INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM REFINERY OPERATIONS

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FANARCO
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Re: INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM REFINERY OPERATIONS

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Hydrotreating essentially involves no reduction in molecular size with
hydrogen consumption less than about 100 cu. ft./bbl. Primary application is to
remove small amounts of impurities with typical uses including naphtha and
kerosene hydrosweetening.
c. SO, Extraction - This is a method of solvent extraction with liquid SO, to
remove aromatic hydrocarbons and cyclic sulfur compounds. It is used to
improve the burning qualities of kerosene and diesel fuels, and to reduce sulfur.
This process has practically been supplanted by other solvent extraction or by
hydrotreating .
5. Fluid catalytic Cracking.
6. Hydrocracking.
7. Residuum Conversion - Included here may be fluid coking, delayed coking, visbreaking, and residuum hydroprocessing.
8. Solvent Deasphalting - This is the solvent extraction of virgin residuum
to remove asphaltenes or other tarry constituents. The deasphalted oil may be
further processed into lubricating oils and greases, or used as cat cracking feed.
9. Lubricating Oil Manufacture - This will usually consist of the following
&. Solvent Deasphalting.
b. Phenol Treating - An extraction process for removal of aromatic asphaltic
and sulfur compounds from the lube cut.
c. Solvent Dewaxing - Waxy lube is diluted with a solvent such as propane
or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and cooled to crystallize the wax which is then
removed by filtration.
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Re: INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM REFINERY OPERATIONS

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10. Grease Manufacture - Selected lube oil fractions 2::: blended with
various metallic soaps to produce high viscosity lubricating greases.
11. Wax Manufacture - A waxy distillate cut frox i(ude or the wax
byproduct from lube oil dewaxing is first deoiled. Resulting low oil content wax
is hydrofined for color improvement and fractionated into appropriate melting
point grades.
12. Asphalt Manufacture - Saleable asphalts are produced from the residua
of selected crudes. The residuum itself may be sold as straight reduced cuts to
make it easier to handle, producing the so called cut-back asphalts. Another
variation is air blown or oxidized asphalts for improved tenacity, greater
resistance to weathering, and decreased brittleness. Emulsified asphalts are made
for application at relatively low temperatures.
13. Chemical and Other Specialty Manufacture - A wide variety of products
may be derived from petroleum feed stocks, including such diverse materials as
alcohols, butyl rubber, sulfur, additives, and resins. Other specialties such as
solvent naphthas, white oils, Isopars, Varsol, may also be produced. As indicated
previously the respective chemical affiliate usually has responsibility for products
broadly classified as petrochemicals.
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Re: INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM REFINERY OPERATIONS

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There are many other processes used in refineries not mentioned here. The
list above is intended only to emphasize the wide diversity of processing which
is common to petroleum refining and to introduce in a very general way some of
the more important of these processes. Also it must be emphasized that only
fundamental principles of refinery operations have been discussed and modem
manufacturing techniques vary widely from company to company.
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