Refineries (more precisely crude oil refineries) comprise a variety of different processing plants at one site where marketable products such as gasoline, diesel oil, plastics, fibres, detergents etc. are produced from crude oil in several processing steps. The production steps proceed at high temperatures causing the need of numerous firing plants in one refinery.

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The refining process starts with distillation of crude oil at atmospheric pressure and appr. 662°F, whereby gasoline, gas oil, or kerosine are separated. The residues are either utilized as heavy fuel oil or further processed in a vacuum distillation at 752°F to create lubricating oil or bitumen, for instance.

The great variety of products requested by the market, however, cannot be realized through distillation alone. Special processes are used to transform the crude oil distillates into light hydrocarbons (cracking processes) with following refinement steps (reforming processes). Both processes operate with the use of catalysts at temperatures of 932°F and above. The figure below shows schematically the distillation columns, the discharge of final and intermediate products and the exhaust gas (tail gas) treatment through incineration and purification.

Refineries are emission sources for pollutants such as SO₂, NO_x, H₂S, particulate matter and many hydrocarbons. Emissions result from diffuse as well as concrete sources, e.g. firing plants. Emission reduction is achieved by using appropriate fuels, special firing measures and flue gas purification plants.

Use of gas analysis for e.g.

• Optimum adjustment of the burner (fuel saving and preventive emission control)
• Monitoring the gas purification plant performance
• Monitoring emission concentrations (compliance with regulations)
• Ensuring safety of personell and plants (fire and explosion protection)

Process flow chart of a refinery (without measuring points)

Measuring tasks

Because of the very large variety of different plants in a single refinery complex no specific measuring point locations are mentioned here. Once more, however, it is referred to the large number of firing plants operated in a refinery for steam generation and tail gas incineration, which offer many applications to gas analysis.

Our reference handbook, "Flue Gas Analysis in Industry" is a helpful guide describing over 25 different industrial process applications.

Topics include:

• Where and how to test
• How and why testing can help your process
• Concentrations of combustion gas in application
• Regulations
• Calculation
• And more!