Page 7 - Fawley Refinery and Petrochemical Plant
P. 7
Fawley Refinery and Petrochemical Plant 05
The production process
Crude oil comes to Fawley in tankers from around
the world – including the North Sea, Russia, West
Africa and South America. Fawley typically processes
over 20 different types of crude oil each year.
Each tanker takes up to two days to unload its to maximise liquid recovery. Products from the
cargo, which is then pumped to some of the distillation column range from gases at the top
site’s 330 storage tanks. Each tank holds to very heavy, viscous liquids at the bottom.
around 21,000 cubic metres of crude oil, Conversion
enough to fill eight Olympic swimming pools. Distillation separates the crude oil into
The crude oil is treated and converted at the unfinished products. However, the products
refinery into consumer and industrial products do not naturally exist in crude in the same
using three main processes: separation, proportions as the product mix that consumers
conversion and purification. demand. Essentially, there is too little petrol
Separation and too much of the heavier fuel oil naturally
To begin the refining process, the crude oil occurring in crude oil, so conversion processes
is separated into its naturally occurring are used to convert low-value fuel oil into high-
components by applying heat through a value gasoline and other lighter products.
process called distillation. Primary separation is All products in the refinery are based on the
performed in a pair of distillation columns, with same building blocks: carbon and hydrogen
the bottom product from the first column chains, which are called hydrocarbons. The
feeding the next. A furnace in front of the longer the carbon chain, the heavier the
column heats and vaporises the crude oil. The product will be. Converting heavier
vapour and liquid mixture is then fed into the hydrocarbons to lighter hydrocarbons can
bottom section of the tower. The feed section be compared to cutting a link on a steel
is the hottest point in the distillation column chain to make two smaller chains. This is
and ranges between 320°C to 370 °C. the function of Fawley's Fluidised Catalytic
Components that are still liquid at such high Cracking Unit (FCCU).
temperatures become the column's bottom In addition to breaking chains, there are
product, which is known as atmospheric times when we want to change the form of
residue. Components that are in vapour form the chain or put chains together. This is where
rise up the tower through a series of distillation the Powerformer and Isomerisation Units
stages. The temperature decreases as the are necessary.
vapours rise up the column and the
components condense. The FCCU uses a catalyst (a material that
helps make a chemical reaction go faster,
Because a liquid’s boiling point decreases at occur at a lower temperature, or control which
lower pressures, the Atmospheric Residue is reactions occur) to convert gas-oil into a mix of
further heated to over 400°C and distilled in a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol
second column that operates under a vacuum and diesel.
The production process
Crude oil comes to Fawley in tankers from around
the world – including the North Sea, Russia, West
Africa and South America. Fawley typically processes
over 20 different types of crude oil each year.
Each tanker takes up to two days to unload its to maximise liquid recovery. Products from the
cargo, which is then pumped to some of the distillation column range from gases at the top
site’s 330 storage tanks. Each tank holds to very heavy, viscous liquids at the bottom.
around 21,000 cubic metres of crude oil, Conversion
enough to fill eight Olympic swimming pools. Distillation separates the crude oil into
The crude oil is treated and converted at the unfinished products. However, the products
refinery into consumer and industrial products do not naturally exist in crude in the same
using three main processes: separation, proportions as the product mix that consumers
conversion and purification. demand. Essentially, there is too little petrol
Separation and too much of the heavier fuel oil naturally
To begin the refining process, the crude oil occurring in crude oil, so conversion processes
is separated into its naturally occurring are used to convert low-value fuel oil into high-
components by applying heat through a value gasoline and other lighter products.
process called distillation. Primary separation is All products in the refinery are based on the
performed in a pair of distillation columns, with same building blocks: carbon and hydrogen
the bottom product from the first column chains, which are called hydrocarbons. The
feeding the next. A furnace in front of the longer the carbon chain, the heavier the
column heats and vaporises the crude oil. The product will be. Converting heavier
vapour and liquid mixture is then fed into the hydrocarbons to lighter hydrocarbons can
bottom section of the tower. The feed section be compared to cutting a link on a steel
is the hottest point in the distillation column chain to make two smaller chains. This is
and ranges between 320°C to 370 °C. the function of Fawley's Fluidised Catalytic
Components that are still liquid at such high Cracking Unit (FCCU).
temperatures become the column's bottom In addition to breaking chains, there are
product, which is known as atmospheric times when we want to change the form of
residue. Components that are in vapour form the chain or put chains together. This is where
rise up the tower through a series of distillation the Powerformer and Isomerisation Units
stages. The temperature decreases as the are necessary.
vapours rise up the column and the
components condense. The FCCU uses a catalyst (a material that
helps make a chemical reaction go faster,
Because a liquid’s boiling point decreases at occur at a lower temperature, or control which
lower pressures, the Atmospheric Residue is reactions occur) to convert gas-oil into a mix of
further heated to over 400°C and distilled in a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol
second column that operates under a vacuum and diesel.
