Course Overview

Optimization of a refinery process is also known as refinery planning. It is the process of making short or long-term decisions to maximize the yield and profitability.

What is refinery yield?

A refinery involves many processes to convert crude oil into valuable products including diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel by energy consumption. The refineries are bound to produce cleaner and safer products but bear low economic margins due to strict environmental regulations. Therefore, yield optimization becomes essential as it encompasses all the opportunities to boost the economic margin. The key decisions of the process optimization focus on feedstock selection, product slate, refinery, and logistics scheduling.

How do you calculate refinery yield?

This optimization process uses several tools to formulate plans and make decisions for the refinery, such as linear programs to calculate the relative quality differentials for crude oil versus a benchmark. Process optimization in a refinery can maximize the production rate and profit by minimizing the impact on the environment and waste generation.

This Zoe training course will empower you with a detailed overview and concepts about the refinery process yields, from the feed (crude oil) to the finished products. You will get a basic understanding of refineries, the ability to relate a unit process with the other, and how the refinery operations are enhanced due to these relationships. Through this course, you would acquire the practical aspects, skills to work efficiently in the refinery operations and yield optimization, thus broadening avenues for greater opportunities promoting career growth.

Course Objectives

The key objectives of this course is to empower our delegates in the following ways:

• Enable an in-depth understanding of the crude oil specifications and fundamentals of petroleum refinery processes
• Familiarity with the processes associated with the petroleum processing into the finished products
• Familiarize with the principles of scheduling optimization, refining, and supporting operations in refineries
• Develop an understanding of yield optimization to help in the continuous modernization of petroleum refineries
• Acquire the skills to understand crude oil selection and yield optimization for enhanced profitability
• Develop necessary skills to apply the product blending techniques
• Gain an appreciation of the optimization tools that will be beneficial for crude planning and product deliveries
• Assist in the improved processes, upgrading, and optimization of the existing facilities
• Comprehensive insight concerning the relationship between the unit processes
• How to optimize the operations and yield of refineries
• Equip new engineers with the basic tools to understand the complex nature of refinery operations
• Empower applicants’ ability to communicate with others on the key characteristics and operational aspects of Refinery Process Yield Optimization

Training Methodology

This collaborative Refinery Process Yield Optimization training program will comprise the following training methods:

• Lectures
• Seminars & Presentations
• Group Discussions
• Assignments
• Case Studies & Functional Exercises

This training format was conceptualized by Zoe Talent Solutions and is used for all its courses. It is called the Do–Review–Learn–Apply Model.

 Organisational Benefits

With professionals undergoing this course, organisations will benefit in the ways mentioned below:

• Familiarity with the fundamentals of petroleum refinery processing this allows the participants to develop a better understanding of the unit process in the refinery
• Seamless refinery operations will be managed by experienced and trained professionals
• Regular training of the employees orienting towards the practical nature of refinery processes and yield optimization
• Detailed assessment in yield optimization to review the possible challenges during operations, scheduling, and planning
• Organisational credibility and development because of well-managed risks and seamless operations
• Well-managed organisational financials because of robust safety systems to prevent occupational hazards
• Familiarity with the advanced tools for optimization analysis and gaining an appreciation of the yield optimization and scheduling tools that will be useful for the planning of crude
• Identification of the issues in the petroleum refineries and accepting them as challenges to improve the credibility of the system
• Application of advanced tools for optimization and technology to enhance the efficiency of the refinery processes

 Personal Benefits

Professionals opting for this course will benefit in the below-mentioned ways:

• Detailed overview of the major refining and supporting processes
• Greater understanding and knowledge to review the refining processes and familiarity with the commonly encountered production problems during the process
• Understand the purpose of processes associated with the petroleum processing into the finished products
• In-depth understanding of the complex nature of refineries and their operations
• Ability to understand and appreciate the drivers of the refining industry to maximize the process yields using advanced optimization tools
• Improved exposure to yield optimization and production planning in the refineries
• Enhanced foresight to combat all possible issues in the production planning, the ability to identify and resolve them
• Ability to utilize the learning to aid the Refinery scheduling and optimization
• Increased knowledge and confidence to train other professionals on the scope and limitations of petroleum refineries and optimization
• Better understanding and exposure to working with advanced optimization tools to achieve operational excellence and proficiency in the refineries
• Ability to train others on the key processes in refineries using a variety of feedstocks on the product quality and wide product range
• Enhanced skills and capabilities to assume higher responsibilities
• Supervision of multiple functions and processes of refineries, fostering growth and development
• Development of personnel competency and expert knowledge build-up of the processes in refineries

Who Should Attend?

• Beginners who are now in the profession
• Technicians and field operators
• Refining engineers along with the chemical and production engineers
• All personnel involved in the production, planning, and scheduling
• Blending professionals and refinery technologists
• Shift supervisors, marketers, and accountants to comprehend the limitations and advantages of the various refinery processes
• Any other professional interested to understand the complex processes in petroleum refineries

Course Outline

The course covers the following topics regarding Refinery Process Yield Optimization.

Module 1: Introduction to Crude Oil

• Introduction
• Chemical constituents
• Characteristics of crude oil
  • Density
  • Sulphur content
  • Classification of crude oil
• Crude oil quality
• Role of crude oil in refinery technology

Module 2: Crude Oil Products and Specifications

• Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Gasoline
• Kerosene
• Diesel fuel
• Feedstock for petrochemicals 

Module 3: Fundamentals of Petroleum Refinery Processes

• General refinery layout
• Classification of refineries
  • Configuration
  • Complexity
• Crude oil processing
• Desalting
• Atmospheric and vacuum distillation
• Processing of heavy oils
  • Thermal processing
  • Coking
  • Vis breaking

Module 4: Motor Fuel Production Process

• Classes in Refinery processes
  • Crude oil processing
  • Desalting
  • Distillation of crude oil
  • Cracking process
  • Upgrading process
  • Hydrotreating process
  • Isomerization
  • Alkylation
  • Catalytic reforming
  • Separation process

Module 5: Supporting Processes in Petroleum Refineries

• Product blending
• Hydrogen formation
• Gas plant
• Acid-gas treatment
• Sulphur recovery plants
• Utility section

Module 6: Application of Planning and Scheduling in Refineries 

• Introduction to planning and scheduling in oil refineries
• Complexity
• Configuration
• Integrated refineries
• Hydro skimming refinery
• Selection strategies of crude
• Scheduling crude oil
• Capacity utilization

Module 7: Enhancement of Product Movements

• Crude Assay
• Yields
• Process units
• Storage tanks
• Custody measurements
• Refineries | Supply chain management fundamentals

Module 8: Rules of Product Blending

• Product specifications
  • Gasoline Blendstocks
  • Diesel Blendstocks
  • Role of conversion units
• Recent trends in fuel production
• Environmental concerns
• Upgradation to stringent Sulphur standards
• Crude pricing regimes

Module 9: Problem Formulation 

• Flowsheets
• Material balance
• Product inventory and product quality control
• Capacity utilization/control
• Feedstock availability

Module 10: Refinery Planning or Optimization

• Key decisions in the optimization process
• Optimization tools
  • Refinery Linear Program
  • Scheduling Model
  • Blending Model
  • Logistics Scheduling Model
  • Crude Cutting Tool
  • Process Unit Simulators

Module 11: Process Economics

• Choice of crude oil input
• Refinery configuration
• Product slate and trade
• Residue reduction
• Refinery utilization
• Operation efficiency
• Environmental compliance