Crude Distillation Unit & Vacuum Distillation Unit
Crude Distillation Unit & Vacuum Distillation Unit
The Crude Unit is the mother unit in any Petroleum Refinery. The feedstock for the Crude Unit is
Raw Crude Oil received from Refinery Crude Tanks.
The processing objective of the Crude & Vacuum Unit is to separate Crude Oil into various fractions
as given below:
Unstabilised Naphtha, which is a feed for Naphtha Stabilization Unit (integrated part of
CDU/VDU Unit) ,there from split into LPG & Stabilized Naphtha.
Light Gas Oil & Heavy Gas Oil which is feedstock for DHDT unit.
Light Vacuum Gas Oil & Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil together as a feed stock for VGO DHT Unit.
Vacuum Residue which is a feedstock for DCU (i.e. Delayed Cocker Unit)
The processing objective of the Delayed Coking Unit is to upgrade residue From Vacuum Distillation
Unit processing following design crudes in blocked out
Mode:
The unit shall be designed based on the quality and quantity of Short Residue (SR) generated from
The above crudes and meeting the processing objectives as Described herein. ln addition to above
design feed cases, the DCU unit Performance shall be checked for the following check case: The
Delayed Coker unit shall consist of the following facilities:
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 heater 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.
HYDROGEN GENERATION UNIT- A BRIEF SUMMARY
Objective
The Hydrogen Generation Unit is designed for a production of 2 X 44000 TPA of hydrogen of min
99.9 mole% purity required for the hydro-processing units of Refinery. The plant is designed for
operation with Straight run Naptha from CDU and DHDT naptha as feedstock and as make up fuel
for reformer. The Unit comprises of common Pre-desulfurisation section and Pressure swing
adsorption (PSA). Besides H2, the plant also generates superheated high-pressure steam at 38
kg/cm2 pressure for export. Unit comprises of 5 sections:
1. Naphtha Pre-Desulphurization
In the pre-desulphurization section the unsaturated hydrocarbons in the naphtha feed are
hydrogenated and organic sulphur compounds are removed from the naphtha by catalytic
conversion to hydrogen sulphide which is separated from naphtha by distillation. This step
removes the bulk of maximum 500 wt ppm sulphur & chlorine in naphtha feedstock.
In the Final desulphurization section the naptha feed passes through Hydrogenator and two H 2S/Cl2
absorbers for hydrogenation of Organic Sulphur and Absorption of Sulphur & Chlorine respectively
to avoid deactivation or poisoning of reformer & shift converter catalysts.
In the Pre-reforming & Reforming sections, hydrocarbon feed is converted into synthesis gas
consisting mainly of H2, CO, CO2 beside a minor amount of CH 4 (Methane slip).The Pre-reformer
does reforming of all higher hydrocarbons completely simultaneously with methane reforming. In
addition, incorporation of Pre-reformer has several advantages like energy saving, reduction of
mass flow through plant and prolonging life of tubular reformer. In Tubular reformer most of
methane reforming takes place.
4. Shift Section
In the shift section, CO is converted into CO 2 by reaction with H2O hereby generating H2. Reactor
used is Medium Temperature Shift Converter.
5. Separation of H2
Process gas produced in shift converter contains 71-72 mole% H2, CO2, a minor amount of CO and a
slip of methane. The H2 content is purified to minimum 99.9% purity in the PSA unit. The H 2
product from the PSA unit is directed to the battery limit. A minor amount of hydrogen gas after
compression is recycled to the process feed in the Pre & final Desulphurization section. The PSA off
gas separated from the product hydrogen is sent to the reformer as a primary fuel in each of the
two trains of hydrogen unit. Fuel gas is used as compliment to naptha fuel.
POLYPROPYLENE UNIT (PPU)
Polypropylene process can produce many different grades of homopolymer. PPU have the provision
for producing copolymers like Random and Impact copolymers by adding ethylene as co-monomer.
The polymer properties are adjusted by the rate and type of catalysts, co-catalysts, stereomodifier
and hydrogen as well as additives. Hydrogen is used as the chain terminator for controlling the melt
flow rate and the molecular weight distribution of some of the product resins. The process is based
on a stirred gas phase reaction system. The polypropylene line is split into two main processing
areas: polymerization and extrusion. The polypropylene pellet and chemicals storage areas are
located adjacent to the main process areas. Scopes of the plant also include nitrogen recovery,
chemicals storage and bagging areas.
The processing objective of the Sulfur recovery Block is to process Acid & Sour gases containing
H2S from Amine Regeneration Unit & Sour Water Stripping Unit & covert to Sulfur in Sulfur
Recovery unit. The Sulfur Recovery Block shall consist of the following facilities:
The role of Amine Regeneration unit is to separate H2S & Lean Amine form Rich Amine streams
received from various process units.
The key role of Sour water stripping unit is to separate H2S, NH3 & Stripped water form Sour water
streams received from various process units.
Unit has two individual trains to process Refinery sour water (enriched H2S streams) & Hydro
processing sour water (enriched NH3 streams).
The key role of the Sulfur recovery unit is to convert elemental Sulfur from H2S by Claus reaction at
1100 C & destruct NH3 TO NOx above 1250 C. Sulfur recovery unit has five main sections.
The MS Block Units comprise the following units for producting MS with Euro-IV specifications.
A) NHT
Naphtha from the feed surge drum is pumped to the reaction section. Hydrogen make up is mixed
with feed and sent to Diene Saturation reactor. Feed is heated against HDS reactor effluent in the
heat exchanger. Complete diolefins saturation and partial olefin hydrogenation take place in the
reactor. At the outlet of Diene Saturation reactor, effluent is mixed with hydrogen recycle gas and
the mixture is heated in the HDS feed/effluent exchanger. The feed to the HDS reactor is brought up
to the reaction temperature by fired heater. The olefin hydrogenation and hydrodesulfurization,
and denitrification reactions take place in 2 nd HDS reactor. From the separator drum, the recycle gas
is circulated by recycle compressor. The liquid phase is sent to the downstream stripper column.
The overhead product of the stripper column is partly condensed in air condenser before entering
reflux drum. The vapour is sent to battery limit as off gas. The liquid distillate is sent as reflux to the
top of the column. Stripper bottom product is routed to Naphtha splitter. Naphtha is split into Light
Naphtha and Heavy Naphtha in the Naphtha Splitter. Light Naphtha is routed to Naphtha
Isomerisation Unit and Heavy Naphtha is routed to CCR Reformer. A small part of Hydrotreated
Naphtha is routed to Naphtha pool.
The Reformer feed comes from Naphtha splitter bottom and mixed with the recycle gas. Combined
fluids are preheated and injected into the first reactor. Reforming reactions are endothermic and
occur successively in four adiabatic reactors. The last reactor effluent is cooled down and the two
phases are separated. The vapour phase is separated further into two streams. The first stream
(recycle gas) is sent back to reaction section and the second stream is compressed by compressors
and mixed with the liquid from separator drum. The mixture feeds the HP Absorber drum after
cooling. The H2 gas from Absorber drum is sent to battery limit through Chloride guards. These
schemes allows for an optimized LPG/ reformate recovery and produces a high purity H 2 rich gas.
The liquid phase of Absorber drum is mixed with the stabilizer overhead vapour, and fed into LPG
absorber drum to allow C3 and C4 recovery into the vapour distillate. The gas phase is sent under
pressure control to fuel gas system. The liquid is withdrawn under level control and feeds the
stabilizer after being heated. The overhead product of the stabilizer column is partly condensed
before entering reflux drum. The vapor is sent back to LPG absorber drum. The reformate is
withdrawn from the stabilizer bottom and after cooling sent to battery limit. This scheme allows for
an optimized LPG recovery from economical standpoint. Unstabilized LPG is routed to Deethanizer.
The overhead product of the Deethanizer column is partly condensed before entering reflux drum.
The vapour is sent to Fuel Gas network. The liquid distillate is used as Deethanizer reflux and sent
back to the top of the column. Stabilized LPG cut is withdrawn from Deethanizer bottom and after
cooling, sent to battery limit.
The isomerisation feed is light naphtha from upstream naphtha splitter. The light naphtha from the
feed surge drum passes through molecular sieve dryer. Hydrogen make up gas is compressed up to
the Isomerization reaction pressure in hydrogen make-up compressor and then cooled down in the
compressor cooler. The make up hydrogen is dried through molecular sieve dryers. The liquid feed
is combined with the dry make up hydrogen gas and the mixed feed is preheated through heat
exchange successively against hot recycle from Deisohexaniser (DIH) column, and against the first
Isomerization reactor effluent. The final heater uses MP steam to reach the desired temperature at
the inlet of first Isomerization reactor. At this point a chloriding agent is injected to maintain a
critical chloride concentration required to maintain catalyst activity. The mixture passes through
the first Isomerization reactor wherein benzene present in the feed is hydrogenated and C 5 and C6
normal paraffins start to be converted to the corresponding iso-paraffins, when some ring opening
of naphthenes and hydrocracking of C 7+ to butanes and lighter also occur, thus producing the
exotherm. After cooling by feed/effluent heat exchanger, the second reactor completes the
Isomerization of C5 and C6 components at lower temperature. The second reactor effluent is passed
directly to the stabilizer column, without intermediate flash drum. No recycle hydrogen is required
in the process. The off gas liberated in the stabilizer overhead drum is sent to a caustic scrubber to
neutralize the HCI contained in the gas. The stabilizer bottoms raw isomerate enters the DIH
column. The DIH column produces an overhead distillate containing dimethyl butanes as main
component. At some point towards the bottom of the column where the methyl pentanes and
normal hexane concentration are the highest a side stream liquid drawoff is taken and recycled to
feed surge drum. The bottom stream concentrated in C7+ and C6 Naphthenes is mixed with DIH
distillate. The resulting combined stream corresponding to the final isomerate product is sent to
battery limit.
DHDT- AXENS
The processing objective of the Diesel Hydrotreating Unit is to hydrotreat 4.14 MMTPA of diesel
pool streams produced from various processing units alongwith streams from FCC, Coker Naphtha
and LPG-Treating Unit to produce treated diesel meeting Euro IV specifications. The unit will also
produce required quantity of ATF and MTO which will be withdrawn continuously. The raw feed
streams to the DHDT unit comprise of straight run Light & Heavy Gas Oils, Vacuum Diesel, Light &
Heavy Kero, Coker Naphtha, Lt Coker Gas oil from DCU, LCO from FCC Unit and DSO (Disulphide oil)
rich stream from the LPG treating Unit. The processing objectives of the various sections of the Unit
are:
The design feed rate of VGO Hydrotreater unit (VGO HDT) is 3.0 MMTPA. The unit is intended to
produce Hydrotreated VGO for FCC, while producing a Hydrotreated VGO with respective maximum
sulfur and nitrogen contents of 200 wppm. The VGO HDT Unit processes a mix of Straight run VGO
feedstock from CDU/VDU and Heavy Coker Gas Oil from DCU. The main objective of the unit is to
produce 2.22 MMTPA of Hydrotreated VGO having desired level of hydrogen, low sulphur and low
nitrogen for the various design feed cases. The Hydrotreated VGO is feedstock for the FCC
(Petrochemical) unit. The feed to the unit passes through a feed filter to the Feed Surge Drum, and
is pumped into the unit. The feed is heated with reactor effluent, combines with recycle gas and
make-up gases and is heated to reaction temperature and sent to the reactor section. Two reactors
with two beds each have been considered: 1st VGO HDT Reactor 509-R-001 and 2nd VGO HDT
Reactor 509-R-002. Both the reactors operate at moderate temperature and pressure, under mixed
phase. The olefins saturation, desulphurization, denitrogenation, hydrocraking and aromatics
saturation reactions occurring on the catalyst are highly exothermic. Thus quenching line, derived
from the recycle gas, is installed between the reactor beds in order to limit the overall exotherm
and so to operate the catalyst beds in an optimized temperature range. The reactor effluent is first
cooled down in the Reactor Feed/Effluent Exchangers. Then hot liquid and hot vapor are separated
in Hot HP separator Drum. Hot liquid is then routed to stripper where H2S is removed by using
High Pressure Steam. Stripper bottoms are then sent to the fractionation section. Stripper overhead
is partially condensed, collected in a reflux drum and is feed back to column as reflux. The hot vapor
from the HP Separator is first cooled, mixed with washing water (To avoid ammonium salt deposits
and risk of plugging) and partially condensed in the Hot separator vapor Air Cooler. The mixture
after cooling down is collected in the Cold HP Separator Drum. Pressure of the Cold HP Separator
Drum, which dictates the hydrogen partial pressure at the outlet of the reactor, is controlled by
actuating first on the spill-back control valves of the Make-Up Compressors and, if required, on the
H.P purge valve located on the line at the HP amine absorber. The gas from Cold HP Separator Drum
is routed to the HP Amine Absorber Section where the H2S of the recycle gas is removed. The
recycle gas is then Compressed and sent to reaction section. HC and sour water from Cold HP
Separator Drum 509-V-005 are routed to Cold LP Separator Drum 509-V-006 under level control.
The purpose of Fractionation section is to separate three cuts: the Naphtha cut, the Diesel cut and
the VGO cut. The VGO product at the bottom of Fractionator is pumped in the Fractionator Bottom
Pumps and through a series of heat exchangers cooled and then is routed to FCCPC Unit. The Diesel
product is withdrawn from the Fractionator, pumped in Fractionator pumparound pumps 509-P-
011 A/B and then splits in three streams namely and Internal Reflux, Pumparound stream and a
Product stream which is routed to either DHDT or to DHDT Feed tanks. The overhead vapor from
the Fractionator is totally condensed, sub cooled and collected in the Fractionator Reflux Drum..
The hydrocarbon phase is partially pumped in the Fractionator Reflux Pumps from the drum and
refluxed back to the Fractionator under flow control; the remainder is pumped in Fractionator
Naphtha Pumps 509-P-010 A/B to the Debutanizer. Sour gases from Cold LP Separator Drum,
Stripper reflux drum and DHDT Unit are mixed with Naphtha from Stripper Reflux Drum, liquid
from Sweet gas K.O. Drums, Deethanizer overhead vapors and Absorber bottom liquid. The mixture
is cooled in the Deethanizer Overhead Condenser prior to entering the Deethanizer Feed Drum.
Overall liquid hydrocarbons are pumped and sent to the Deethanizer. Overhead vapors are sent to
the Absorber. The bottom liquid is pumped to feed the Debutanizer. The purpose of the Absorber is
to maximize LPG recovery. This is achieved thanks to cooled heavy naphtha coming from the
Debutanizer bottom under flow control. Naphtha from Fractionator reflux Drum and Deethanizer
bottom are mixed and preheated in before feeding the Debutanizer. Debutanizer overheads are
totally condensed entering Debutanizer Reflux Drum. Part of the hydrocarbon liquid is refluxed
whereas the net distillate is pumped to LPG battery limit by LPG Product pumps The Debutanizer
bottom is cooled in Debutanizer Feed/Bottom Exchanger, Naphtha Air Cooler and Naphtha Trim
Cooler and is partly sent to battery limit, the other feeds the absorber.
FCC PC
Objective
The objective of the FCC PC unit is to produce propylene by catalytically cracking unconverted oil
from VGO Hydrotreater. The unsaturated Gas plant separates and recovers the light hydrocarbon
vapours and hydrocarbon liquid streams produced by the cracking reactions in the FCC reactors.
Converter Section:
The reactor- riser is designed to rapidly and intimately mix the hot regenerated catalyst with liquid
feedstock. Main feed is pumped to the base of reactor-riser and divided equally between feed
nozzles. Small droplets of feed contact hot regenerated catalyst and vaporize immediately. The
vaporized oil intimately mixes with the catalyst particles and cracks into lighter, more valuable
products along with slurry oil, coke and dry gas. The vapors and entrained catalyst pass through a
high efficiency two-stage cyclone system. The spent catalyst is steam stripped. Coke remaining on
the catalyst is burnt off in the regenerator. The regenerator operates in a full combustion mode
with approx 2% excess oxygen. The heat of combustion released by burning coke heats the catalyst,
which in turn supplies the heat required for the reactor system. Two stage cyclones separate
entrained catalyst from the flue gas exiting the regenerator. The flue gas also passes through a
tertiary separation system, followed by a double disc slide valve and orifice chamber. The hot
regenerated catalyst flows from regenerator into the regenerated catalyst standpipe.
Gas Plant Section
The separation of the reactor effluent comprised of cracked hydrocarbon vapors, steam and inert
gas occurs in the main Fractionator. The slurry pump-around (PA), wash section, heavy cycle oil
(HCO) PA, heavy cycle oil/light cycle oil fractionation, light cycle oil (LCO) PA and light cycle
oil/gasoline fractionation occur in ascending order in the fractionator. LCO is withdrawn as product
after stripping and sent as product either to DHDT or to FO tanks. Slurry generated is totally
recycled to the reactor. The wet gas from main fractionator Distillate drum flows to the Wet Gas
Compression section. The sour water exiting the main fractionator reflux drum is pumped by the
reflux drum sour water pumps to battery limits. Sour water from the Distillate Drum Sour Pumps
can be used as intermittent wash water to the Wet gas Compressor Discharge Cooler and the other
stream exiting the Main Fractionator Distillate Drum is pumped to Absorber. The high pressure
mixed distillate from ccompressor interstage combines with the compressor discharge and goes to
the absorber. Absorber bottoms and stripper overhead is separated into liquid and vapour distillate
and sour water in the high pressure separator. The sour water is sent to the sour water header
while the liquid distillate is pumped to the top of the stripper via stripper feed pumps. The wet
vapour distillate is fed to the bottom of absorber. The Absorber and Stripper compose a two-section
tower in which C3’s and C4’s are recovered in the Absorber and the C 2’s and lighter are stripped
from the liquid product in the Stripper. Stripper bottoms are sent to the debutanizer. The
Debutanizer produces an LPG over head product and mixed gasoline bottom product. LPG pumps
pump the LPG to the LPG Liquid Contactor for treatment. The naphtha bottom is sent to naphtha
splitter. The Naphtha Splitter is designed to split the mixed naphtha into light medium and heavy
naphtha products. The Sponge Absorber recovers essentially all C 5+’s entrained in the vapours
leaving the absorber. Some C 3’s and C4’s are also recovered in this operation. The absorption
medium is lean sponge oil from Main Fractionator. The cooled LPG product is caustic washed and is
sent to De-propanizer for C3 and C4 separation. C3 (PP mix)is sent to propylene recovery and
purification unit and C4 LPG is sent to battery limit.
PRU Section
The PP mix received from the de-propanizer is sent through dryers for removal of water. The PP
mix stream flows from the dryer to the RHS/COS removal beds. The dry, sulphur-free PP mix is then
sent on to the C3 Splitter system. The C3 Stripper overhead is sent to the C3 Rectifier to remove
components lighter than propylene, mainly ethane. The bottoms of the C3 Rectifier are pumped by
the C3 Splitter Transfer Pumps back to the C3 Stripper. The polymer-grade propylene is withdrawn
from a liquid draw below the 10 th tray from the top. The PGP is sent through the Arsine Removal
Bed for a final step in treatment. The Arsine Removal Bed removes arsine and residual sulphur
compounds. The treated propylene is analysed for propylene and propane and sent to
Polypropylene unit as feed.
The LPG Treating process unit treats LPG fractions to remove mercaptan sulfur (Merox extraction)
or to convert mercaptan sulfur to less-objectionable disulfides (Merox sweetening). The LPG stream
is first fed to amine treating unit where bulk of H2S is removed and then fed to Continuous Film
Contractor unit for treating with caustic to remove remaining H2S and mercaptans to meet the
product specifications.
The ATF Merox unit treats ATF fractions to remove mercaptan sulfur (Merox extraction) or to
convert mercaptan sulfur to less-objectionable disulfides (Merox sweetening).
Fuel gas treating unit is designed to absorb hydrogen sulphide (H2S) from sour fuel gas generated
from various refinery units by using methyldiethanol amine (MDEA) as the absorption medium.
Refinery consumes large amount of water during crude processing. Water is mostly used in cooling
system apart from steam generation, product washing, flushing of units’ pipeline, preparation of
chemical solution, floor washing, fire fighting, canteen and sanitary requirements, etc. The various
types of waste generated in the refinery can be classified as either process waste, non-process
waste or cooling water.
It is proposed to provide an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for treating a range of Effluent coming
from the Refinery Process Units / Offsite, etc.
It is also proposed to use the Treated Effluent from the ETP as a partial Feed to RO based Tertiary
Treatment Plant producing DM Water.
Marketing Facilities
The final refined petroleum products from refinery are MS-III, MS-IV, HSD-III, HSD-IV, SKO, ATF,
Naphtha, LPG, MTO, Hexane, Polypropylene, Sulfur & Pet Coke
The bulk movement of these materials from the point of production to their user points is by road
trucks, rail wagons and pipelines.
Percentage of Overall Liquid Products (MS, HSD,SKO, ATF, Naphtha, MTO & Hexane)
Movement Via Pipeline = 68%
Percentage of Overall Liquid Products (MS, HSD,SKO, ATF, Naphtha, MTO & Hexane)
Movement Via Rail Wagons = 30%
Percentage of Overall Liquid Products (ATF(12%), MTO (100%) & Hexane (100%))
Movement Via Road Tankers = 02%
Percentage of Overall Solid Products (PP, PET Coke & Sulphur) Movement Via Road = 82%
Percentage of Overall Solid Products (PP, PET Coke & Sulphur) Movement Via Rail = 18%
Percentage of LPG Movement Via Pipeline = 40%
Percentage of LPG Movement Via Rail = 60%