• What is oil refining?
  • The process of turning crude oil into useful commercial products is termed ¡® refining ¡¯ and is carried out in very complex plants called oil refinery. Prior to the refinery process, water and sediments (particulates) that accompany the oil from oil wells are removed by sedimentation.
  • What is crude oil & petroleum processing?
  • This introduction to crude oil and petroleum processing provides a working knowledge of crude oil properties and refining to make the large array of petroleum-based products we enjoy today. Topics include the composition of crude oil, the crude assay, product properties, and the basic processes used to convert crude to useful products.
  • Do refineries convert crude oil into finished petroleum products?
  • Refineries exist to convert crude oil into finished petroleum products. Hence, to understand the fundamentals of petroleum refining, one must begin with crude oil. Hundreds of different crude oils (usually identified by geographic origin) are processed, in greater or lesser volumes, in the world¡¯s refineries.
  • How are crude oils used in a refinery?
  • Normal distillation units may require relining of sections of the tower with 410 stainless steel and/or injection of caustic if extended processing of these crude oils is envisaged. Refiners often mix selected crude oils to optimize a product slate that has been programmed for the refinery.
  • What is the economic objective of refining crude oil?
  • The primary economic objective in refining is to maximize the value added in converting crude oil into finished products. Petroleum refineries are large, capital-intensive manufacturing facilities with extremely complex processing schemes.
  • What happens in an oil refinery?
  • This is what happens in an oil refinery – in one part of the process, crude oil is heated and the different chains are pulled out by their vaporization temperatures. Each different chain length has a different property that makes it useful in a different way.