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Understanding Petroleum Cuts Using ASPEN HYSYS

The document discusses understanding petroleum cuts and refining crude oil using ASPEN HYSYS. It notes that the total input feed will always equal the total output products based on the law of material balance. It states that the number and type of petroleum cuts can vary depending on the crude oil composition. It defines a crude oil assay as a chemical evaluation of the crude feedstock to determine the characteristics and fractions that can be extracted. The assay helps identify the appropriate number of cuts and boiling points to meet market needs and specifications. It emphasizes studying the assay results to understand the fractions and yields before simulating the distillation column.

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375 views3 pages

Understanding Petroleum Cuts Using ASPEN HYSYS

The document discusses understanding petroleum cuts and refining crude oil using ASPEN HYSYS. It notes that the total input feed will always equal the total output products based on the law of material balance. It states that the number and type of petroleum cuts can vary depending on the crude oil composition. It defines a crude oil assay as a chemical evaluation of the crude feedstock to determine the characteristics and fractions that can be extracted. The assay helps identify the appropriate number of cuts and boiling points to meet market needs and specifications. It emphasizes studying the assay results to understand the fractions and yields before simulating the distillation column.

Uploaded by

amit
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Understanding Petroleum Cuts & other relativities using ASPEN HYSYS.

The first thing any Process Engineer should bear in mind is the Law of Material Balance. This factor is simply the basis for effective result and End
Product result that should equate to the total input feed; this in between your Petroleum Fractions would fall.

At every point in time, your 1000 barrels total feed input would always equate to your various total products output.

However, these petroleum cuts can vary with respect to fractions due to the nature of the Crude Oil that would be fed into the distillation column
for processing. Hence the need for proper design basis and clear-cut understanding of what your client wants to achieve and the market value of
these products if it would serve the need of your client. One strong design basis to start with before talking about Petroleum Extraction is the
CRUDE ASSAY evaluation.
What is CRUDE ASSAY?

A crude oil assay is the chemical evaluation of crude oil feedstocks by petroleum testing laboratories. Each crude oil type has unique molecular
and chemical characteristics. No two crude oil types are identical and there are crucial differences in crude oil quality.

The evaluation carried out on crude oil feedstock is to determine the characteristics & fractions of cuts that you can extract from a crude feedstock.
Naturally from my practical experience and products I have personally operated and simulated on, these 5 product cuts are those I have had
physical contact with - Naphtha[Light Petrolum, Gassoline- Gasoline for petrol], DPK , AGO-light gas oil, MDO-heavy gas oil & HFO[Paraffin
Wax]. These for me are the popular basics that are mostly refined in the industry apart from petrochemicals. However, this is not saying beyond
these 5 key products that there are no other cuts. In between these 5 products there are tens of carbon chains ranging from C1-C30. Therefore, it is
possible for your column to converge provided you are still within these range.

Some crude assay may produce so much light ends like Naphtha while some may rarely produce much. Some may have high range of light diesel
but very little range of heavy diesel. So technically you need to understand your client desire and market needs in order to know the number of
cuts you want to achieve with respect to the right boiling point and cold properties like flash point of the end products.

What is important for you is to study the assay evaluation result, know the fractions of each products and their boiling point range. Understand
the blends that would give you the right yield and specification that is acceptable to the regulators before selling them for commercial purpose.
Monitor for Column convergence for feed rate of 1000BPD

Prepared By: Bero Adepitan.

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