Petroleum refining:

Petroleum refining is defined as chemical, thermal and physical separation of crude

oil into major fractions. These fractions are further processed through separation and
conversion into finished petroleum products.

Refinery is the facility where this process takes place. Refinery separates the crude
oil into smaller fractions in order to make 2500 separate products.

Products of refining:

1) Fuels (such as motor gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, light and heavy fuel oil)

2) Non-fuel products (such as lubricating oils and greases, asphalt)

3) Raw materials for the chemical industry.

Stages of Refining:

• Refining involves following major steps.

1) Distillation and separation

2) Conversion or upgrading

3) Desulphurization or sweetening

Distillation:

The first stage in the crude processing is known as distillation or fractionation. In

this process the crude oil which is crude oil which is mixture of many hydrocarbons
is boiled and condensed to separate the crude oil into components based on ranges
of boiling points.
01. What is the principle of desalting in crude oil refining process?

The desalting process consists of mixing heated crude oil with wash water and
emulsion breaking chemicals. Proper mixing is critical to the salt removal and is
achieved using mixing valves and static mixers. The emulsion is broken by a high
voltage electrostatic field within the gravity settler tank.

Crude oil to be desalted is heated to a temperature of 100-150 °C and mixed with 4-

10% fresh water, which dilutes the salt. The mixture is then pumped into a settling
tank where the salt water separates from the oil and is drawn off.

02. What is the purpose of a fired heater?

Fired heaters, or process heaters, are important to refineries and petrochemical plants
because they heat and vaporize the hydrocarbon fluids to create necessities like
gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

03. What is the purpose of the atmospheric distillation column?

The hot crude oil is then passed into a distillation column that allows the separation
of the crude oil into different fractions depending on the difference in volatility. The
basic principle behind the distillation of process is that different liquids boil at
different temperatures. So when a mixture is heated, the substance with lower boiling
point starts to boil first and convert into vapors which can be then collected
separately.

04. Why use the vacuum distillation column?

The boiling point of the substances to be separated is lower under vacuum. Vacuum
distillation is therefore the process of choice if the compounds to be separated
normally have a high boiling point or are explosive. And allows for separation of
substances that would decompose at higher temperatures.
A vacuum distillation is used when the boiling point of the compound (or the
solvent) is too high (Tb>150℃) in order to distill the compound (or the solvent off)
without significant decomposition. The setup is similar to a micro-scale or semi-
macroscale distillation.

05. Why is atmospheric distillation used before vacuum distillation?

Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining...

Vacuum distillation is a part of the refining process that helps to produce petroleum
products out of the heavier oils left over from atmospheric distillation. In the refining
process, the atmospheric distillation unit (ADU) separates the lighter hydrocarbons
from the heavier oils based on boiling point.

06. What is the principle of hydrotreater in crude oil industry?

Hydrotreating is a well-established and industrially acceptable process to refine the

crude petroleum and production of transportation fuels. In this process, a high
volume of hydrogen gas is used for the removal of the undesired impurities (e.g.,
sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.)

07. What is the purpose of Merox Teater process?

Merox treatment in the oil & gas industry refining in the oil.

Merox is an acronym for 'mercaptan oxidation', a well-established process to remove

mercaptans from refined products such as kerosene and jet fuel, to meet the
regulatory requirements for reduced sulfur levels in aviation fuel.
08. What is the purpose of amine treater?

Amine treatment in the oil & gas industry refining in the oil.

Amine gas treatment is a process that uses aqueous solutions of various alkylamines
(known as amines) to dissolve and remove hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from
the refinery sour gases, producing 'sweet gas'.

09. What is the purpose of isomerization in petroleum refining?

Isomerization is a petroleum refining process that enhances the octane rating of

gasoline. This is achieved through converting strait chains of paraffin molecules to
the branched forms of iso-paraffins. This is a much more refined and economical
way of increasing the octane rating.

10. What is the function of the catalytic reformer?

Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery

naphthas distilled from crude oil (typically having low octane ratings) into high-
octane liquid products called reformates, which are premium blending stocks for
high-octane gasoline.

11. What is FCC feed hydrotreater in petroleum industry?

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process is an important oil refinery process, since this
process converts heavy petroleum fractions into lighter hydrocarbon products inside
a reactor. In an attempt to maximize production and improve operating efficiency, a
comprehensive analysis of a FCC unit regenerator has increased.
12. What is the purpose of the delayed coker?

Delayed Coker (Coker) feedstock is material from the refinery vacuum unit, which
is otherwise used as road asphalt. The objective of the Coker is to process the
asphalt-like material to produce higher value products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel,
LPG, and petroleum coke.

13. What is the function of the catalytic reformer?

Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery

naphthas distilled from crude oil (typically having low octane ratings) into high-
octane liquid products called reformates, which are premium blending stocks for
high-octane gasoline.

14. What are the industrial applications of the Claus process?

The sulfur recovered in Claus plants is used for manufacturing sulfuric acid,
medicine, cosmetics, fertilizers and rubber products. Hydrogen sulfide produced, for
example, in the hydrodesulfurization of refinery naphthas and other petroleum oils,
15. What is the purpose of sidecut strippers in crude oil refining process?

Side-cut strippers on crude oil atmospheric distillation towers in which steam is used
to remove the lightest components from side-cut products such as kerosene, jet fuel,
or diesel oil.

16. What is the purpose of reflux in distillation column in crude oil refining
process?

Inside the column, the downflowing reflux liquid provides cooling and condensation
of the upflowing vapors thereby increasing the efficiency of the distillation column.

is converted to sulfur in Claus plants.