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Springer Handbook of Petroleum Technology pp 915–930Cite as

Transitioning Refineries from Sweet to Extra Heavy Oil

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Abstract

A sweet–sour petroleum refinery shifting to heavy crude processing will face a number of challenges, many requiring investment to overcome. The difficulty in processing these feeds is related to the properties of extra-heavy oil, including a high aromatics content and a relatively high concentration of contaminants that pose a threat to reliability and product quality.

In this chapter, the relationship between feed composition and unit design is explored, with unit revamp and new-build strategies discussed for process units to adapt to the new crudes. Among other investments, significant scope is likely to include fractionation upgrading for improved removal of asphaltenes, volatile metals, and salts, as well as hydrotreaters modifications to deal with contaminants and counter the hydrogen deficiency of the oil.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Refining Technology and Engineering, BP, 150 W. Warrenville Rd., IL 60563, Naperville, USA

    Martin R. Gonzalez

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  1. Martin R. Gonzalez
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Correspondence to Martin R. Gonzalez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida A&M University/Florida State University, 2525 Pottsdamer St., FL 32310, Tallahassee, USA

    Chang Samuel Hsu   (許強)

  2. China University of Petroleum - Beijing College of Chemical Engineering, Changping, China

    Chang Samuel Hsu   (許強)

  3. Petro Bio Consulting LLC, Tallahassee, USA

    Chang Samuel Hsu   (許強)

  4. Katy Institute for Sustainable Energy, 3418 Clear Water Park Dr., TX 77450, Katy, USA

    Paul R. Robinson

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Gonzalez, M.R. (2017). Transitioning Refineries from Sweet to Extra Heavy Oil. In: Hsu, C.S., Robinson, P.R. (eds) Springer Handbook of Petroleum Technology. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49347-3_31

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