Petroleum/ crude oil/crude

CRUDE OIL
 A complex mixture of naturally occurring
hydrocarbons found within the Earth.
 It is Formed from decaying remains of
plants and animals that were buried and
preserved in rocks.
 After millions of years, pressure and high
temperature converted those remains into
crude oil.
 Crude oil consist mainly of a variety of
alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatic
hydrocarbons.
 Definition of petroleum
 Petroleum (also called crude oil) is a natural
complex mixture of hydrocarbons, generally in
the liquid state, that may also include compounds
of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and metals and other
elements.

 Inorganic sediment and water may also be

present.

 Petroleum literally means rock oil and refers to

hydrocarbons that occur widely in the
sedimentary rocks in the form of gases, liquids,
semisolids, or solids.
Most times crude oil looks
like a thin brown treacle,
while some are almost
colourless volatile liquids
and others are thick black
oils.
 Composition
Elemental Composition by weight

Element Percent range

Carbon 83 to 85%

Hydrogen 10 to 14%

Nitrogen 0.1 to 2%

Oxygen 0.05 to 1.5%

Sulphur 0.05 to 6.0%

Metals < 0.1%

Composition by weight of hydrocarbon

Hydrocarbon Average Range

Alkanes (paraffins) 30% 15 to 60%

Naphthenes 49% 30 to 60%

Aromatics 15% 3 to 30%

Asphaltics 6% remainder
 Paraffins
 General formula: CnH2n+2 (n is a whole number,
usually from 1 to 20),
 straight or branched- chain molecules, can be
gasses or liquids at room temperature
depending upon the molecule.
 For example, methane, ethane, propane,
butane, isobutane, pentane, hexane
 Olefins
 (also known as alkenes)

 General formula: CnH2n (n is a whole number, usually from 1 to

20),
 linear or branched chain molecules containing one carboncarbon
double-bond, can be liquid or gas.
 For example: ethylene, butene, isobutene
 Naphthenes (cycloalkanes)

 General formula: CnH2n (n is a whole number

usually from 1to 20),
 ringed structures with one or more rings, rings
contain only single bonds between the carbon
atoms, typically liquids at room temperature.
 For example: cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane
 Aromatics

 General formula: C6H5 - Y (Y is a longer, straight molecule

that connects to the benzene ring),
 ringed structures with one or more rings, rings contain six
carbon atoms, with alternating double and single bonds
between the carbons,typically liquids.
 For examples benzene, naphthalene
 Sulfur Compounds
The Sulfur content of crude oils 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 0.5 wt % sulfur is referred to as low
sulfur or sweet, and that with more than 0.5 wt% sulfur is
referred to as high sulfur or sour.

Sulfur containing constituents of crude oils vary from simple

mercaptans, also known as thiols, to sulphides and polycyclic
sulphides
(Mercaptans (R–SH), sulphides (R–S–R'), disulphides (R–S–S–
R'), Thiophenes)
 Nitrogen Compounds
 Crude oils contain very low amounts of nitrogen
compounds, less than 1%,
 The decomposition of nitrogen compounds in
catalytic cracking and hydrocracking processes
forms ammonia and cyanides that can cause
corrosion.
 Oxygen Compounds

 Less than 1%
 (found in organic compounds such as carbon
dioxide, phenols, ketones, carboxylic acids)
occur in crude oils in varying amounts.
 Metals Compounds
 Metallic compounds exist in all crude oil types in very small
amounts. Their concentration must be reduced to avoid
operational problems and to
 prevent them from contaminating the products. Metals affect
many upgrading processes. They cause poisoning to the
catalysts used for hydroprocessing and cracking
 Even minute amounts of metals (iron, nickel and vanadium) in
the feedstock to the catalytic cracker affect the activity of the
catalyst and result in increased gas and coke formation and
reduced gasoline yields.
 Burning heavy fuel oils in refinery furnaces and boilers can
leave deposits of vanadium oxide and nickel oxide in furnace
boxes, ducts, and tubes
 It is also desirable to remove trace amounts of arsenic,
vanadium, and nickel prior to processing as they can poison
certain catalysts.
 Asphaltenes and Resins Compounds
 Asphaltenes are dark brown friable solids that have no
definite melting point and usually leave carbonaceous
residue on heating.
 They are made up of condensed polynuclear aromatic layers
linked by saturated links.
 The presence of high amounts of asphaltenes in crude oil can
create tremendous problems in production because they tend
to precipitate inside the pores of rock formations, well heads
and surface processing equipments. They may also lead to
transportation problems because they contribute to gravity
and viscosity increases of crude oils.

 Resins are polar molecules have high molecular weight, which

are insoluble in liquid propane but soluble in n-heptane.
Fractional Distillation
 The uses of crude oil as it comes from the ground are
limited. It must be separated into its various components
and be selectively modified before it can be useful
 The primary process for separating the components of
crude oil is fractional distillation.
 Fractional distillation utilizes the differences in boiling
points of the components of crude oil to separate them.
 The crude oil is separated into different fractions, each
boiling within a particular temperature range .
 Fractional Distillation

 The crude oil is heated in a furnace at about 400 ºC.

 The vapour is then fed into a fractionating tower containing about 40
trays. The trays have holes in them which are covered by bubble caps.
 As more rising vapour passes through the holes in the tray, the bubble
caps directs the vapour through the liquid already on the tray.
 This causes the lighter components condensed on the tray to vaporize
again and continue to move up the column.
 There are overflow tubes at the side of the trays which allows liquid to
flow back down the column.
 When liquid reaches a lower tray, the higher temperature of the tray
causes the more volatile component to vaporize and then rise up the
column.
 As the vapour condenses and vaporizes many times on the trays along
the column, the composition of the vapour becomes richer in the more
volatile component.
Fractional Distillation(conti…)

 The more volatile components rise to the top of the column

while the less volatile ones tend to condense on the trays at
various levels along the column.

 The different fractions are drawn off at various levels along the
column.

 The lightest fraction comes off at the top of the column as a gas. It
contains fewer carbon atoms and has the lowest boiling point
range.

 As you go down the column, the fractions become heavier and have
a higher boiling point range.
 REFINERY GAS
• 1-2% Crude Oil
• A mixture of alkanes containing up to four
carbon atoms in a molecule.
• Gas at room temperature, it is used as gaseous
fuel.
• It can be liquefied under pressure to produce
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
• It can also be used as feedstock for making
petrochemicals.
 GASOLINE AND NAPHTHA
• 15-30% Crude Oil
• Gasoline is distilled off and used as motor fuel
for internal combustion engines.
• Naphtha, the remains, is used as chemical feed
stock for conversion to other compounds.
 KEROSENE
• 10-15% Crude Oil
• It is used as jet fuel and for domestic heating.
• It can also be broken down to produce more
gasoline.
 GAS OIL (DIESEL OIL)
• 15-29% Crude Oil
• It is used as a fuel in Diesel engines and
industrial furnaces
 Fuel oil

• Fuel oil is used as fuel for ships and power

stations.
• Lubricating oils and waxes are used for motor
oil, grease and other lubricants.
• Bitumen is used for road surfacing and
roofing material.
 RESIDUE
• 40-50% Crude Oil
• It can be further distilled under low pressure to
yield fuel oil, lubricating oils, waxes and bitumen.
• Reducing the pressure lowers the boiling point and
allows the heavier components to be separated
without breaking down.