Petroleum Processing

Learning Objectives

Discuss the different steps in petroleum

processing and petroleum products.
➢ The process of transforming
crude oil into useful products
such as liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG), gasoline or petrol,
kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil and
fuel oils.

➢ Involves: separation process

and conversion process.
➢ Because crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons with different
boiling temperatures, it can be separated by distillation into groups
of hydrocarbons that boil between two specified boiling points.

Large Hydrocarbon Small Hydrocarbon

bottom of fractionating column higher up the column

high boiling points Low boiling point

 Natural Intermediate Heavy
Light Distillates Residues
(casing head) distillates Distillates
Heavy mineral
Natural gas Motor gasoline Heavy fuel oils Lubricating oils
oils
Solvent Heavy flotation
LPG Diesel oils Fuel oils
naphthas oils
Jet fuel Gas oils Lubricating oils Petrolatum
kerosene Waxes Road oils
Light heating
Asphalts
oils
Coke
1. Cracking
➢ the breaking down of
large hydrocarbon
molecules into smaller
molecules by heat
(thermal) or catalytic
action.
➢ Zeolites are the
common catalyst used.
2. Polymerization
➢ a substance of low molecular weight is transformed into one of the
same composition but of higher molecular weight, maintaining the
• linking of similar molecules
atomic arrangement present in the basic molecule.
• joining together of light olefins
➢ Joining together of light olefins

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3. Alkylation
➢ the union of olefins with an aromatic or paraffinic
hydrocarbon
4. Hydrogenation
addition of hydrogen to an olefin
➢ addition of hydrogen to an olefin.
5. Isomerization
➢ alteration of the arrangement of the atoms in a molecule
without changing the number of atoms
6. Reforming/Aromatization
➢ conversion of naphthas to obtain products of higher octane
number.
7. Coking/Pyrolysis
➢ converts the residual oil from the vacuum distillation column or
the atmospheric distillation column into low molecular weight
hydrocarbon gases, naphtha, light and heavy gas oils, and
petroleum coke

➢ Petroleum coke - is a black colored solid composed primarily of

carbon, and may contain limited amounts of elemental forms of
sulfur, metals and non-volatile inorganic compounds.
Natural (casing Intermediate Heavy
Light Distillates Residues
head) distillates Distillates
Heavy mineral
Natural gas Motor gasoline Heavy fuel oils Lubricating oils
oils
Solvent Heavy flotation
LPG Diesel oils Fuel oils
naphthas oils
Jet fuel Gas oils Lubricating oils Petrolatum
kerosene Waxes Road oils
Light heating
Asphalts
oils
Coke