Refining Technology Course

Short description

This nominal 4-day course covers virtually every process technology found in today's crude oil refineries. We will explain how each process achieves its objectives and how they work together to make all product specifications profitably. Hand picked materials from the industry and problem solving activities pertinent to the course objectives are selected for the course manual and instruction.

Longer description

A beginning engineer or non-engineer often hasn't the time to research and digest the thousands of available documents describing refining processes. Such in-depth learning often comes later. The course is designed for engineers with 0-3 years of experience and engineers who are more experienced in non-refining areas of expertise and need to learn refining. The objective is to explain the various process technologies available and in use in refineries.

Learning is achieved by alternating presentation, Q&A, and written exercises. Attendees participate in the learning experience by discussion and by working exercises/problems individually and in groups as a means of maximizing retention. Hand calculators are used. Laptops are encouraged. Spreadsheet models are furnished for problem solving.

Also covered are:

• Economics
• Effect of crude types
• Product blending
• Metallurgy
• Debottlenecking techniques
• Engineering and construction challenges
• Operations
• Safety considerations

The course manual contains 300 pages of text, graphics, tables, and photos selected specifically for the objectives of the course. Instruction and material are at a level below that requiring non-disclosure agreements with technology owners or licensors. Over 30 technologies are covered. Open art processes are covered in more depth, specifically in the area of design philosophy.

Why attend?

Participate in this course if you need to know more about the process technologies used in petroleum refineries. Expedite the learning process by benefiting from the targeted gathering of pertinent information available in the industry. Focus on how the processes are different and how they complement each other to make the operation profitable.

Who should attend?

Participate in this course if you:

• are a process engineer with 0-3 years experience and want to advance your knowledge of refining processes
• are another kind of engineer and want to learn how the overall design and operating scheme achieves the objectives of the refinery
• are a non-technical person involved in the refining business and can benefit from an overall view of refining, its economics, and jargon

What will you learn?

You will learn:

• an overall view of refining crude oil and product blending
• descriptions, yields, chemistry, debottlenecking techniques of over 30 processes
• the economics of refining; how to optimize a design or operation
• what constitutes a pacesetter refinery
• design philosophies of open art technologies
• the production of petrochemical feedstocks
• engineering, construction, and operation challenges
• metallurgy requirements
• special safety considerations