Home
Lloydminster OTS
Heavy Oil Show
What is Heavy Oil?
Geology
Drilling
Completions
Transportation
Upgrader
Refining
End Users
Oil History
Oil People
Oil Links
Petroleum Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Upgrader Plant Labels

Plant # 10 - Crude Unit

The Crude Unit has three major purposes:

bullet

removes any remaining contaminants such as: water, salts or solids

bullet

applies very high heat to separate crude into different components (fractions) according to boiling range and weight

bullet

sends the various fractions to other plants for further processing. Examples: diluent is stripped off and returned to the field, jet kerosene is sent to the Naphtha/Jet Hydrotreater, gas oil is sent to the Gas Oil Hydrotreater, and residuum is sent to the Hydrocracker Reaction Unit

 

Plant # 21 - Hydrocracker Reaction Unit

The main purpose of this unit is to crack residuum

bullet

residuum (the heaviest fraction) from the crude unit is heated and mixed with a hydrogen rich gas stream

bullet

the heated mixture passes through an expanded catalyst bed where cracking of the residuum occurs

bullet

the hydrogen reacts with the cracked compounds forming a de-sulphurized, de-metalized, de-nitrified, and hydrogen saturated product

bullet

the hydrocracking process converts about 60% of the residuum into lighter fractions which are sent to the Hydrocracker Fractionation Unit for further processing

 

Plant # 22 - Delayed Coking Unit

The main purpose of this unit is to process heavy hydrocarbon feedstock into lighter, more valuable fractions or into coke

bullet

the feedstock undergoes partial vapourization and mild cracking as it passes through a coking furnace

bullet

the lighter fractions removed are sent to other plants for processing

bullet

the petroleum coke remains in a coke drum from which it is cut into fragments, crushed, and sent to coke loading facilities

 

Plant # 23 - Gas Recovery Unit

This plant compresses, cools, and cleans gases produced by fractionation in other plants

bullet

some heavier hydrocarbons are recovered and blended into the synthetic crude oil product

bullet

lighter gases such as naphtha or butane are sweetened (hydrogen sulphide gas removed or reduced) and sent to other plants for processing or recycled as fuel for other units

 

Plant # 24 - Hydrocracker Fractionation Unit

This unit applies two stages of processing to the residuum from the Hyrdocracker Reaction Unit

bullet

First, an atmospheric fractionator applies heat and produces gases or liquids

bullet

The gases, such as hydrogen sulphide and naphtha are sent to the Gas Recovery Unit

bullet

Liquids such as gas oil and jet kerosene are removed as side cuts and are sent to the Gas Oil Hydrotreater and the Naphtha/Jet Hydrotreater respectively

bullet

Heavier fractions are heated again in a vacuum tower, under sub-atmospheric conditions, producing light and heavy vacuum gas oils and vacuum residuum

bullet

The remaining residuum is sent to the Delayed Coking Unit

 

Plant # 30 - Hydrogen Plant

The purpose of this plant is to provide an abundant supply of high quality hydrogen to the other plants requiring it

bullet

The hydrogen is produced through steam reforming of natural gas (methane) in the presence of a catalyst

bullet

The steps in the process are: desulphurization, reforming, carbon monoxide shift, and purification

bullet

The purified hydrogen is filtered and compressed before being sent to the other units

 

Plant # 41 - Naphtha/Jet Hydrotreater

This unit processes straight run jet kerosene produced during fractionation in other plants

bullet

The processing reduces the sulphur and nitrogen content of the feedstock to improve its combustion characteristics

bullet

Secondly, hydrotreating reduces the amount of aromatic hydrocarbons which can give jet kerosene a poor smoke point or diesel fuel a poor cetane number

bullet

The processed fuels are sent to the storage area where they are blended into the synthetic crude oil product that leaves the Upgrader by pipeline

bullet

When they reach a refinery, they can be easily extracted and subjected to further processing

 

Plant # 42 - Gas Oil Hydrotreater

The purpose of this unit is to reduce sulphur, nitrogen, and aromatic hydrocarbons to allow processing of the gas oils in a conventional refinery

bullet

The unit processes straight-run atmospheric and vacuum gas oils from the Crude Unit, and cracked atmospheric and vacuum gas oils from the Hydrocracker Fractionation Unit and the Delayed Coking Unit

bullet

As a result of hydrotreating, the sulphur compounds are converted to hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen compounds changed to ammonia, and the aromatics are saturated

 

Plant # 50 - Sulphur Recovery Unit

This plant, actually three units in one, produces liquid elemental sulphur

bullet

Other plants use amine absorbers to remove hydrogen sulphide

bullet

In the Amine Unit, super heated steam is applied to break the chemical bonds between the amine molecules and the hydrogen sulphide molecules

bullet

The Claus Unit produces elemental sulphur as a result of the following chemical conversion: 2H2S + SO2 » 3S + 2H2O

bullet

The Tail Gas Clean-Up Unit reduces any unreacted sulphur compounds to a level consistent with emission regulations

bullet

The condensed liquid sulphur is collected, degassed to remove dissolved hydrogen sulphide, and exported from the site on railcars or trucks.

 

 

Website 1997 - 2008 by Foster Learning Inc.