CRUDE OIL

Crude oil which is also referred to as petroleum is a naturally occurring, flammable

liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons (Hydrogen and Carbon) of
various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are formed
from the remains of dead plants and animals beneath the Earth's surface which
occurs naturally in the ground and was formed millions of years ago. It is
recovered mostly through oil drilling. The major source of hydrocarbon is crude oil
or petroleum.
Petroleum available on the land is called on shore deposit, while those under deep
water body especially ocean is called off-shore deposit
EXTRACTION OF CRUDE OIL
Crude oil and natural gas are extracted from the ground, on land or under the
oceans through drilling, by sinking an oil well and are then transported by pipeline
and/or ship to refineries where their components are processed into refined
products. Crude oil and natural gas are of little use in their raw state; their value
lies in what is created from them: fuels, lubricating oils, waxes, asphalt,
petrochemicals and pipeline quality natural gas. Crude oil is separated to its
component fractions by fractional distillation carried out in the refineries.
Some organic compounds produced from petroleum are: ethanol, ethane, propanol,
benzene, and toluene. These small – molecular organic compounds are in turn used
to make large molecular organic compounds like plastics, synthetic rubber,
detergent, insecticide, and synthetic fibers like Dacron and nylon which have made
an impact in manufacturing industry.
An oil refinery is an organized and coordinated arrangement of manufacturing
processes designed to produce physical and chemical changes in crude oil to
convert it into everyday products like petrol, diesel, lubricating oil, fuel oil and
bitumen
REFINING OF CRUDE OIL
Refining is the process of preparation of useful products such as petrol, kerosene,
diesel and lubricating oil from crude oil.
Crude oil is refined into products such as gasoline, asphalt, and waxes by a process
called fractional distillation. During the process, the parts, or fractions, of crude oil
are divided out successively by their increasing molecular weight. For instance,
gasoline has a low molecular weight and vaporizes at a fairly low temperature.
This means that at the appropriate temperature, while all of the rest of the oil is still
in liquid form, gasoline may be separated out. The remaining oil goes through the
same process at a slightly higher temperature, and jet fuel is divided out. Repeating
the distillation process several times will separate out several constituents of crude
oil, which are then processed and put to a wide range of uses.
As crude oil comes from the well it contains a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds
and relatively small quantities of other materials such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur,
salt and water. In the refinery, most of these non - hydrocarbon substances are
removed and the oil is broken down into its various components, and blended into
useful products through the process of fractional distillation.
The fractions are further treated to convert them into mixtures of more useful
saleable products by various methods such as cracking, reforming, alkylation,
polymerization and isomerization. These mixtures of new compounds are then
separated using methods such as fractionation and solvent extraction. Impurities
are removed by various methods, e.g. dehydration, desalting, Sulphur removal and
hydro - treating. If the petrol containing Sulphur is not removed or purified before
it is used in an engine the exhaust will contain oxides of Sulphur (SO 2 and SO3)
which are poisonous gases that will pollute the environment.
PRODUCTS OF FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF CRUDE OIL
The distillation process is carried out by heating crude oil to a high temperature.
The crude oil changes to vapour and ascends the fractional column. As the vapour
ascends the column, it cools, condenses and separates into its fractions. The
fractions with lower boiling points separate out on the trays in the upper part of the
column, while fractions with higher boiling points separate out in the trays in the
lower part of the column.
During the separation of crude oil three stages are involved, separation, conversion
and purification. Separation is the first stage where the fractions are split by heat.
Conversion is the conversion of less useful fractions into more useful ones through
thermal cracking or polymerization. Purification is the removal of impurities.
Crude oil fractionates
1. Natural gas: This is a mixture of gases like methane, butane and ethane use as
cooking gas.
2. Petrol (Gasoline): Petrol is a mixture of volatile liquids. Volatile liquids quickly
change into gas.
3. Kerosene: It is a mixture of fairly volatile liquids.
4. Gas oil and diesel oil: These are also liquid mixtures of heavy hydrocarbons.
5. Lubricating oils and grease: These are heavy and viscous liquid mixtures of
hydrocarbon. Viscous liquids are thick and sticky.
6. Bitumen and other residues: These are solid remains from fractional distillation
of crude oil.
The products of crude oil in order of how they are produced in the fractionating
column are:
Temperature
1. Natural gas (Methane gas and Propane gas) <25oC
2. Petrol or gasoline 25-75oC
3. Kerosene (paraffin) 190-250oC
4. Diesel oil 250-350oC
5. Lubricating oils wax 350-400oC
6. Asphalt and Bitumen >450oC
USES OF CRUDE OIL
Crude oil can be exported (or sold) to foreign countries. When refined, its products
have a wide range of uses, namely:
1. Natural gas: It is a fuel which provides heat for domestic and industrial uses. At
home, it is used for cooking. Industries use it to manufacture useful chemicals like
hydrogen, ethane and tetrachloromethane. Ugheli and Sapele Gas Power Stations
produce electricity, using natural gas. It is also used to run furnaces in the
manufacture of various goods
2. Petrol (Gasoline): Motor vehicles and electric generators use it as fuel. It is also
used as a solvent for paints and grease
3. Kerosene: Kerosene: It is used in our homes for domestic cooking. It is also
used as aviation fuel.
4. Gas oil and diesel oil: They are used as fuel by diesel engines for heating. They
are also used to produce lighter hydrocarbons, by a process called ‘cracking’ (i.e.
breaking into lighter compounds)*
5. Lubricating oils and grease: They are heavy liquids for lubricating some parts
of engines, where movement occurs. Vaseline and paraffin wax are obtained from
re-distillation of these oils. Vaseline is used in producing hair and body creams,
while paraffin wax is used in producing candles, polish, pomade and ointments.
6. Bitumen and other residues: Bitumen or pitch is used in the construction of
roads and airfields. Other residues could be used in waterproofing roofs, protecting
pipes, and as fuel.
.