Course Details

This course is appropriate for a wide range of professionals but not limited to:

• Process Engineers
• Operations Managers
• Production Supervisors
• Maintenance Engineers
• Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) professionals
• Refinery Operators
• Technicians
• Anyone seeking a foundational understanding of refinery operations.

• Expert-led sessions with dynamic visual aids
• Comprehensive course manual to support practical application and reinforcement
• Interactive discussions addressing participants’ real-world projects and challenges
• Insightful case studies and proven best practices to enhance learning

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the basics of crude oil and its composition and how it affects refining processes.
• Identify and explain key refinery processes, including distillation, catalytic cracking, hydrotreating, and reforming.§Understand the types of products produced in a refinery (e.g., gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG, petrochemical feedstocks).
• Recognize the environmental and safety considerations in refining operations, including waste management and regulatory requirements.
• Understand refinery economics, including cost analysis, production optimization, and energy management.
• Discuss modern refining technologies and their impact on efficiency and product quality.
• Identify trends in the refining industry, such as the shift towards renewable energy sources and sustainable practices.

DAY 1

Introduction to Oil Refining & Crude Oil Composition

• Welcome and introduction
• Pre-test
• Overview of the Petroleum Industry

• History and Evolution of Oil Refining
• Types of Crude Oil & Their Characteristics
• Refining and its Role in the Petroleum Value Chain

• Crude Oil Composition

• Hydrocarbons and Impurities in Crude Oil
• Understanding API Gravity, Sulfur Content, and Other Key Properties
• Importance of Crude Selection in Refining Processes

• Refinery Configuration and Flow Diagram

• Basic Refining Processes and Units
• Overview of Major Refining Operations

DAY 2

Refining Processes and Operations (Part 1)

• Distillation

• Principles of Atmospheric and Vacuum Distillation
• Components Separated in the Distillation Process
• Distillation Columns and Their Role

• Conversion Processes: Cracking and Reforming

• Introduction to Catalytic Cracking and Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
• Thermal Cracking vs. Catalytic Cracking
• Introduction to Catalytic Reforming

• Hydrotreating and Hydrocracking

• Introduction to Hydrogenation in Refining
• Hydrotreating vs. Hydrocracking
• Role of Catalysts in these Processes

DAY 3

Refining Processes and Operations (Part 2)

• Additional Refining Processes

• Isomerization and Alkylation
• Catalytic and Thermal Reforming
• Introduction to Gasification and Gas-to-Liquid Technologies

• Petrochemical Production from Refining

• Overview of Petrochemical Building Blocks: Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene
• Refining as a Source of Petrochemical Feedstocks
• Current Trends and Future Outlook in Petrochemical Integration

DAY 4

Refinery Economics, Safety, and Environmental Impact

• Refinery Economics

• Cost Structure and Profitability in Refining
• Supply Chain Management and Product Optimization
• Case Study

• Safety in Refining Operations

• Overview of Key Safety Protocols in Refineries
• Hazardous Operations and Process Safety Management (PSM)
• Best Practices for Maintaining Safe Operations

• Environmental and Regulatory Concerns

• Environmental Impact of Refining Processes (Air Emissions, Water Usage, Waste Management)
• Regulatory Frameworks (EPA, ISO 14001, etc.)
• Sustainability and the Role of Refineries in Green Energy Transitions

DAY 5

Modern Refining Technologies & Industry Trends

• Technological Advances in Refining

• Digitalization and Automation in Refining Operations
• Energy Efficiency Technologies and Process Optimization
• Smart Refineries: Integrating AI, IoT, and Data Analytics

• Emerging Trends

• Refining in the Age of Renewable Energy
• The Role of Refineries in Decarbonization and Green Fuels
• Innovations in Sustainable Refining: Biofuels, Hydrogen, and Circular Economy Models

• Final Review

• Reviewing Key Learning Points from the Course
• Case Study
• Q&A Session

• Post-test
• Certificate ceremony