Oil refinery

What is oil refineries ?

Oil re neries are industrial facilities that process crude oil to produce a variety of valuable products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet
fuel, heating oil, and various petrochemicals. The primary goal of an oil re nery is to transform crude oil, which is a mixture of
hydrocarbons and impurities, into re ned products that meet speci c quality and regulatory standards
Re ning plants carry out several operations, including:

Distillation: It is the primary process where crude oil is heated and separated into its various components based on their boiling points.
Lighter components are collected at the top of the tower, while heavier components are collected at the bottom.

Hydrotreating: This process involves improving the quality of petroleum products by adding hydrogen, leading to the removal of sulfur
and nitrogen and reducing oxygen content. This enhances both environmental and fuel properties.

Re ning: Re ning refers to the overall set of processes that include improving and transforming petroleum products, encompassing
distillation, hydrotreating, and other operations to enhance properties and meet standards.

Secondary Processing: This type of processing includes additional operations aimed at producing specialized petroleum derivatives
such as aviation fuel or industrial oils. Advanced techniques are required in this processing to achieve speci c properties in the nal
product.
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 Main units

Distillation Unit Reforming Unit

This unit separates crude oil into various fractions based on their This unit is responsible for converting low-octane naphtha
boiling points. Lighter components rise to the top, while heavier into high-octane gasoline.
ones are collected at lower levels.
Blending Unit
Cracking Unit Re ned products are blended to achieve speci c properties
In this unit, heavier fractions are broken down into lighter and and meet market demands.
more valuable products through processes like catalytic cracking
or hydrocracking. Storage and Distribution
Re ned products are stored in tanks and then distributed
Treatment Unit through pipelines, trucks, ships, or rail to consumers.
This unit involves various processes to remove impurities such
as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals from the re ned products.
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 The mechanism of the distillation tower

Before process starting

The oil is inside an external tank
connected to a pump.

Heat exchanger
Heating the oil to a temperature between
300 and 400 C

Pressure
inside the distillation column is lower than
inside the furnace, which helps the oil boiling

Inside the column

The oil separate into:
-liquids: which carry heavy materials, go
down to the bottom of the tower
-Gases: carry light materials, rise to the
top of the tower.
 On the trays
The heavy elements in the gases will cool and
condense in the liquid that descends to the bottom,
and the lighter elements in the liquid will boil and
their vapors rise to the top.

At the bottom of the tower:

Part of the liquid is withdrawn as a nal
product, while the remaining liquids are
re-boiled by the boiler and then returned
to the distillation tower again.

At the top of the column

The rising vapors reach the condenser, which
converts them into liquids that are collected in a
container designated to receive and store condensed
materials. Part of the condensed liquid is withdrawn
as a product, while the other part is pumped to the
tower to descend to the lower part of the tower.

the mechanism of operation of distillation column

depends on the repetition of the process of evaporation and
condensation until the substances separate according to their
boiling points, as oil is a mixture of substances with different
.boiling points
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 Products of the oil refining process

Gasoline
Gasoline is obtained as a light product
Petrochemicals
during oil re ning and is used as fuel for This includes chemical products such
vehicles as ethylene and propylene, used as raw
materials in the chemical industries
Diesel
Diesel is separated as a heavier product Lique ed Natural Gas (LNG)
compared to gasoline and is used as fuel
Some light components can be
for heavy vehicles and industrial diesel
converted into lique ed natural gas for
Lubricating Oils use as fuel
Heavy oils used for lubricating engines
Kerosene
.and equipment
Kerosene, a fuel used in aircraft and
Aviation Fuel
Aviation fuel is produced as part of the heating systems, can be produced
oil re ning process for use in aircraft Tar and Asphalt
engines Heavy products include tar and
asphalt used in areas like roads and
asphalt applications
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 The impact of oil operations on the environment

Large quantities of toxic and non-toxic waste are produced during the extraction, re ning and transportation of
oil and gas. Some industrial byproducts, such as volatile organic compounds, nitrogen and sulfur compounds,
and spilled oil, can pollute air, water, and soil at biologically harmful levels, when improperly managed.
Climate warming, ocean acidi cation and sea level rise are global changes fueled by industrial emissions of
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and ne aerosols such as black carbon.
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Some of the methods that can be used to reduce the effects

1- Adopting horizontal and borehole drilling techniques that reduce the surface area of
seas and oceans from which oil and gas are extracted.

2- Using clean means of transportation to transport oil and gas, such as trains and
ships equipped with emission control systems.

3- Good planning of well drilling sites and taking measures to reduce environmental
damage to soil and water.

4- Using modern drilling techniques that reduce interference with the natural environment
and limit water consumption

5- Recycling and reusing water used in drilling operations

6- Commitment of oil and gas producing companies to implement programs to reduce

harmful emissions, such as treating gas released from deposits before releasing it into the
atmosphere.
A fractional distillation column , which is used for re ning oil, is fed with crude oil through a pipe connected to a furnace at a
temperature of 400°C at a rate of 100 kg/min.The oil components separate inside the tower as a result of boiling and evaporation and
are then withdrawn as a product from the pipes as shown in the gure below .gases (methane and 0.6 propane) , 15% Naphta , 22%
gasoline , 9% kerosine , 26% diesel , 4% fuel oil , 1% lubricating oil , and 14% residue. Assuming steady state , Determine :

A- The mass of each product per minute.

B- g mole of Methane.

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Solution :

A)

Basis : 1 min

P2 = 0.15 * 1000 = 150 kg

P3 = 0.22 * 1000 = 220 kg

P4 = 0.09 * 1000 = 90 kg

P5 = 0.26 * 1000 = 260 kg

P6 = 0.01 * 1000 = 10 kg

P7 = 0.04 * 1000 = 40 kg

P8 = 0.14 * 1000 = 140 kg

Over all material balance :

In = Out

F = P1 + P2 + P3 + P4 + P5 + P6 + P7 + P8

P1 = 1000 - 150 - 220 - 90 - 260 - 10 - 40 - 140 = 90 kg

B)

Mole fraction of CH4 = 1 - 0.6 = 0.4

Mass of CH4 = 0.4 * P1 = 0.4 * 90 = 36 kg

Molecular weight (CH4) = 12 * 1 + 1 * 4 = 16

Kg mole of CH4 = mass\weight = 36\16 = 2.25 kg mole

g mole of CH4 = 2.25 kg mole * 1000 g \ 1 kg = 2250 g mole