph. D) Head of the Department (i/c) for his valuable advice,
sustained interest and invaluable help extended to us for the completion of this
Internship training successfully.

We also express our sincere thanks to Faculty Members and Non-Teaching

staff of Chemical Engineering Department for their valuable suggestions,
constant co-operation and encourage in pursuing my internship training. We are
extremely grateful to our Parents and Friends for providing us with all motivation
in making this Internship a grand success.

iii
 ABSTRACT

The products of this fuel based refinery include Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG),
Naphtha, Motor Spirit (MS), Kerosene, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), High
Speed Diesel (HSD), Fuel Oils (FO) and Asphalt. Specialty products for the
domestic markets include Benzene, Toluene, Propylene, Special Boiling Point
Spirit (SBPS), Mineral Turpentine Oil, Sulphur and Hydrogen. With the
prestigious Crude Oil receipt facilities consisting of Single Point Mooring (SPM)
and association Shore Tank Farm (STF) in the place since December 2007, the
Kochi refinery is equipped to receive crude oil in Very Large Crude Carriers
(VLCCs). The facility helps the refinery in reducing the freight charges to a great
extent, over and above increasing flexibility in crude oil selection. This, thereby,
is a major infrastructure facility to accelerate the future growth. Further to
Capacity Expansion cum Modernization Project (Phase-II), Kochi Refinery
enhanced its refining capacity to 9.5 MMTPA and Production of auto fuels
conforming to Euro-III and partly Euro-IV specifications. Post the Integrated
Refinery Expansion Project, the refining capacity of KR has been augmented to
15.5 MMTPA with facilities for Euro-IV/V compliant auto-fuels to meet the
growing demand of petroleum products in the Indian market. This would also
upgrade the refinery residue stream to value added distillates and create synergy
for future diversification into value added petrochemical products. So at this time
there are 3 Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) with further supporting units like
Propylene Derivation Petrochemical Project (PDPP) which would help KR to
produce value added petrochemical products. This project is slated to finish in
2019. Also there is a new MS block being constructed in order to meet the new
Bharat VI standards which will be implemented in 2022.

iv
 BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION
LIMITED
(KOCHI REFINERY)

The BPCL Kochi Refinery, embarked on its journey in 1996 with a

capacity of 50,000 barrels per day. Formerly known as Cochin Refineries
Limited, the refinery was originally established as a joint venture in collaboration
with Phillips Petroleum Corporation, USA. It was later renamed as Kochi
Refineries Limited, and today, it is a frontline entity as a unit of the Fortune 500
Oil and Gas Maharatna Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited with a capacity of
3,10,000 barrels per day.

v
 BHARAT PETROLEUM cORPORATION LIMITED
AGovt. of India Enterprise
Kochi Refinery

KR/LD232407010141
24.07.2023

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr Dhwatha J (Reg.No.420420203301) Student of

AdhiparasakthiEngineering College, Tamil Nadu has undergone an Internship at
Manufacturing Department of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. - Kochi
Refinery as part of his curriculum during the period 10th July to 24th July 2023
and submitted a Summer Internship Report.
His character-and conduct during the course of the internship was found to be
good.

We wish him all success in his future endeavors.

CORPNS Kavitha Mathew

Manager (L&D)
o Post Beg 2

Ambalau

GZ }T 2, J4AHTA - 682 302, qgpy fadi, G1, grHrT: 0484 -2722061 - 69 N: 0484 -2720961 / 2721094
4iga re4: 4A HAA, 4&6, #Í4 0s, Ar[ ,ÎT. t. Ä.688 -jai -400 001
Post Bag No:2. Ambalamugal -682 302, Ernakulam Dist., Kerala, Phone: 0484 -2722061-69 Fax: 2720961 / 2721094
Registered Office: Bharal Bhavan, 4&6, Currimbhoy Road, Baltard Estate. PB. No 688, Mumbai -400 001
 TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii
ABSTRACT iv
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 PRODUCTS FROM KOCHI REFINERY 3
2.1 FULE PRODUCT 3
2.2 SPECIALITY PRODUCTS 3
2.3 EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS 3
2.3.1 NATURAL RUBBER MODIFIED
BITUMEN OR RUBBERISED BITUMEN 3
2.3.2 BITUMEN EMULSION 4
2.3.3 DIESEL ADDITIVE 4
3 TECHNOLOGY 6
4 RAW MATERIAL AND WATER RESOURCE 7
5 INTEGRATED REFINERY EXPANSION
PROJECT 8
6 PROCESS PRINCIPLE OF MEROX
TREATMENT 10
7 PROCESS PRINCIPLE – BITROX 12
8 CDU – III CRUDE DISTILATION
UNIT – III 13
8.1 COMPOSION AND CHRACTERISATION
OF CRUDE OIL 13
8.2 PLANT DESCRIPTION 13
9 DCU – DELAYED COKER UNIT 16
 9.1 DELAYED COKING PROCESS UNIT 16
9.2 COKING REFERS TO DELAYED
COKING PROCESS UNIT 16
9.3 DELAYED COKER 16
9.4 FLUID COKER 17
9.5 DELAYED COKER UNIT IS DESIGNED
TO PRODUCE THE FOLLOWING UNIT 17
9.5 DELAYED COKER UNIT IS COMPOSED
FOR THE FOLLOWING SECTION 17
10 PETRO FCCU 18
11 PETRO FCCU REACTOR UNIT 20
11.1 CRACKING REACTION 20
11.1.1 PRIMARY CRACKING REACTION FOR
HYDROCARBON UNIT 20
11.1.2 SECONDARY REACTION FOR OLEFIS 21
12 DIESEL HYDROTREATING UNIT (DHDT) 22
12.1 THERMODYNAMIC AND KINETIC 22
12.2 PROCESS DESCRIPTION 22
12.3 CHEMICAL REACTION 23
12.3.1 MERCAPTANS 23
12.3.2 CONSEQUENCE OF CATALYTIC
CONTOMINATES 24
13 VACCUM GAS OIL HYDROTREATER UNIT
(VGO HDT) 25
13.1 PROCESS PRINCILES 25
13.2 REACTION CHEMISTRY 25
13.3 PROCESS DESCRIPTION 26
14 CONCLUSION 28
 LIST OF FIGUERS
FIGURE NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
1.1 Kochi Refinery 2
2.1 North – East View 5
4.1 Receiving crude from ship 7
 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

The BPCL Kochi Refinery, embarked on its journey in 1996 with a

capacity of 50,000 barrels per day. Formerly known as Cochin Refineries
Limited, the refinery was originally established as a joint venture in collaboration
with Phillips Petroleum Corporation, USA. It was later renamed as Kochi
Refineries Limited, and today, it is a frontline entity as a unit of the Fortune 500
Oil and Gas Maharatna Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited with a capacity of
3,10,000 barrels per day.

Kochi Refinery is located at Ambalamugal, near Kochi in Kerala, and is one

of the two Refineries of BPCL, presently having a crude oil refining capacity of
15.5 Million Metric Tons per Annum (MMTPA). The product portfolio of the
Kochi Refinery today includes petrochemical feedstocks and specially products
in addition to its range of quality fuels.

The products of this fuel based refinery include Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG), Naphtha, Motor Spirit (MS), Kerosene, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF),
High Speed Diesel (HSD), Fuel Oils (FO) and Asphalt. Specialty products for the
domestic markets include Benzene, Toluene, Propylene, Special Boiling Point
Spirit (SBPS), Mineral Turpentine Oil, Sulphur and Hydrogen.

With the prestigious Crude Oil receipt facilities consisting of Single Point
Mooring (SPM) and association Shore Tank Farm (STF) in the place since
December 2007, the Kochi refinery is equipped to receive crude oil in Very Large
Crude Carriers (VLCCs). The facility helps the refinery in reducing the freight
charges to a great extent, over and above increasing flexibility in crude oil
selection. This, thereby, is a major infrastructure facility to accelerate the future
growth.

1
The refinery has facilities to evacuate products to the consuming centers through
road, rail and ships through pipelines. All the major industries in the area are
connected to the refinery for product receipt. The BPCL installation at
Irumpanam is connected to the refinery via pipelines and is the major product
distribution center of the refinery. Petronet CCK, a joint venture company of
BPCL looks after the 300 km long pipeline that connects the refinery to various
consumption points in Tamil Nadu such as Coimbatore and Karur.

Further to Capacity Expansion cum Modernization Project (Phase-II), Kochi

Refinery enhanced its refining capacity to 9.5 MMTPA and Production of auto
fuels conforming to Euro-III and partly Euro-IV specifications. Post the
Integrated Refinery Expansion Project, the refining capacity of KR has been
augmented to 15.5 MMTPA with facilities for Euro-IV/V compliant auto-fuels to
meet the growing demand of petroleum products in the Indian market. This would
also upgrade the refinery residue stream to value added distillates and create
synergy for future diversification into value added petrochemical products. So at
this time there are 3 Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) with further supporting units
like Propylene Derivation Petrochemical Project (PDPP) which would help KR
to produce value added petrochemical products. This project is slated to finish in
2019. Also there is a new MS block being constructed in order to meet the new
Bharat VI standards which will be implemented in 2022.

Fig 1.1 Kochi Refinery

2
 CHAPTER-2

PRODUCTS FROM KOCHI REFINERY

2.1 Fuel Products

The 150,000 barrels per day Kochi Refinery producing all petroleum fuel
products such as:

 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for
households and industrial uses.
 Motor Spirit (MS/Petrol) and Hi-Speed Diesel (HSD) for automobiles.
 Naphtha, the major raw material for fertilizer and petrochemical industries.
 Furnace Oil (FO), Light Diesel Oil (LDO) and Low Sulphur Heavy Stock
(LSHS) as fuel for industries.
 Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for aircrafts.

2.2 Specialty Products

Benzene for manufacture of caprolactum, phenol, insecticides and other

chemicals Special Boiling Point Spirit (SBPS) used as solvent in tyre industry.

 Toluene for manufacture of solvents and insecticide, pharmaceuticals and

paint Mineral Turpentine Oil (MTO) for use in textile and paint industry.
 Sulphur for use in fertilizer, sugar, chemicals and tyre industry.
 Poly isobutene (PIB) for manufacture of lubricants and cable jelly.
 Propylene as a feedstock for various petrochemicals.
2.3 Exclusive Products

2.3.1 Natural Rubber Modified Bitumen or Rubberized Bitumen:

Natural Rubber Modified Bitumen (NRMB) is one of Kochi Refinery’s

premium products that revolutionized road development. NRMB has been
on a fast track since its introduction in 1999.

3
 Bitumen, which is derived from petroleum, is a critical component in road
building. Polymer added to Bitumen enhances both quality and longevity
of roads. Kochi Refinery in association with leading research institutes
made an in-depth study on feasibility of using natural rubber available in
abundance in Kerala, to develop the premium product, NRMB. NRMB has
improved many roads throughout the region. Its success track is evident
from the smooth Seaport-Airport road in Cochin. NRMB is a superior mix
of bitumen and natural rubber latex. It is superior in quality to ordinary
bitumen in terms of penetration, softening point and elastic recovery.
NRMB is not affected by temperature fluctuation-less bleeding at high
temperature and less cracking at low temperature. Improved skid resistance
and more service life are the booster effects along with prime factors like
save fuel. Reduces traffic noise atmospheric pollution. All this sum up to
reduced road maintenance cost.
2.3.2 Bitumen Emulsion
This eco-friendly product was launched by the refinery in June 2005.
Bitumen in different grades is used for road maintenance and construction.
Bitumen requires heating for the temporary reduction of viscosity. With
Bitumen Emulsion, which is a ready to use product, there is no need for the
preliminary heating Reduced road maintenance cost, energy savers,
economical, longer service life for roads and reduced atmospheric
pollution during road Raving maintenance are some of the advantages of
Bitumen Emulsion.

2.3.3 Diesel Additive

After years of pure and applied research, Kochi Refinery hit upon the
formula for high performing Diesel. Kochi Refinery’s Diesel Additive is
an indigenous product successfully tested in laboratories both locally and
globally.

4
Fig 2.1 North-East View

5
 CHAPTER-3

TECHNOLOGY

BPCL’s Kochi Refinery is implementing world class technologies in its

operations for improving safely standards, bettering its refining margins as well
as to meet the growing market demand of petroleum products. Major technology
absorptions at Kochi Refinery in the last few years are as follows:

 Energy efficient Crude distillation unit.

 State of the art secondary processing units like DHDT, VGO-HDT,
PFCCU, DCU, NHT-ISOM etc.
 A unique petroleum coke handling system was installed under aluminium
done for storage and handling of petroleum coke produced from Delayed
Coker unit (DCU) commissioned as part of IREP.
 Flare gas recovery system to recover traces of fuel gas before falring.
 Installation of Plate Type Heat Exchangers in Crude / Vacuum Residue
service in CDUZ to improve Crude Pre Heat Temperature.
 Installation of Power Recovery Turbines and Power Recovery expanders
to improve energy efficiency.
 Installation of Vapor Absorption Machine in Air conditioning systems of
sub-stations and Satellite Rack Rooms (SRR).
 Reverse Osmosis based De-Mineralized water (RO-DM) plant.
 BARC developed Tracer technics for exchanger leak detection.
 Innovation and state of the art technologies like Phased Array Ultrasonic
Testing, Long Range Ultrasonic Testing, Drones, under water Remote
Operated Vehicle (ROV) etc for the inspection and health monitoring of its
plant facilities.

6
 CHAPTER-4

RAW MATERIAL AND WATER RESOURCES

The crude that is processed at Kochi Refinery is purchased from Gulf countries
as well as Bombay High. The total crude requirement for BPCL and its group
companies is approximately 22 MMTPA. A part of the total requirement (about
40%) is met by Indigenous crude production by ONGC and OIL. The balance
requirement is met through Imports on term and spot basis.

An offshore crude oil receipt facility consisting of an offshore Single Point

Mooring (SPM) facility and an associated shore tank farm has been set up by the
company at Puthuvype, in the island of Vypin. This was commissioned on
December 2007. Thereby , the company is now equipped to receive crude oil in
Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). Pipelines are laid from the shore tanks to
the refinery to transfer the crude.

Water needed for the plant operation is taken from the Periyar River under a
stand-alone water supply scheme. A pipeline is laid from Aluva pump house to
Refinery storage facilities (Quarries) at Chullichira. The pump house is provided
with an electric motor operated pump as well as a diesel operated pump. Thus,
the supply of water is not interrupted during power failures.

Fig 4.1 Receiving crude from ship

7
 CHAPTER-5

INTEGRATED REFINERY EXPANSION PROJECT

IREP was aimed at increasing the refining capacity of Kochi Refinery from 9.5
MMTPA to 15.5 MMTPA and modernization of refinery to produce auto-fuels
complying with Euro-IV/Euro-V specifications. The units of IREP are designed
to be flexible enough to process high Sulphur crudes, which will fetch a higher
margin.

Capacity expansion is facilitated by installing a new state of the art Crude

Distillation Unit (CDU) of 10.5 MMTPA, which is the single largest Crude unit
among PSU refineries. Delayed Coker unit (DCU) of IREP serve the purpose of
converting the high Sulphur low value bottom products generated from existing
refinery and IREP units to pet-coke.

Apart from the new CDU and DCU, associated process units like Fluid Catalytic
Cracking Unit (FCCU), VGO Hydro-treater (VGO HDT), Diesel Hydro-treater
(DHDT) Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU), Tail Gas Treating Unit (TGTU),
NHT/ISOM (revamp), Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU) along with matching
Utilities and Off-site facilities are the part of the project. The Hydrogen
Generation Unit is implemented on 800 (Build Own Operate) Mode.

The last unit of the project was mechanically completed by 31 March 2017, within
the approved cost and time. The units were commissioned sequentially and the
last unit, ISOM unit was commissioned on 17 September 2017.

The project had generated large employment opportunities, (as many as 20000
laborers were working during the peak construction period) as well as all round
economic growth and development in the region. The Propylene produced from
the IREPFCCU will be the feed stock for the proposed Petrochemical Complex
coming adjacent to the refinery; The IREP is the largest investment of BPCL at a

8
location and also is the single largest investment in the state of Kerala. The
enormous size and number make the project different from several other projects.

A three tier safety system including client, consultant and contractor ensured that
the jobs were executed as per the motto ‘Safety first, Progress must’. About 300
safety officers at site oversee the systems, procedures and execution of jobs. More
than 150 million man hours have been completed at IREP site with about 20000
laborers working every day.

Planting of saplings for developing a green belt of 20,000 trees around the project
site have been completed.

Liquid effluents from all the units of IREP are being converted to De-mineralized
water by employing state of the art technology and being used as feed water in
boiler. Government of Kerala provided proactive support to the project
throughout its execution period including financial Incentives.

9
 CHAPTER-6
PROCESS PRINCIPLE OF MEROX TREATEMENT

The process is based on the ability of catalyst composed of iron group of metal
chelates to promote oxidation of mercaptans to disulphides using air as the source
of oxygen. The overall rxn is given below,

4RSH + O2 - 2RSSR + 2H2 O

Oxidation is carried out in an Alkaline medium of caustic soda. The
disulphides formed will remain in the hydrocarbon stream. So by sweetening,
there is no reduction of sulphur but only a conversion to a different chemical
species.

Mercaptans are converted to disulphides in a fixed bed reactor system. This

consists of a reactor which contains a bed of specially selected activated charcoal
impregnated with merox catalyst and wetted with caustic solution. Air is injected
into the feed hydrocarbon stream Ahead of the reactor and in passing through the
catalyst impregnated bed, the mercaptans in the feed are oxidized to disulphides.

Merox reaction is carried out in a SV1 A/B reactor in the presence of a catalyst
and an aqueous alkaline solution of 5 – 100 be caustic soda.

The kerosene from CDU – II is routed to the air mixel SY2 in keromerox unit.
ATF inlet flow indicated by AFI2674.

Air for the reaction is supplied by compressor SCI A/B/C at a pressure of 10.55
kg/cm2(g) SFC 003 controls the air flow to the mixer. The sintered stainless steel
filter cylinder of the mixer SV2 ensure through mixing of kerosene with air. A
special spring load check valve SV1 in air line in between SFC 003 and SV2
prevents back flow of kerosene to the reactors through the inlet distribution. The
mixture then flows down through the charcoal bed impregnated with catalyst. The
mercaptans in the kerosene are converted to disulphide as the mixture flow

10
downwards. The bottons collector pipe with UOP Johnson screen collects treated
kerosene and prevents carryover of charcoal. The back pressure controller APC
1594 sets the reactor pressure at 4.5 – 5 kg/cm API 1588 pressure transmitter is
provided on the bottom of the reactor. All the air used for merox reaction is kept
dispersed in the hydrocarbon. Cha will take place it separate air phase is formed.
The reactor SV1 A/B can be bypassed completely with the new line provided.

The ATF after treating in SV1 A/B goes to CV57 where the caustic get
separated by gravity separated caustic is again recirculated to SV1 using SP1 pump
to maintain caustic medium in reactor provision gives for replenishing the caustic
strength goes down or when sulphide level is high.

After caustic removal in CV53 it goes to CV58. ATF is washed with DM

water to remove entrained caustic is soluble surfactants. Level controller AVC
1594 is provided for controlling level of water in CV58 water is continuously
draining to ows.

ATF the goes to pre filter CV568, for removing foreign particles then it goes
to coalesces CV56A for removing find traces of water having filter element.
Bottom have drained for and water collected. Pressure drop across the filter is
monitored. If pressure drop is on higher side filter should be changed. APR 1589
pressure transmitter is provided upstream of prefilter and API 1590 pressure
downstream of prefilter. These transmitters can be used for pressure drop
calculation.

After coalesces ATF goes to salt filter CV54 and then to clay filter CV55.
After treatment chemical addition vessel CV59 and dilute with ATF. Stadis is
then transferred to CV60 and balmer pc into pump CP71 A/B. The reactor is
followed by a settler.

11
 CHAPTER-7
PROCESS PRINCIPLE – BITUROX
Biturox is a process for production of blown bitumen. Various qualities of
bitumen can be made out of different residues – with or without blending
components – under atmospheric conditions or with elevated pressure.

Compared to the traditional bitumen oxidation reactors the biturox process

offers a number of advantages.

The special developed technique of biturox combines quantity and quality.

By perfected operating parameter control a maximum throughout with a
uniformly high quality for each bitumen type is reached.

The operating principle of the biturox process is oxidation of the feed at a

process temperature from approximately 2500 C (at atmospheric condition) to
approximately 2700 C (at elevated pressure).

Additionally, light hydrocarbons content is reduced due to the strip effect

of the vaporized water, which is injected into the air pipes.

To maximize the utilization of oxygen in process air a large reaction surface

of the air bubbles is needed. For that reason, the biturox reactor is equipped with
a multi-stage agitator to break up the incoming air bubbles. To have a small
bubbles size through the whole length of liquid column in the reactor the air
bubbles are collected by coalescing plates under each agitator disc the reaction
surface.

On the other head, due to the large size of the air pipes the process air is
introduced into the liquid product is a form of big bubbles with a small reaction
surface. This prevents a fast start of the reaction between fresh feed and oxygen
and prevents coke formation. So the biturox reactor has low servicing needs and
this effects minimum operating costs.

12
 CHAPTER-8

CDU III: CRUDE DISTILLATION UNIT-3

CAPACITY- 10.5 MMTPA / 1200 Ton/hr.

8.1 Composition and characteristic of crude oil

Crude oil is a mixture of literally hundreds of hydrocarbon compounds ranging
in size from the smallest, methane, with only one carbon atom, to large
compounds containing 300 and more carbon atoms. Most of the remaining
hydrocarbon compounds are either cyclic paraffin’s called naphthene’s or deeply
dehydrogenated cyclic compounds as in the aromatic family of hydrocarbons.

EX: Cyclohexane (Naphthene), Benzene(Aromatic)

In refining processes, the products are identified by groups of these

hydrocarbons boiling between selective temperature ranges. For example, a
naphtha product would be labeled as a 900C to 1400C cut. Not all compounds
contained in crude oil are hydrocarbons.

8.2 Plat description:

Initially crude oil will have 300C and 5 – 10 kg/cm2 pressure. Pressure is
maintained using pressure control valve. Density meter is provided in charge
pumps suction to known the density of incoming crude.

Charge pumps charges the crude from the crude storage tank to the pre-
fractionator through the desalter and the preheat trains upstream and downstream.
Demulsifier injection is provided in the suction line for through mixing to aid in
proper desalting. Demulsifier is added to enhance breaking oil- water emulsion.
Crude is heated by the low heat potential streams, to the desalting temperature,

13
of 1300C in the pre-heat train-1. Washing of the crude with water to remove salt
and other impurities is called desalting. Stripped water is added to crude at 7% of
crude charge and is thoroughly mixed at a throttle valve called mixing valve.

In pre-fractionator, we are MP steam for flashing. The unstable naphtha

from pre-fractionator is stabilized using naphtha stabilizer where the top product
is LPG and bottom product is stabilized naphtha. The stabilized naphtha is given
to the naphtha splitter for separation. In the pre-fractionator, top rectification and
bottom stripping section having pressure 5.9 kg/cm2 and 6.9 kg/cm2 respectively
and the temperature is maintained as 2600C. A part of naphtha is refluxed back to
the pre-fractionator.

The pre-topped crude from pre-fractionator is pumped for feed preparation

unit for rising temperature from 1950C to 2600C before entering main crude
heater. The crude charge heaters are a balance draft cylindrical vertical type
heater. The process fluid is first heated in the convection section pre-heat coil is
followed by further heating in the radiant section of the crude charge heater.

Most of the heat transferred to the process fluid takes place in the radiant
section while convection section serves only to make up the temperature
difference between the heat duty of furnace and the past absorbed in radiant
section. Finally, the emulsion thus formed is allowed to break and separate in
settler vessel called desalter. The residual water and the impurities in the crude
are washed in to the water phase which settles at the bottom. The salts (chlorides
of sodium, magnesium and calcium) normally are dissolved in the residual water
contained in the crude. Some other suspension material like slit, ferric oxide,
sand, carbon, Sulphur and they can be removed by desalter water globules. If
there is no desalter, they will lead to corrosion and poison to the catalyst. If the
water level in the desalter increases, which increases conductivity. The brine
solution from the desalter will be given to the water treatment plant of refinery.

14
 The desalted crude from the top of the desalter attains pre-fractionator inlet
temperature of 2000C by extracting heat from the product streams of main
distillation column just before the topped crude enters to the heater. The pre-
heated crude flashes at the flash zone of the pre-fractionator and undergoes flash
distillation to get unstable naphtha at top and topped crude at the bottom.

Pre-topped crude will increase the temperature from 260 0F to 3650F before
bring fed to main atmospheric distillation column. The product from crude
column:

1. Naphtha (3800F)
2. Kerosene (3800F – 4800F)
3. Light gas oil (4800F – 6100F)
4. Heavy gas oil (6100F – 6900F)
5. Residue fuel oil(>6900F)

The atmospheric residue is send to the vacuum distillation column. Again, the
flash zone temperature in the vacuum unit is kept below 700 0F. The vacuum in
the vacuum distillation column is provided with the help of stream ejector-
condenser system. The distillate product is usually titled HVGO (Heavy Vacuum
Gas Oil). The light vacuum distillate is taken off as a top side stream and is
usually routed to a hydro-desulfurizer to send either to the gas oil pool as heating
oil stock LVGO (Light Vacuum Gas Oil). The VGO is send to the HDS-VGO
unit for cracking.

15
 CHAPTER-9

DCU – DELAYED COKER UNIT

CAPACITY- 3.5 MMTPA

9.1 Delayed coking process unit:

The delayed coking process is a thermal cracking process for upgrading

heavy petroleum residues into lighter gaseous and liquid products and solid coke
(green coke). The petroleum residue feedstock is heated in a specially designed
heated to high temperature with a brief residence time. The thermal cracking
reactions start in the heater coils and are completed in coke drums (accumulator
vessels with long residence time). The thermal cracking reactions in the heater
are carefully controlled to minimize coke build up in the heater coils. The solid
product (Green coke) is retained in the coke drums. Coke drum effluent vapor is
quenched to arrest further cracking reactions and then fractionated into various
distillate and light end products.

9.2 Cooking refers to delayed coking process unit:

 Coking is a batch reaction. Feed is heated to 480 – 5100C and left for some
time so, that coke and lighter products form.
 Since coking is a batch reaction, there can be different ways to carry out
coking. There are two types of refinery coking process namely delayed coking
and fluid coking.

9.3 Delayed coking:

The heated feed is fed to a coke drum and coke forms in the drum. The
lighter products are withdrawing from the top section of the delayed coker.
After coking, the coke drum is full of coke and it is the removed using water
jets. The process is called delayed coking because in this process the coal is

16
heated using a much more complex system, and it consists of multiple furnaces
or coke drums.

9.4 Fluid coking:

The heated feed is fed to a fluidized bed where coke particles with finer
particle sizes would aid fluidization. After coking, lighter products are withdrawn
as overhead vapour and coke thus formed is removed continuously. The fluid
coker also has an additional scrubber which will remove heavier compounds from
the vapors (if any) and send them back with the feed stream.

9.5 The delayed coking unit is designed to produce the following products:

 Coker off gas

 Coker LPG
 Stabilized coker naphtha
 Light coker gas oil
 Heavy coker gas oil(HCGO)
 Green coke

9.6 The delayed coking unit is composed for the following section:

 Feed surge drum and feed preheat

 Coking
 Primary fractionation
 Vapor recovery section
 LPG amine treatment section
 Coke drum stream out/blowdown
 Decoking
 Coke handling

17
 CHAPTER-10
PETRO FCCU
The Converter Unsaturated Gas Plant (USGP) and the Propylene Recovery
Unit (PRU), which includes the main fractionator and gas plant of the catalytic
cracking (PETRO FCCU)complex and are described here in, consist of the
following major equipment:

 Combustion Air Blower

 Wet Gas Compressor
 Reactor/Regeneration
 Flue Gas Cooler
 Contaminant Removal
 Main Fractionator
 Propylene Splitter

The function of the converter is catalytic cracking of Hydro Treated VGO in

to lower boiling, high value products, primarily propylene, gasoline, LPG and
LCO products.

The function of the Unsaturated Gas Plant(USGP) is to separate and recover

the light hydrocarbon vapors and hydrocarbon liquid streams produced by the
cracking reactions in the PETRO FCCU reactor.

These products are:-

1. C2 – off gas
2. LPG
3. Naphtha (LCN + MCN)
4. Light Cycle Oil (LCO)

18
 The function of the PRU is to separate the propylene and propane, enrich
propylene component and remove contaminants from propylene to produce the
following products:

1. Polymer Grade Propylene.

2. Propane, to be blended with LPG from the gas plant.

19
 CHAPTER-11

PETRO FCCU REACTOR SECTION

BPCL’s PETRO FCCU Licensed by Technip S & W incorporates a single

catalyst regeneration system, a unique combustion air distribution system, an
innovative feed injection system, an efficient riser termination and Proprietary
Catalyst stripping technology. The reactor regeneration section consists of a feed
injection system, reactor-riser, a mushroom-type distributor as the riser
termination device reactor/stripper vessel, catalyst regenerator, catalyst transfer
lines, and control systems.

11.1 Cracking reaction:

11.1.1 Primary cracking reaction for hydrocarbon unit:

Paraffin Paraffin + Olefin
Cn H2n+2 ----------------- CP + H2P+2 + Cm H2m

Naphthene (Cyclic Paraffin) Olefin + Olefin

Cn H2n ----------------- Cp H2p + Cm Hm

Alkylaromatic Aromatic (base) + Olefin

Ar – Cn H2n+1 ---------------- Ar – H + Cn H2n

Olefin Olefin + Olefin

Cn H2n ------------------ Cp H2p + Cm H2m

Aromatic ------------------ No Reaction

20
11.1.2 Secondary reaction for olefins:

Naphthene + Olefin ------------------ Aromatic + Paraffin

Hydrogen + Olefin ------------------ Paraffin
Normal Olefin ------------------ Iso-Olefin
Olefin + Olefin ------------------ Larger Olefin

Aromatic + olefin ----- Alkylaromatic ------- Cyclization ---- Dehydrogenation---

------- Multi-Ring Aromatic(coke)
EQUATION:
Residue/Gas oil ----- Diesel ------- Gasoline ------- LPG + Coke.

21
 CHAPTER-12
DIESEL HYDROTREATING UNIT(DHDT)
CAPACITY- 4.3 MMTPA / 610 Ton/hr.

12.1 Thermodynamic and kinetics:

For any chemical reaction thermodynamics gives information, about the
possibility of its occurrence and the amount of products and unconverted
reactants. Some reaction is complete i.e., all the reactants are converted to
products. Others are equilibrium i.e., Part of the reactants only is converted. The
amount of the reactants and products at equilibrium depends on the operating
condition and is dictated by thermodynamic. The thermodynamics does not
mention the time required to reach equilibrium or the full completion of a
reaction. Kinetics dictates the rate of chemical reaction. Kinetics is dependent on
the operating condition but can also be modified by using properly selected
catalyst. One reaction is generally enhanced by a specific catalyst. Kinetics gives
an idea above the composition after a finite time. Since time is limited, when
reactions are concurrent, Kinetics is generally predominant.

A catalyst generally consists of a support (Earth oxides, Alumina, Silica,

Magnesia etc…) on which finally divided metals are deposited. The metal is
always responsible for the catalytic action. Very often the support has also a
catalytic action related to its chemical nature.

12.2 Process description:

Hydro Treatment is a general class of catalytic process which takes place

under hydrogen environment and it is characterized by the following:

a) Minor changes in average molecular weight

b) Mono or bi-functional catalyst system
c) Hydrogenolysis of sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen

22
 Containing molecules and organo–metallic compounds, saturation of olefins
and aromatics, isomerization.

In Diesel Hydro Treatment (DHDT) process, the main chemical reaction is:
olefin saturation, hydro-desulphurization (HDS), hydro-denitrification (HDN),
and aromatic saturation. These reactions are carried on mono/bi-functional
catalyst.

The hydro-treated diesel must meet a Sulphur specification of 10 Wppm

maximum and limit poly-cylic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds to 11 wt%
maximum. The product from the reactor section is stripped of H 2 S in stripper
column. It is subsequently fractionated in fractionator column to get dried diesel
oil with less than 200 ppm water.

12.3 Chemical reaction:

The type of compound that undergo reaction include mercaptans, sulphides,

disulphides, thiophenes, benzo-thiophenes and di-benzo-thiophenes. Hydrogen
sulphide is formed in the reactor as a result of these reaction. Examples of these
reaction are shown below

12.3.1 Mercaptans:
These reactions are exothermic, Mercaptans, Sulphides and disulphide’s
react easily, whereas sulfur combined into cycles of aromatic structure, the
thiophene, is more different to eliminate.
MERCAPTANS:
R-SH + H2 ----------- R-H + H2S: Heat of reaction:17 Kcal/mole
SULPHIDES

R=S-R + H2 ------------- 2R-H + H2S: Heat of reaction: 28 Kcal/mole

SULPHIDES

R-S-R1 + 2H2 ------------ RH + R1H + H2 S

23
 DISULPHIDES

R-S-S-R + 3H2 ------------- 2RH + 2H2S

12.3.2 Consequence of catalytic contaminates:

1. Deactivation of catalyst
2. Affects possibility of regeneration
3. In general, a hydro treating catalyst cannot be regenerated if content of
metal is above:
AS > 0.15 %
Pb > 0.15 %
Na >0.30 %
No single metal level > 1%
Total metal level > 2%

24
 CHAPTER-13

VACUUM GAS OIL HYDROTREATER UNIT (VGO HDT)

CAPACITY- 3 MMTPA / 412 Ton/hr.

13.1 Process principals:

The Process makes use of two distinct types of reactions, hydrotreating and
hydrocracking, to make clean, saturated, high value products. The hydrotreating
reaction remove contaminants from the feed, while the hydrocracking reaction
produce high value lighter products. These reactions are carried out with the help
of catalyst at elevated pressure and temperature in a hydrogen atmosphere.

Some of the first reactions to occur are the hydrotreating reactions. These
hydrotreating reactions are catalyzed by the metal bites on the catalyst and, in
general are more rapid then the cracking reactions.

Catalysis is hydrocracking is classified as bi-functional i.e., two different types

of catalytic chemistry are required to bring about the desired reactions. On one
hand, hydrogeneration/de-hydrogenation reactions are catalyzed by the metal or
metal-Sulphides. Sides and on the other hand, cracking of hydrocarbon chains is
catalysed by the acid sites on the catalyst. Both catalytic sites (metals and acid)
must be present in the catalyst for the desired reactions to take place.

13.2 Reaction chemistry:

Hydrocracking process feeds are complex mixtures of paraffinic, olenfinic,

alkylated poly aromatic and naphthenic molecules. Hetero-atoms mainly sulphur,
nitrogen, oxygen, and to a lesser extent metals (like Ni and V) are present in these
molecular structures.

The reactions generally taking place can be classified within the following
categories:

25
 a) Hetero-Atom Removed
b) Hydrogenation
c) Ring Opening
d) Hydro-dealkylation
e) Hydro-cracking
f) Isomerisation
g) Condensation

13.3 Process description:

VGO HDT unit consists of two sections:

 High pressure reactor section (HP section)

 Low pressure separation section (LP section)

The primary purpose of HP reactor section is to reactively remove sulfur and

nitrogen compounds and reduce aromatic content by contacting the gasoil feed
with the presence of catalyst at high pressure and temperature.

In the LP separation section, hydrogen sulfide and light hydrocarbons produced

in reactors are separated in fractionator and downstream naphtha stabilization
/LPG recovery section. Fractionator separates the reactor effluent into overhead
sour off-gas plus wild naphtha, diesel product, and unconverted gas oil bottoms.
In the downstream naphtha stabilization section, LPG and Naphtha are separated.

Design feedstock to VGOHDT is a mixture of 300 TPH of Vacuum gas

oil(VGO) from CDU-III and 75 TPH of Heavy coker gas oil(HCGO)from the
Delayed coker unit(DCU). VGO-HDT is designed to process 90% hot and 10%
cold streams-270 TPH hot-VGO from CDU-III, 30 TPH cold-VGO from VGO
storage tanks (YT-44 and YT-45), and 67.5 TPH hot-HCGO from DCU directly,
7.5 TPH cold-HCGO from HCGO storage tanks (YT-46 and YT-47). The unit is
designed to convert 27% of design feedstock into lighter products, and the

26
unconverted and hydro-treated VGO (or LS-VGO) is sent as feed to PFCCU and
old FCCU.

In addition, the unit design is checked for two other cases, check case-1 (higher
HCGO case-96 TPH HCGO) and check case-2(higher conversion case-35%
conversion).

27
 CHAPTER-14

CONCLUSION:

My internship at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (Kochi Refinery) has

been an enriching and fulfilling journey. I am incredibly grateful for the
knowledge, experience, and skills gained during this period. The internship has
further solidified my passion for the petroleum industry and has prepared me for
the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in my career. I express my heartfelt
gratitude to the company and its employees for their support and mentorship
throughout this transformative experience.

28