Approaches, challenges & opportunities

The purpose of an oil refinery is therefore to turn crude oil into products that are fit for end-use, in the quantities that are required by the market. Still the efficiency of a refinery depends on the crude which is used there.

There is a strong tendency among refiners to broaden the opportunities in terms of feedstock. There are different kinds of crude oil, and the capabilities of these materials differ a lot. For sure, it causes a great variety of problems because the treatment for every type of crude should be different too.

Refiners have several approaches to this - some use blending. However, blending 2 or more crude oils to achieve the right balance of qualities may introduce unknown effect. For example, if one crude doesn’t fit another - there might occur accelerated reaction which can lead to additional energy costs with the crude unit fired heater, which might simply cause shutdown because of the temperature.

This obviously opens variety of opportunities for equipment providers. It is said that downstream players use different technologies and efficiencies such as virtualization, remote monitoring, dashboards, etc.

We’ve invited the most influential leaders to share their experience with the attendees of PRC Europe 2019 (Petrochemical and Refining Congress): BD Heat Recovery Division Inc (Session 8 Sponsor), Techint Engineering & Construction, McDermott, TechnipFMC & Danube Refinery.

Learn more about the Congress and join us next May 20-21 in Budapest, Hungary: www.prceurope.com

What is a flexible refinery to you? And what kind of technology should any flexible refinery have? Let’s discuss it in the comments below ?