Revision Question List _ Mid Term Test 2017

Advanced Downstream Processing

Tutorial 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Automotive sector grows rapidly with production increases every year. In which ways it has affected the refining
industry?
Answer: Fairuz
- An increased search for fuel products from non-fossil sources such as biodiesel and alcohols from vegetable
sources
- The development of better methods to process tar sand, coal, gasification and synthesis of fuels by
Fischer-Tropsch technology
- The initiation of long-term plans to look for renewable energy sources

2. How the price of crude oil will affect the refining industry?
Answer: Helfi
It will affect in three ways:

a) Increased search for fuel products from non-fossil sources such as biodiesel and alcohols from vegetable
sources.
b) The development of better methods to process tar sand, coal gasification and synthesis of fuels by Fischer
Tropsch (FT) technology.
c) The initiation of long-term plans to look for renewable energy sources.

3. What process is having on the physical separation of refining crude oil?

Answer: Helfi
a) Distillation
b) Solvent deasphalting
c) Solvent extraction
d) Solvent dewaxing

4. Name the major refining process at the modern refineries

5. Describe how crude distillation process works

Answer: Lukman
Crude contains a lot of component which must be separated into the different product that we required. The
distillation allows the crude to be separated into petrol, kerosene, diesel and many more within a different
streams. Distillation process can separate crude to its different product. Crude is made up of different
hydrocarbon molecules, due to their different boiling point these can be separated into different components
through distillation. Vapor with lower boiling point rise up the column whilst liquid with higher boiling point fall to
the bottom of the column.

6. Explain the difference between catalytic conversion and thermal conversion.

Answer: Lukman
Petroleum undergoes several process at oil refineries and this includes the conversion process. In the conversion
process heavier molecules are converted or cracked into lighter products. There are two main types of conversion
process, catalytic conversion and thermal conversion. Example of thermal conversion are delayed coking,
viscobreaking and flexicoking. Example of catalytic conversion are reforming, hydrotreating and alkylation.
Catalytic conversion can be differ from thermal cracking in belows term
 DESCRIPTION OF
DIFFERENCE THERMAL CATALYTIC
Pressure High pressure Low pressure
Temperature High temperature Low temperature
Use catalyst No catalyst is used Use catalyst
Reaction mechanism Formation of free radical Ionic intermediate

7. Outline a simple general configuration of current modern refineries.

8. What is Solvent Deasphalting in Physical Separation Procesess?

Answer: Sanny
This is the only physical process where carbon is rejected from heavy petroleum fraction such as vacuum residue.

9. What is Solvent Dewaxing in Physical Separation Processes?

Answer: Sanny
The raffinate is dissolved in a solvent (methyl ethyl ketone, MEK) and the solution is gradually chilled, during
which high molecular weight paraffin (wax) is crystallized, and the remaining solution is filtered.

10. Name three of Thermal Chemical Conversion Processes and explain.

Answer: Fairuz
- Delayed Coking This process is based on the thermal cracking of vacuum residue by carbon rejection
forming coke and lighter products such as gases and gasoline
- Flexicoking In this thermal process, most of the coke is gasified into fuel gas using steam and air

11. List out the Chemical Catalytic Conversion Processes

Answer: Faizah
- Catalytic Reforming
- Hydrotreating
- Catalytic Hydrocracking
- Catalytic Cracking
- Alkylation
- Isomerization
12. What are petroleum products?
Answer: Faizah
- Refinery coke
- Vacuum residue
- Atmospheric residue
- Crude oil
- Gas oil
- Jet fuel/diesel
- Gasoline
- LGP

13. Define the terms below

Answer: Faizah
- Catalytic Reforming
In this process a special catalyst is used to restructure naphtha fraction (C6C10) into aromatics and
isoparaffins. The produced naphtha reformate has a much higher octane number than the feed.

- Hydrotreating
Processes for the cleaning of petroleum fractions from impurities such as sulphur, nitrogen, oxy-
compounds, chloro compounds, aromatics, waxes and metals using hydrogen

- Catalytic Hydrocracking
Processes for the cleaning of petroleum fractions from impurities such as sulphur, nitrogen, oxy-
compounds, chloro compounds, aromatics, waxes and metals using hydrogen

- Catalytic Cracking
Petroleum refinery process in which heavy oil is passed through metal chambers (called catalytic crackers
or cat crackers) under pressure and high temperature in the presence of catalysts such as alumina, silica,
or zeolites. This boiling breaks up heavy, large and more complex long-chain oil molecules into lighter,
smaller, and simpler short-chain molecules such as those of gasoline.

- Alkylation
Alkylation is the process in which isobutane reacts with olefins such as butylene to produce a
gasoline range alkylate.

14. What is the composition off feedstock (crude oil) before it undergoes refining process
Answer:

15. There are two types of processes under chemical conversion. Name the two types of processes and its sub-
processes.
Answer: Fairuz
- Catalytic Reforming, Hydrotreating, Hydrocracking, Alkylation, Isomerization
- Thermal Delayed Coking, Flexicoking, Visbreaking

16. Give two examples of sub-processes under Thermal Chemical Processes.

Answer: Fairuz
- Delayed Coking
This process is based on the thermal cracking of vacuum residue by carbon rejection forming coke and
lighter products such as gases and gasoline

- Flexicoking
 In this thermal process, most of the coke is gasified into fuel gas using steam and air

17. List out three types of coke that can be produced.

Answer: Fairuz
- Sponge
- Shot
- Needle

18. Draw a simple refinery process flow diagram.

Answer: Fairuz

Tutorial 2: REFINERY FEEDSTOCKS AND PRODUCTS

1. Give brief explanation about the composition of crude oils?
Answer: Fairuz
- Crude oil is a complex liquid mixture made up of a vast number of hydrocarbon compounds that consist
mainly of carbon and hydrogen in differing proportions
- In addition, small amounts of organic compounds containing sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen and metals such
as vanadium, nickel, iron and copper are also present
- Hydrogen to carbon ratios affect the physical properties of crude oil

2. List the classes of hydrocarbons?

Answer: Fairuz
- Saturated hydrocarbons
- Unsaturated hydrocarbons
- Aromatic hydrocarbons

3. What the elemental composition of crude oil

Answer: Faizah
The elemental composition of crude oil as below;
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Sulphur
- Nitrogen
- Oxygen
- Nickel
- Vanadium
4. List out the classes of hydrocarbon and explain
Answer: Faizah
- Unsaturated hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon that contain carboncarbon multiple bonds (double, triple or both).
These are unsaturated because they contain less hydrogen per carbon than paraffins.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons are known as olefins.
Those that contain a carboncarbon double bond are called alkenes, while those with carboncarbon
triple bond are alkyenes.

- Saturated hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon that contain only carbon-carbon single bonds.
Hydrocarbons that known as paraffins or alkanes if they are acyclic and known as napthenes or
cycloalkanes if they are cyclic.

- Aromatic hydrocarbons
Special class of cyclic compounds related in structure to benzene.

5. List out the products that can be produce from crude oil
Answer: Faizah
- Liquefied Petroleum gas (LPG)
- Gasoline
- Kerosene
- Diesel fuel
- Fuel oil
- Lobe oil
- Asphalt
- Petroleum coke

6. List out the Physical Property Characterization Data of crude oil

Answer: Fairuz
- Pour point Defined as the lowest temperature at which the sample will flow. It indicates how easy or
difficult it is to pump the oil, especially in cold weather. It also indicates the aromaticity or the paraffinity of
the crude oil or the fraction

- Viscosity The resistance to flow or the pump ability of the crude oil or petroleum fraction is indicated by the
viscosity. More viscous oils create a greater pressure drop when they flow in pipes

- Smoke point A test to measure the burning qualities of kerosene and jet fuel. It is defined as the maximum
height in mm, of a smokeless flame of fuel

- Aniline point The lowest temperature at which an equal volume mixture of the petroleum oil and aniline are
miscible

7. What is Olefins? Please give the general formulas and example of it.
Answer: Sanny
It is known as alkenes which is unsaturated hydrocarbons containing carbon-carbon double bonds. Their general
formula is CnH2n.
8. What is Biolefins? Please give the general formulas and example of it.
Answer: Sanny
It is known as alkynes which is unsaturated hydrocarbons containing carbon-carbon triple bonds (acetylenes).
Their general formula is CnH2n-2.

9. What is Aromatics? Please give example of it.

Answer: Sanny
Unsaturated cyclic compounds composed of one or more benzene rings.

10. What is API Gravity? State the classification of crude oils.

Answer: Sanny
API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water (also known as
specific gravity). It is used to compare densities of petroleum liquids. For example, if one petroleum liquid is less
dense than another, it has a greater API gravity.

11. There are few elemental composition of crude oils. Name two types of the composition.
Answer: Fairuz
- Sulphur
Varies from less than 0.05 to more than 10 wt% but generally falls in the range 1-4 wt%. Crude oil with less
than 1 wt% is refered to as low sulphur or sweet, and that with more than 1 wt% sulphur is referred as sour

- Nitrogen
Very low amounts in the crude oils. Nitrogen compound are more stable than sulphur compounds and
therefore are harder to remove. Responsible for the poisoning of a cracking catalyst, and they also contribute
to gum formation in finished products

12. Give four examples of physical property characterization data and explain.
Answer: Fairuz
- Pour point
Defined as the lowest temperature at which the sample will flow. It indicates how easy or difficult it is to
pump the oil, especially in cold weather. It also indicates the aromaticity or the paraffinity of the crude oil or
the fraction
- Viscosity
The resistance to flow or the pump ability of the crude oil or petroleum fraction is indicated by the viscosity.
More viscous oils create a greater pressure drop when they flow in pipes
- Smoke point
A test to measure the burning qualities of kerosene and jet fuel. It is defined as the maximum height in
mm, of a smokeless flame of fuel
 - Aniline point
The lowest temperature at which an equal volume mixture of the petroleum oil and aniline are miscible

13. Draw a simple SARA analysis diagram.

Answer: Fairuz

Tutorial 3: OIL REFINERY PROCESSES (PART 1)

1. What is Petroleum? Explain how oil was formed?
Answer: Fairuz
- Petroleum is a complex mixture of organic liquids called crude oil and natural gas, which occurs naturally in
the ground and was formed millions of years ago. 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.

- Oil was formed from the remains of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago in a marine (water)
environment before the dinosaurs. Over the years, the remains were covered by layers of mud. Heat and
pressure from these layers helped the remains turn into what we today call crude oil . The word "petroleum"
means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."

2. Give five basic operations in petroleum processing.

Answer: Fairuz
- Separation i) Distillation ii)Solvent refining
- Conversion i) Carbon removal ii) Hydrogen addition
- Reforming i) Catalytic reforming ii) Steam/Hydrocarbon reforming
- Rearrangement i) Isomerization
- Combination i) Catalytic polymerization ii) Alkylation

3. List out the five basic area operation of Petroleum Refining Process and explain in details each area.
Answer: Faizah
a) Fractionation (distillation)
Separation of crude into groups of hydrocarbon and it can be divided into 2 types of distillation. They are
Atmospheric distillation and Vacuum distillation.
b) Conversion Processes
The process of changing the size and/or structure of hydrocarbon molecules.
These processes include decomposition (dividing) by thermal and catalytic cracking, Unification
(combining) through alkylation and polymerization, Alteration (rearranging) with isomerization and
catalytic reforming
c) Treatment Processes
Processes to prepare hydrocarbon streams for additional processing and to prepare finished products.
Treatment may include removal or separation of aromatics and naphthenes, impurities and undesirable
contaminants.
 Treatment may involve chemical or physical separation e.g. dissolving, absorption, or precipitation using
a variety and combination of processes including desalting, drying, hydrodesulfurizing, solvent refining,
sweetening, solvent extraction, and solvent dewaxing.
d) Formulating and Blending
The process of mixing and combining hydrocarbon fractions, additives, and other components to produce
finished products with specific performance properties.
e) Other Refining Operations
Process include: light-ends recovery; sour-water stripping; solid waste, process-water and wastewater
treatment; cooling, storage and handling and product movement; hydrogen production; acid and tail-gas
treatment; and sulfur recovery.

4. Name three groups of crude oil mixture.

Answer: Sanny
i. Hydrocarbon compounds (compounds made of carbon and hydrogen).
ii. Non-hydrocarbon compounds.
iii. Organometallic compounds and inorganic salts (metallic com- pounds).
Tutorial 4: OIL REFINERY PROCESSES (PART 2)
1. Explain three steps in the refining process.
Answer: Fairuz
- Step 1 in the refining process is to remove these contaminants so as to reduce corrosion, plugging, and
fouling of equipment and to prevent poisoning catalysts in processing units

- Step 2 most typical methods of crude-oil desalting are chemical and electrostatic separation, and both use
hot water as the extraction agent. In chemical desalting, water and chemical surfactant (demulsifiers) are
added to the crude, which is heated so that salts and other impurities dissolve or attach to the water, then
held in a tank to settle out. Electrical desalting is the application of high-voltage electrostatic charges to
concentrate suspended water globules in the bottom of the settling tank. Surfactants are added only when
the crude has a large amount of suspended solids

- Step three (and rare) process filters hot crude using diatomaceous earth

2. Draw a single stage electrostatic desalting systems diagram.

Answer: Fairuz

3. Briefly explain distillation in the refining process.

Answer: Fairuz
- A process in which a liquid or vapor mixture of two or more substances is separated into its component
fractions of desired purity, by the application and removal of heat. It involves the separation of the different
hydrocarbon compounds that occur naturally in a crude oil into a number of different fractions. In the
atmospheric distillation process, heated crude oil is separated in a distillation column (distillation tower,
fractionating tower, atmospheric pipe still) into streams that are then purified, transformed, adapted, and
treated in a number of subsequent refining processes, into products for the refinery's market. The lighter,
 more volatile, products separate out higher up the column, whereas the heavier, less volatile, products settle
out toward the bottom of the distillation column. The fractions produced in this manner are known as straight
run fractions ranging from (atmospheric tower) gas, gasoline, and naphtha, to kerosene, gas oils, and light
diesel, and to (vacuum tower) lubricating oil and residuum

4. What are the criteria to classify distillation columns?

Answer: Fairuz
- Nature of the feed that they are processing:
i. Binary column feed contains only two components
ii. Multi-component column feed contains more than two components
- Number of product streams they have:
i. Multi-product column column has more than two product streams
- Where extra feed exits when used to help with the separation:
i. Extractive distillation where the extra feed appears in the bottom product stream
ii. Azeotropic distillation where the extra feed appears at the top product stream
- Type of column internals:
i. Tray column trays of various designs used to hold up the liquid to provide better contact between
vapour and liquid
ii. Packed column packing are used to enhance vapour liquid contact

5. Draw a diagram of a distillation column and explain its main components.

Answer: Fairuz

- A vertical shell where separation of liquid components is done

- Column internals e.g.trays/plates and/or packings which are used to enhance component separations
- A reboiler to provide the necessary vaporization for the distillation process
- A condenser to cool and condense the vapour leaving the top of the column
- A reflux drum to hold the condensed vapour from the top of the column so that liquid (reflux) can be recycled
back to the column

6. Explain the difference between atmospheric distillation and vacuum distillation.

Answer: Fairuz
7. Solvent refining processes including solvent extraction and solvent dewaxing. Explain these two processes.
Answer: Fairuz
- Solvent extraction Its purpose to prevent corrosion, protect catalyst in subsequent processes, and improve
finished products by removing unsaturated, aromatic hydrocarbons from lubricant and grease stocks. The
solvent extraction process separates aromatics, naphthenes, and impurities from the product stream by
dissolving or precipitation. The feedstock is first dried and then treated using a continuous countercurrent
solvent treatment operation. The most widely used extraction solvents are phenol, furfural, and cresylic acid.
The selection of specific processes and chemical agents depends on the nature of the feedstock being
treated, the contaminants present, and the finished product requirements.

- Solvent dewaxing It is used to remove wax from either distillate or residual basestock at any stage in the
refining process. Usually two solvents are used: toluene, which dissolves the oil and maintains fluidity at low
temperatures, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), which dissolves little wax at low temperatures and acts as a
wax precipitating agent. In addition, there is a catalytic process used as an alternate to solvent dewaxing

-
8. Describe the products of crude distillation unit.
Answer: Fairuz
- Fuel gas Consists mainly of methane and ethane. In some refineries, propane in excess of LPG
requirements is also included in the fuel gas stream. This stream is also referred to as dry gas

- Wet gas - Contains propane and butanes as well as methane and ethane. The propane and butanes are
separated to be used for LPG and, in the case of butanes, for gasoline blending and alkylation unit feed

- Gas oils - The light, atmospheric, and vacuum gas oils arm processed in a hydrocracker or catalytic cracker to
produce gasoline, jet, and diesel fuels. The heavier vacuum gas oils can also be used as feedstocks for
lubricating oil processing units.
 - Residuum - The vacuum still bottoms can be processed in avisbreaker, coker, or deasphalting unit to produce
heavy fuel oil or cracking and/or lube base stocks. For asphalt crudes, the residuum can be processed further
to produce road and/or roofing asphalts

9. Give the types of Bubble Cap Tray?

Answer: Faizah
a) Valve tray
Perforations are covered by caps lifted by vapour, which creates a flow area and directs the vapour
horizontally into the liquid.
b) Sieve tray
Simply metal plates with holes in them. Vapour passes straight upward through the liquid on the plate.
The arrangement, number and size of the holes are design parameters.

10. Why we must remove the salt contains (or performed desalting process)?
Answer: Faizah
Salt will cause some problem like below;
- Equipment plugging (block)
- Corrosion to the equipment
- Catalyst deactivation

11. Give the type of separation process in the desalting and how it work?
Answer: Faizah
a) Chemical separation
Water and chemical surfactant (emulsifiers) added into the crude oil and heated and then the salt and
others impurities will dissolve or attach to water. Lastly, the dissolve will held in the tank to settle out.
b) Electrostatic separation
The application of high voltage electrostatic charges to concentrate suspended water globules in the
bottom of the settling tank.

12. What the differences between Extractive Distillation and Azeotropic Distillation process?
Answer: Faizah
The differences between extractive and azeotropic distillation process is based on the location of extra feed
appears. The extractive distillation, the extra feeds will appears at the bottom products stream while the
azeotropic distillation the extra feeds will be appears at the top of the products stream.

13. Give types of the continuous distillation column and explain their function?
Answer: Faizah
a) Tray column
- Used to hold up the liquid to provide better contact between vapour and liquid
b) Packed column
- Used to enhance vapour-liquid contact

14. List 5 main components of distillation column and explain their function
Answer: Faizah
a) Vertical shell
Place where the separation of liquids components is done
b) Trays/plates
Inside the column which used to enhance the components separation
c) Reboiler
 Provide the necessary vaporization for the distillation process
d) Condenser
Used to cool and condense the vapour leaving the top of the column
e) Reflux drum
Used to hold the condensed vapour from the top of column, so that the liquid (reflux) can be recycled
back to the column.

15. What is the purpose for solvent extraction in oil refinery process?
Answer: Faizah
The purpose for solvent extraction as below
- To prevent corrosion
- To protect catalyst in subsequent processes
- To improve finished products by removing unsaturated, aromatic hydrocarbons

16. What are the crude distillation unit products?

Answer: Faizah
- Fuel gas
- Wet gas
- Light straight run (LSR) naphta
- Heavy straight run (HSR) naphtha or HSR gasoline
- Gas oils
- Residuum

17. Briefly explain the desalting/dewatering process.

Answer: Sanny
- Step 1
Remove the contaminants from the crude oil such as water, inorganic salts, suspended solids, and water-soluble
trace metals to reduce corrosion, plugging, and fouling of equipment and to prevent poisoning catalysts in
processing units.
- Step 2
Most typical methods of crude-oil desalting are chemical and electrostatic separation. Both of them use hot water
as the extraction agent.

Chemical desalting Electrostatic desalting

Water and chemical surfactant (demulsifiers) are
added to the crude, which is heated so that salts
and other impurities dissolve or attach to the
water, then held in a tank to settle out.
The application of high-voltage electrostatic
charges to concentrate suspended water globules
in the bottom of the settling tank. Surfactants
are added only when the crude has a large
amount of suspended solids

The salts are dissolved in the wash water and the oil and water phases separated in a settling vessel either by
adding chemicals to assist in breaking the emulsion or by developing a high potential electrical field across the
settling vessel to coalesce the droplets of salty water more rapidly.

18. State the main components of distillation columns and its function.
Answer: Sanny
a) Column internals (Trays/plates and/or packings :- To enhance component separations.
b) Reboiler :- To provide necessary vaporization for the distillation process.
c) Condenser :- To cool and condense the vapour leaving the top of the column.
d) Reflux drum :-To hold the condensed vapour from the top of the column so that liquid (reflux) can be
recycled back to the column.