Oil Refinery Processes
A Brief Overview
Ronald (Ron) F. Colwell, P.E.
mol`bpp
Copyright © 2009 Process Engineering Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
“Excellence in Applied Chemical Engineering”
Some Historical Events
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3000 BC Sumerians use asphalt as an adhesive; Eqyptians use pitch to grease chariot wheels; Mesopotamians use bitumen to seal boats
600 BC Confucius writes about drilling a 100’ gas well and using bamboo for pipes
1500 AD Chinese dig oil wells >2000’ deep
1847 First “rock oil” refinery in England
1849 Canada distills kerosene from crude oil
1856 World’s first refinery in Romania
1857 Flat-wick kerosene lamp invented
1859 Pennsylvania oil boom begins with 69’ oil well producing 35 bpd
1860-61 Refineries built in Pennsylvania and Arkansas
1870 US Largest oil exporter; oil was US 2nd biggest export
1878 Thomas Edison invents light bulb
1901 Spindletop, Texas producing 100,000 bpd kicks off modern era of oil refining
1908 Model T’s sell for $950/T
1913 Gulf Oil opens first drive-in filling station
1942 First Fluidized Catalytic Cracker (FCC) commercialized
1970 First Earth Day; EPA passes Clean Air Act
2005 US Refining capacity is 17,042,000 bpd, 23% of World’s 73MM
mol`bpp
www.ProcessEngr.com
Copyright © 2009 Process Engineering Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
“Excellence in Applied Chemical Engineering”
1876 California Oil Refinery
mol`bpp
www.ProcessEngr.com
Copyright © 2009 Process Engineering Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
“Excellence in Applied Chemical Engineering”
What is Petroleum?
• A complex mixture containing thousands of different organic hydrocarbon molecules
– 83-87% Carbon
– 11-15% Hydrogen
– 1-6% Sulfur
• Paraffins – saturated chains
• Naphthenes – saturated rings
• Aromatics – unsaturated rings mol`bpp www.ProcessEngr.com
Copyright © 2009 Process Engineering Associates,