OG90
Course Contents
Module 1: Refinery Configuration, Crude Characterisation and Yield Baselines
Key Topics
- Refinery types, complexity indices and configuration impacts on product slate
- Crude oil assays, true boiling point (TBP) curves and key properties affecting yields
- Defining and tracking refinery yield baselines, mass balances and material losses
- Linear programming (LP) models for refinery planning and economic margin evaluation
- Identifying physical, operational and regulatory constraints on refinery throughput
- Baseline data collection, data reconciliation and identifying hidden yield opportunities
- Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for multi-unit yield tracking
Module 2: Unit-Specific Optimisation and Conversion Severity
Key Topics
- Atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit optimization: cut points and stripping steam
- Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) yield improvement: feed preheat, catalyst activity and riser severity
- Hydrocracking and hydrotreating optimization: hydrogen consumption, space velocity and bed temperatures
- Catalytic reforming and isomerization: balancing octane number improvements against liquid yield loss
- Delayed coking and residue upgrading: minimizing low-value coke yields and maximizing distillates
- Managing the overall hydrogen balance across the refinery
- Managing cross-unit constraints, bottlenecks and intermediate feed inventories
Module 3: Blending, Energy and Refinery-Wide Optimisation
Key Topics
- Product blending principles, non-linear property behavior and quality giveaway controls
- Automated gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and fuel oil blending optimization strategies
- Hydrogen network optimization, purification options and refinery fuel gas balance
- Steam, power, cooling water and cogeneration utility system efficiencies
- Heat integration, pinch analysis applications and heat exchanger fouling control
- Flare gas recovery, fuel reduction, steam leaks and hydrocarbon loss minimization
- Advanced process control (APC) and real-time optimization (RTO) layers for stable operation
Module 4: Process Intensification Technologies and Applications
Key Topics
- Process intensification principles, definitions and opportunity screening matrices
- Reactive distillation loops and combined reaction-separation systems
- Dividing-wall columns (DWC): design configurations and advanced fractionation options
- Membranes and hybrid separation setups for refinery hydrogen and hydrocarbon recovery
- Compact heat exchangers, microchannel devices and enhanced heat-transfer hardware
- Intensified reactors, novel catalyst configurations and high-mass-transfer technologies
- Retrofit strategies, modularization options and technical debottlenecking considerations
Module 5: Implementation, Economics and Performance Sustainment
Key Topics
- Process simulation workflows, baseline tuning and applying digital twins for yield tracking
- Techno-economic assessment (TEA) methods, CAPEX/OPEX profiles and margin calculations
- Process safety management, operability impacts and management of change (MOC) rules
- Pilot testing protocols, scale-up challenges and technology readiness assessment (TRA)
- Reliability risks: assessing fouling, corrosion mechanisms and catalyst life impacts
- Measurement, verification, accounting audits and benefit sustainment practices
- Interactive refinery optimization and intensification roadmap formulation workshop