(21a) Developing Crude Pre-Treating Programs to Improve Downstream Operations

Crude oil is amongst the largest expense in a refinery. Some refineries will run more than 100 different crudes a year and various blends a day. This adds a level of complexity in the operation and can make meeting refining goals a major challenge. Crude oil contains various contaminants, which include water, and salts that can cause problems with corrosion and fouling in downstream units. Removal of these contaminants is essential to maximize refining profitability. The first step towards doing this is crude pre-treatment. Evaluating the use of pre-treatment programs before desalting can help improve desalter operation and performance. With the growing trend to process heavier crude oils having the flexibility to pre-treat certain crude blends can help avoid downstream upsets. For example, some crudes that are received via tanker ships can have problems with high water content that can cause water slugs downstream in the desalters. A proactive approach to receiving these type of crudes can avoid such problems.

This paper will cover guidelines that should be evaluated when looking at developing an optimum crude handling program. It will focus on the basic operational, mechanical and chemical elements that should be evaluated or implemented to improve crude quality before the desalter. Aspects such as testing and monitoring will also be reviewed. Examples of existing applications will be referenced.