About this webinar

If not monitored, incompatible crude blends will create process issues across a refinery that can lead to downtime, equipment repairs, and loss of production and revenue.

When crudes are mixed, these blends can disrupt the balance of the individual crude components - saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes - leading to compatibility issues.

Asphaltenes are solid particles in the bulk oil. They are the heaviest and most polar component within crude oil. When blending them with saturates (i.e. paraffins), the solvency of the asphaltenes in the crude blend is limited. Resins and aromatics within the crude can stabilise them; however, if the ratio of resins and aromatics to saturates is disrupted, asphaltenes can fall out of solution (destabilised) and create challenges for refiners.

Water and process treatment programmes involving mechanical, operational, and chemical solutions are the solution. The strength of their performance requires effective upfront crude stability testing and subsequent modelling of the data by experts, who have experienced treating different crude types. This combination can ensure the power of the model is used effectively to maximise the value of a refiner’s assets.

Speakers

Wesley Teasdale | Regional Technical Specialist

Timothy Oubre | Downstream Technical Group Manager