01 - Principles of Fractionation of Crude Oils
01 - Principles of Fractionation of Crude Oils
01 - Principles of Fractionation of Crude Oils
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................1
I - TBP ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION
The first treatment undergone by crude oils in the refinery units is fractionation especially by distillation. This
produces approximately a dozen petroleum cuts which have volatilities close to those of commercial products.
In some cases, these cuts may be directly marketed or used for the manufacture of finished products. They
generally require chemical transformations:
Separation Refining
Blending
by distillation processes
CRUDE Petroleum
D PCD 2070 B
Bases Products
OILS cuts
The processing through the conversion units produces most of the time a large scale of hydrocarbons that
looks like a crude oil. Thus it has to be fractionated into cuts. That is the reason why distillation is so often
used all around the refinery.
The yields obtained by fractionation of a crude oil or a cracked effluent can be determined by means of the
TBP analysis.
I- TBP ANALYSIS
Every petroleum cut obtained by distillation corresponds to a volatility range that may be characterized simply
by a series of normal boiling point temperatures, or by the number of carbon atoms of the hydrocarbons
contained in the cut. For example:
180-230C
Kerosene cut or C10-C13
The relationship between the boiling point temperature range and the yield of a crude oil is obtained by the
TBP (True Boiling Point) analysis. This consists of a high separation distillation operation which produces all
the petroleum components one after the other in function of their boiling point temperature at the top of the
column. The result of the analysis is represented by the TBP curve of the crude i.e. the curve linking the
boiling point temperatures at the top of the column to the distilled amounts.
Boiling point
of hydrocarbons at the top
of the column
CONDENSER Boiling
T temperature
Measurement
of the
temperature Reflux
Receiver
il
eo
rud
il
eo
"c
rud
vy
ea
t" c
"H
gh
"Li
DISTILLATION t2
TRAYS
Measurement t1
of distilled
quantities
%
Distilled
0 50 100
HEATING Yield of
Yield of
DEVICE cut t1 t2
cut t1 t2
Separation of crude oil constituents in function Boiling point temperature versus distilled
D ANA 022 B
For two boiling point temperatures t1 and t2 characterizing a petroleum cut, the TBP curve shows the
principle of yield determination and the result obtained for two different crude oils.
At the same time, the comparison of the distilled amounts at a given temperature shows the yield variations
between a "light" and a "heavy" crude oil.
Fuel gas C1 C2
Propane C3
Butane C4
OC
iC 5 C 5
2 to 3 cuts
Light gasoline
80 90C Gasoline and C6
C7 Final boiling
naphtha cuts Heavy gasoline point
145C
or
Heavy naphtha C 10 C 11
185C
C 9 C 11 Final boiling point
220C
Kerosene cut Freezing point
C 13 C 14
to
240C C 13 C 14
2 to 4 cuts Distillate 2
550C C 50
to
600C C 40 C 50 +
Vacuum
residue
D PCD 066 C
Normal Boiling
Point (C)
The operation of the crude oil distillation leads to the following cuts:
directly as motor-gasoline base with a poor octane number (RON between 60 and
80). Note that these gasolines were good bases for leaded products, since they have
a very good response to lead incorporation.
isopentane Isopentane
to gasoline
pool
Light
gasoline DEISOPENTANIZER
C5 - C 6
Deisopentanized
D PCD 067 B
naphtha Deisopentanized
naphtha
to petrochemistry
D PCD 484 B
RON 60 to 80 MON 82-88
- HEAVY GASOLINE (C7 to C10 - C11 or 80 up to 180C) with a low octane number (20 to
50) which will be used as a feedstock for catalytic reforming. The purpose of this unit is
essentially to convert the paraffinic and naphthenic molecules to aromatic components with
a high octane number. This operation provides a very good gasoline base called reformate.
D PCD 485 B
REFORMING
RON 20 to 50 RON 100
This conversion is only possible on hydrocarbons with a minimum of 6 carbon atoms and
thus able to be easily changed into aromatics. However, in view of the recent specifications
concerning the restriction of benzene content, refineries will have to run C7+ feeds. The
corresponding initial cut point is around 80-100C.
Besides, the upper limit is chosen according to the gasoline final boiling point which must
be lower than 210C. As a matter of fact, the final boiling point temperatures between the
naphtha feedstock and the reformate increase by 20C to 30C during the reforming
process. The result is that the naphtha cut is limited at around the upper temperature of
180-185C.
In practice, this upper limit is chosen between 140C and 185C according to the
relative commercial requirements of gasolines and gas oil.
The quality specifications in relationship with volatility and the cut points are mainly:
the flash point, especially when the cut point between heavy gasoline and kerose is low
for Jet A1, the specification is: flash point (ABEL) 38C
for diesel fuels, flash point of the kerosene cut limits its incorporation rate
the final boiling point, which is related to the cold flow properties. The freezing point has
to be lower than 47C. From that point of view, the kerosene cut is an excellent base to
be used to improve the cold flow properties of the gasoil
Concerning the sulfur content, the following table compares the kerosene cut and the commercial
products.
On the basis of these figures, it is to be seen that desulfurization is generally not necessary when
sending the kerosene cut to the Jet A1 pool.
On the contrary, the presence of a too large amount of mercaptans imposes a sweetening process like
MEROX, KEROX or SULFREX to get rid of these impurities. This unit transforms the mercaptans into
non corrosive disulfide.
Sweetening processes
MEROX, SULFREX, ...
Kerosene cut Sweet cut
with mercaptans to JET A1 pool
D PCD 486 B
Hydrotreatment
Hydrosweetening
In view of the production of diesel fuels with less than 0.035% wt sulfur, or even less, the
hydrodesulfurization of kerosene cuts will become necessary as soon as the sulfur content of the
kerosene cut is larger than the specified value.
They must be desulfurized in proportion to the specification of sulfur content that become more and
more stringent. This operation is carried out in a catalytic hydrogen-consuming unit called a gas oil
hydrodesulfurisation unit.
Hydrogen
D PCD 487 B
0.3 to 2% wt sulfur Less than 0.1% wt sulfur
from HS crudes for heating oil pool
Mainly in European countries, large quantities of such products are needed and the refiner tries to
obtain the largest yields for these cuts. Cold flow properties - pour point and CFPP - limit the maximum
yield possibilities (maximum end boiling point at around 350 - 380C).
This temperature range of 350C to 380C can be considered as the maximum boiling
temperature which separates the light and medium cuts from the heavy cuts. The light and
medium cuts can be handled without heating and valorised as motor, engine, turbine fuels.
The heavy cuts will remain warmed inside the refinery in order to avoid congealing and to
allow normal flowing. Except in the case of special products (lube oils, bitumen), it is
necessary to transform the heavy cuts into light and medium cuts by conversion
treatments. The complexity of these treatments is related to the characteristics of the heavy
cuts obtained by distillation.
These heavy cuts are thus separated from the Vacuum Residue in order to contain few asphaltens
and metal contaminents, and to be easily processed in catalytic conversion units.
The refiners generally try to obtain the maximum yield of VGO/distillates, maximizing the final
boiling point around 550C to 600C.
Gas - LPG
(olefin rich)
F.C.C
D PCD 488 B
VGO / Distillates Cracked gasoline
Fluid Catalytic Cracking
C20 - C50 ( 50%)
Cracked
gas oil (LCO)
heavy cuts
Hydrogen
Gasoline
Gasoil
At the same time, this VGO cuts might be used as feedstocks for light base lubricating oil and
waxes manufacturing. The need for products with various viscosities requires the separation of three
to four distillates in the atmospheric distillation column.
Lube
base oil
LUBE OIL
VGO / Distillates MANUFACTURING
D PCD 490 B
Waxes
7- VACUUM RESIDUE
It is the "non-vaporisable" fraction of the crude oil. It is often called "the bottom of the barrel".
Cracked cuts
VISBREAKER
Cracked cuts
FLEXICOKER
Fuel gas
(gasified coke)
LMC
residues
F.C.C. Cracked cuts
Catalytic
conversion Hydrotreatment
Cracked and
D PCD 491 B
or
hydrotreated cuts
Hydroconversion
LMC : Low Metal Content
The following figure gives the general and simplified scheme of the initial fractionation of crude oil. The
successive steps are represented:
- fractionation into five cuts in a topping column. This atmospheric distillation column has
quite a large size: about 50 m high and around 8 m diameter corresponding to a 1000 t/d
capacity
At the top, the mixture of gas and gasolines come out, then three side stream cuts called
kerosene, light gasoil and heavy gasoil, and last the atmospheric residue at the bottom
+
debutanizer separating the gas C 4 and the gasolines C 5
deethanizer separating the fuel gas C 2 and the LPG C3 and C 4
depropanizer to separate the propane C3 from the butane C 4
gasoline splitter separating the two gasolines, i.e. the light gasoline including C5
and C6 and the heavy gasoline with C7 to C10/11
deisopentanizer to separate the isopentane (iC5) from the light gasoline
In order to maximize the yield of vacuum distillates, which can be valued in conversion catalytic unit as
FCC, one operates with a very high inlet temperature, and the lowest possible pressure. This causes a large
vaporization of the column feed.
Even if the aim of the different refineries in the same, numerous different schemes exist for the initial
fractionation of the crude oils. The following scheme is only an example.
Gas
11 C1 - C4
DEPROPANIZER
DEBUTANIZER
C3 - C4
CRUDE OILS STORAGE Gas + gasoline
Butane C4
Water C1 - C10/11
2.5
HEAT
Light gasoline Isopentane iC5
EXCHANGERS
1,5 C5 - C6
Gasoline
2.5
C 5+
DESALTER DEISOPENTANIZER
GASOLINE
ATMOSPHERIC SPLITTER
COLUMN
Deisopentanized
light gasoline
Water
Water + salts
C7 - C10/11 Heavy gasoline naphtha
Kerosene
STRIPPERS
HEAT Light gas oil
EXCHANGERS
60 To vacuum system
2.8 mbar
ATMOSPHERIC
Heavy gas oil
FURNACE
VACUUM
Atmospheric COLUMN
VGO/Distillate 1
residue
C20/25+
VGO/Distillate 2
Pressure in bar abs
Temperature in C
400 80
D PCD 054 B
VACUUM mbar
FURNACE Vacuum residue
30
40
Weight %
50
KEROSENE
60 GASOLES
70
80
DISTILLATE
90
R.S.V.
100
SPECIFIC GRAVITY 0.806 0.855 0.893 1.000 0.995
D PCD 385 G
API 44 34 27 10 10.7
SULFUR CONTENT
0.2 1.7 2.8 4.27 5.27
wt %
It can be noted the link between the specific gravity (Sp. gr. or API) and the yields in light cuts. The
specific gravity is an important criteria for crude oils which leads to the following classification:
Light crude oils: Sp. Gr. 0.800 to 0.830 - high yields in gasolines and intermediate distillates
Medium crude oils: Sp. Gr. 0.830 to 0.890
Heavy crude oils: Sp. Gr. 0.890 to 1.000
In the same time, an other chief quality criteria is the sulfur content which can vary between 0.04% wt and 6-
8% wt for the sulfur richest crude oils. Sulfur content drives the utilisation of desulfurization treatments in order
to reach the specifications of the different petroleum products. It can be distinguished into:
Low sulfur content crude oils (< 0.6% wt of sulfur) for which the cuts easily meet the
specifications
Medium and high sulfur content crude oils (> 0.6% wt of sulfur) which requires desulfurization
treatments
The other technical characteristics which can also be involved in the quality of crude oils are:
the pour point which is generally low enough so that the tanks have not to be heated. In
some cases, and sometimes for light crude oils, high pour points are observed due to high
paraffin contents. Some precautions, such as blending or preheating are to be taken to
allow transportation
The following tables shows the main quality criteria of the crude oils coming from:
MIDDLE EAST crude oils (Figure 1) of variables quality have almost all a high sulfur content
NORTH SEA and NORTH AFRICA crude oils (Figure 2) are rather light and low sulfur
WEST AFRICA crude oils are generally LS crude oils (Figures 3 and 4). Their naphthenic
character gives them a high specific gravity despite the fact that they generate good yields
of light product and intermediates
LATIN AMERICA crude oils (Figure 5) are generally heavy and high sulfur
FAR EAST and RUSSIA crude oils (Figure 6) are of variable quality
MIDDLE EAST
Murban Zakhum lower Duba Iranian light Iranian heavy Basrah light Kirkuk
Origin Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Duba Iran Iran Irak Irak
Viscosity 5,9 cSt to 10C 6 cSt to 10C 16,2 cSt to 10C 10,6 cSt to 10C 17 cSt to 10C 15 cSt to 10C 12,8 cSt to 10C
0 G
G G G G G G
10 N N N
N N N N
150C
20 150C 150C
150C 165C
150C
165C
30
K
K K GO
40 K
GO GO
GO K
K
GO K GO
50 GO 352C
345C
352C
60 375C
345C
375C VGO
70 375C VGO
VGO
VGO
VGO
550C
80 VGO VGO 550C 550C 550C
550C
90 550C VR
550C VR VR VR VR
VR
VR
100
1,6 % 3,09 % 4,36 % 3,2 % 3,4 % 4,7 % 5,8 %
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 055 E
% volume
2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training
Figure 1
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF 2/2
SOME CRUDE OILS
MIDDLE EAST
Kuwait Oman Qatar North field Arab Arab light Arab heavy Souedie
marine condensate extra light Safaniya
Origin Kuwait Oman Qatar Qatar Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Syria
Sp. gr. 0,869 0,858 0,862 0,755 0,836 0,855 0,888 0,909
Viscosity 10 cSt to 38C 34,3 cSt to 10C 17 cSt to 10C 1,29 cSt to 10C 5,8 cSt to 21C 10 cSt to 21C 37 cSt to 21C 150 cSt to 10C
0 G G G G G G
G G
N N
10 N N N
N N
150C 150C
20 150C 165C
165C 165C 165C
N
30 K K
K
K GO GO GO
K K
GO K GO GO
40 GO
345C
345C 145C 375C
50
375C
345C
60 375C 345C
VGO VGO
VGO
70 VGO
VGO K VGO 550C
VGO 550C
550C
550C
GO
80
550C 550C
VR VR
90 VR VR 550C
VR
VR
375C
VR
100 VGO
5,5 % 2,32 % 4,3 % 3,14 % 4,03% 5,9 % 6,97 %
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 055 F
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
Figure 2
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME CRUDE OILS
Viscosity 7,1 cSt to 10C 3,9 cSt to 10C 31 cSt to 5C 7,0 cSt to 10C 9,8 cSt to 10C 0,7 cSt to 20C
0 G G G G
G G
N
10 N
N N N
N
20 N 150C
375C VGO
80 VGO VGO
VGO VGO 180C
VGO
550C 550C
K 550C
90 550C 550C GO
VR 550C VR
VR VR VR VR
375C
100 VGO
1,25% 1,06% 2,23% 0,77% 0,63%
Sufur Sufur Sufur Sufur Sufur
D PPC 056 D
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
Figure 3
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME CRUDE OILS
Viscosity 3 cSt to 21C 6,9 cSt to 10C 10 cSt to 10C 36,9 cSt to 10C 7,6 cSt to 10C 14,5 cSt to 10C
0 G G G G G
G
N N
10 N N
150C
N
150C
20 N 165C 150C
30 165C
165C K K K
40 GO GO GO
K
50 GO K
GO
375C
K
60 GO
375C 375C
345C 375C
70
VGO
345C VGO VGO VGO
80 VGO
550C
550C 550C
VGO 550C
90 550C
VR VR
550C VR
VR VR
100 VR
0,51% 0,19% 1,15% 0,75% 0,47% 0,90%
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 059 E
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
Figure 4
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME CRUDE OILS
WEST AFRICA
Viscosity 179 cSt to 20C 72 cSt to 10C 6,9 cSt to 10C 17,4 cSt to 10C 8,3cSt to 20C 1,9 cSt to 20C
0 G G G G G
G
N
N N
10 150C N
150C 150C N
20 N
150C
K
GO 165C
30 K
GO
K
40 GO
375C
K K 165C
50 375C GO GO
VGO
60 K
345C GO
VGO
70 550C 375C
375C
550C
80 VGO 345C
VGO
VR VGO
VR
90 VGO
550C
550C 550C
VR 550C
100 VR VR VR
0,39% 2,33% 0,55% 0,56% 0,40%
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 059 F
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
Figure 5
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME CRUDE OILS
Tia juana Tia juana Bachaquero Isthmus Maya Cold lake North Slope
light heavy blend
Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela Mexico Mexico Alberta USA Alaska
Origin Canada
API 32,1 12,1 16,8 32,8 22 21,2 30,6
Sp. gr. 0,865 0,985 0,954 0,861 0,922 0,927 0,873
Viscosity 11 cSt to 39C 3 cSt to 50C 300 cSt to 38C 6 cSt to 38C 70 cSt to 38C 177 cSt to 20C 13 cSt to 20C
0 G
N G
G G G G
165C
N
150C N
K
10 N GO N N
N
K 150C
345C GO
20
165C 150C
150C 165C
375C K
30 GO K
VGO GO
K K
40 GO 345C 345C
GO
K
GO
VGO
50 345C VGO
550C 345C
VGO
345C
60
550C 550C
90 VR VR
VR
100
2,64% 3,77% 3,3% 3,62% 5,81% 2,21% 2,53%
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 058 D
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
Figure 6
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME CRUDE OILS
Sp. gr. 0,859 0,909 0,809 0,848 0,799 0,785 0,866 0,851
Viscosity 132 cSt to 50C 8 cSt to 50C 2,9 cSt to 10C 12,4 cSt to 50C 3,18 cSt to 20C 1,7 cSt to 20C 17,9 cSt to 10C 11,9 cSt to 20C
0 G G G G G G G G
N N
N N
165C
10 165C N
165C
K N N 165C
K GO 150C
20 K
GO
GO N
30 345C
150C 165C K K
345C GO GO
40 375C
165C
50 VGO VGO
K 375C
GO 375C
60 VGO K
K GO
550C 550C GO
70 VGO
VGO
345C
550C
80 345C
550C
VR VR
375C VR VGO 550C
90 VGO
VGO VR
VR
550C 550C 550C
100 VR VR VR
0,17% 1,37% 0,45% 0,17% 0,17% 0,84% 2,78% 0,43%
Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur Sulfur
D PPC 070 D
% volume
2008 - IFP Training
TYPICAL CRUDE OIL CHARACTERISTICS
Figure 7
Arabian
Taching Ekofisk Brent Kirkuk Safaniya Cold Lake Boscan Emeraude
Light
Characteristics
Specific gravity 0.8611 0.8085 0.8313 0.8575 0.8487 0.8871 0.977 0.999 0.912
API 32.7 43.4 38.6 33.4 35.1 27.9 13.2 10.1 23.6
Viscosity at 20C cSt 53.79 4.25 5.86 10.58 7.72 38.89 6349 160000 234
Sulfur wt % 0.090 0.140 0.29 1.79 1.97 2.85 4.11 5.50 0.60
Nitrogen ppm 1650 900 980 1200 1680 4200 6360 1400
Conradson Carbon wt % 2.80 1.24 1.69 3.58 3.8 7.9 13.1 14.9 7.6
Figure 8
Arabian
Taching Ekofisk Brent Kirkuk Safaniya Cold Lake Boscan Emeraude
Light
Cut yield wt % 70.58 33.85 42.03 43.79 46.48 59.82 81.76 85.30 68.09
Specific gravity 0.9038 0.9240 0.9222 0.9545 0.9508 0.9814 1.014 1.0272 0.9678
Sulfur wt % 0.1271 0.366 0.668 3.14 3.77 4.30 4.91 5.89 0.575
Nitrogen ppm 2300 3190 1990 1400 2430 2250 5100 6400 2200
Conradson Carbon wt % 4.0 2.5 3.5 7.6 9.2 13.2 14.0 18.1 9.0
Asphaltenes wt % 0.13 0.57 1.2 1.68 2.90 3.59 5.06 6.37 1.38
Figure 9
Arabian
Taching Ekofisk Brent Kirkuk Safaniya Cold Lake Boscan Emeraude
Light
Cut yield wt % 31.65 1.24 11.01 17.7 16.24 27.65 46.52 60.74 41.38
Specific gravity 0.9418 0.9753 0.9888 1.0224 0.0129 1.052 1.0615 1.062 0.989
Sulfur wt % 0.178 0.598 1.28 4.34 5.6 6.00 6.2 6.26 0.7
Nitrogen ppm 4200 6190 4490 2960 4600 4000 7600 9900 2800
Conradson Carbon wt % 9.50 14.8 25.6 20.3 26.9 27.7 27.0 24.0 16.5
Asphaltenes wt % 0.21 1.87 7.90 5.59 7.8 9.2 10.5 10.6 2.69