Oil refineries rely on a series of critical units t transform crude oil into valuable products like gasoline, diesel, and petrochemicals. Below is a refined and concise overview of the most essential units, rephrased for clarity and flow:
Crude Oil Distillation Unit
This unit heats crude oil to separate it into various fractions (e.g., naphtha, kerosene, diesel) based on their boiling points, preparing
them for further processing.
Vacuum Distillation Unit
Processes heavy residues from the crude oil distillation unit under low pressure, allowing the separation of heavier components into
lighter, usable fractions.
Naphtha Hydrotreater Unit
Uses hydrogen to remove sulfur from naphtha produced by atmospheric distillation, preparing it for the catalytic reformer.
Catalytic Reformer Unit
Converts low-octane naphtha into high-octane reformate, rich in aromatics and cyclic hydrocarbons, a key component of gasoline. It also produces hydrogen as a byproduct, used in hydrotreating or hydrocracking units.
Distillate Hydrotreater Unit
Removes sulfur from distillates like diesel after atmospheric distillation, ensuring compliance with environmental standards.
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Unit
Upgrades heavy, high-boiling fractions from crude oil distillation into lighter, high-value products like gasoline and diesel.
Hydrocracker Unit
Uses hydrogen and heat to break down heavy residual oils from vacuum distillation into lighter, more valuable products with reduced viscosity.
Merox Unit
Removes mercaptans from LPG, kerosene, or jet fuel by oxidizing them into organic disulfides, improving product quality.
Coking Units
(Delayed coking, fluid coking, or flexicoking) convert very heavy residual oils into gasoline and diesel, leaving petroleum coke as a byproduct.
Alkylation Unit
Combines isobutane and butylenes from the FCC unit using sulfuric or hydrofluoric acid to produce alkylate, a high-octane gasoline blending component.
Dimerization Unit
Converts olefins (e.g., butenes) into higher-octane gasoline blending components like isooctene, which may be hydrogenated to form isooctane. The output is highly reactive and typically blended or hydrogenated to prevent gum formation.
Isomerization Unit
Transforms linear molecules (e.g., normal pentane or butane) into branched, higher-octane molecules for gasoline blending or as feed for the alkylation unit.
Steam Reforming Unit
Converts natural gas into hydrogen, which is essential for hydrotreating and hydrocracking processes.
Liquified Gas Storage
Stores propane and similar gases under pressure in spherical or bullet-shaped vessels to maintain them in liquid form.
Amine Gas Treater and Claus Unit
Convert hydrogen sulfide from hydrodesulfurization into elemental sulfur, a major byproduct of refining, with tail gas treatment for further processing.
Sour Water Stripper
Uses steam to remove hydrogen sulfide from wastewater streams, preparing it for conversion into sulfur in the Claus unit.
Supporting Utilities
Include cooling towers for water circulation, boiler plants for steam generation, instrument air systems for pneumatic control valves, and electrical substations for power supply.!
