Introduction to the
Refining Processes
Introduction to the
Refining Processes
Learning outcomes
a. To comprehend the overall processes and unit
operations involved in a typical refining process
of crude oil.
b. To understand the desalting process of crude oil
Figure: A Typical Refinery
Desalting Process
Figure: A Typical Refinery
Desalting of crudes
• Crude carries brine(emulsion) in the form of very
fine water droplets.
• Dissolved salts in fine water droplets
Desalting of crudes
• Desalting: salt removal – brine solution
• 5kg total salts (NaCl)/ thousand barrels salty
crudes
• Salts, chlorides of calcium, magnesium – overhead
corrosion due to the hydrolysis process at 150-
200C generating HCl.
• Salt deposits inside heat exchanger causes fouling
and reduce heat transfer efficiency.
Desalting Process
1. Water washing
2. Heating
3. Coalescence
4. Settling
Desalting Process
1.Water washing
Water is mixed with crude
through mixing valve
Water dissolve salt crystals
Demulsifying agent is added to
break the emulsion
Desalting Process
2.Heating
Temperature of 48.9-54.4 C
Separate water-oil emulsion
Change the viscosity and density
of oil.
Desalting Process
3.Coalescence
Water droplet diameter 1-10
micron.
Coalescence larger droplets.
Introduce electrostatic electric
field between 2 electrodes.
Aided by agitation
Desalting Process
4.Settling
Gravity settling
Depends on density, viscosity
and droplet diameter
Desalter
1. Water washing
2. Heating
3. Coalescence
4. Settling
90% of salt
removal
Desalter
Desalter – 2 Stage
99% of salt
removal
Crude Oil Refining
Figure: A Typical Refinery
CDU PRODUCTS
Figure: A Typical Refinery
CDU MAJOR REFINING PROCESSES /
PRODUCTS
UNIT OPERATIONS
Figure: A Typical Refinery
CDU MAJOR REFINING PROCESSES /
BLENDING PRODUCTS
UNIT OPERATIONS
Figure: A Typical Refinery
CDU
Figure: A Typical Refinery
Crude Distillation Products
REFINING PROCESSES
REFINING PROCESSES
1. Solvent Deasphalting
1. Solvent Deasphalting
1. Solvent Deasphalting
2. Solvent Extraction
2. Solvent Extraction
2. Solvent Extraction
Extraction unit employing Furfural as Solvent
Solvent Dewaxing
3. Solvent Dewaxing
3. Solvent Dewaxing
REFINING PROCESSES
4. Hydrotreating
4. Hydrotreating
4. Hydrotreating
5. Catalytic Reforming
5. Catalytic Reforming
5. Catalytic Reforming
6. Catalytic Hydrocracking
6. Catalytic Hydrocracking
6. Catalytic Hydrocracking
7. Catalytic Cracking
7. Catalytic Cracking
7. Catalytic Cracking
Summary
Remaining Processes
a.Light Component Processing
b.Residue Upgrading
a. Light Component Processing
8. Catalytic Isomerization
• Isomerization of light naphtha is the process in which low
octane number hydrocarbons (C4,C5,C6) are transformed to a
branched product with the same carbon number. This process
produces high octane number products-Iso-paraffins and
cyclo-paraffins.
• One main advantage of this process is to separate hexane (C6)
before it enters the reformer, thus preventing the formation of
benzene which produces carcinogenic products on combustion
with gasoline.
• The main catalyst in this case is a Pt-zeolite base. Lower
temperature of 95-205C is preferred to achieve higher
equilibrium conversion.
9. Isomerization
9. Alkylation and Polymerization
• Refinery gases produced from different unit are sent for gas
processing plant. Olefins and iso-butanes are separated and
used as a feed to the alkylation plant.
• Alkylation is the process of producing gasoline range material
(alkylates) from olefins such as propylene (C3=),butylenes
(C4=) and amylene (C5=) and iso-butane.
• Butylene is the most widely used olefin because of the high
quality of the alkylate produced.
C3=, C4=,C5=, isobutane
9. Alkylation
REFINING PROCESSES
b. Upgrading Vacuum Residue
b. Residue upgradation
Residue is heavier fraction of crude boiling over 540
C which contains high amount of metal impurities,
sulphur and basic nitrogen and higher amount of
asphaltenes and resins, aromatics and thus higher
conradson carbon residue.
Vacuum residue is considered as mixture of two main
types of components:
1. Long chain paraffinic hydrocarbons
2. Condensed aromatics or asphaltenes types
Residue Upgrading
These are upgrading procedures for vacuum
residues (heavy residue to lighter products)
•Solvent Deasphalting
•Coking
•Visbreaking
10. Coking
10. Coking
11. Visbreaking
11. Visbreaking
CDU MAJOR REFINING PROCESSES /
BLENDING PRODUCTS
UNIT OPERATIONS
Figure: A Typical Refinery
Thank you
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