Oil Refining Past, Future, and Renewables

The futue provides opportunities for new renewables firms and exsisting refiners to economically renew themselves for the renewable age.

Crude oil has been the foundation of modern civilization for over a hundred years, but the world appears to be at the precipice of a shift towards renewable energy, electrification, and CO2 reduction. From transportation fuels to plastics to household cleansers and cosmetics, petroleum products are an essential part of every....

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Increasing Distillate Production at Zero Capital Cost

Significantly increasing distillate production can at the earliest stages require no more than process tweaks before significant capital revamps are required

This is the first of two articles which discuss changes to the crude unit to help produce a higher percentage of distillate products from each barrel of crude processed. The discussion begins with a review of operational....

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Increasing Distillate Production at Least Capital Cost

Investing in improvements to the atmospheric crude unit can deliver increased distillate yields with short payback times

This is the second of two articles which discuss changes to the crude unit to increasedistillate production from each barrel of crude processed. The first article reviewed operational adjustments that require zero capital investment. This second article focuses on atmospheric crude unit....

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Deep Cut Vacuum Towers

Abstract

Deep cut vacuum tower operations can offer significant incentives over existing operations. Defining the exact incentives, capital costs, and payouts requires an engineering study. However, initial project feasibility studies can benefit from simplified analysis. This paper compares deep cut incentives for typical light and heavy crudes, Brent and Arabian Heavy. The resultant yields structures and incentives are compared for the two crudes, and economic calculations presented for various charge rates. Depending on charge rate.....

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Refinery RVP Reduction

Refiners match RVP reduction measures to operating problems

Reductions in gasoline vapor pressure specifications have created operational challenges for many refiners. Removal of butanes from gasoline blendstocks has become more critical to meeting product vapor pressure requirements.

Some refiners have made major unit modifications, such as adding alkylation capacity for butane conversion. Others have debottlenecked existing fractionation equipment, thus....

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Alky Deisobutanizer Optimization

Analysis of Alky unit DIB exposes design and operating considerations

As refiners strive to increase unit production or accommodate feed composition changes with minimal capital investment, existing equipment design and operations should be evaluated for opportunities to improve efficiency.

In many cases, throughput limitations can be resolved through review and modification of existing equipment design.....

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