The oil refining process generates a significant volume of wastewater that contains a suite of challenging contaminants, from hydrocarbons to heavy metals and organic compounds. Oil production at a refinery relies on efficient and reliable wastewater treatment as it is impossible for the facility to operate without treating its effluent. Issues with the wastewater treatment systems can result in production limitations, as well as significant environmental impacts and violations. These systems can be complex, and they are sensitive to upset conditions due to poor feed quality, unexpected contaminants, or equipment breakdown.
This presentation will discuss a significant upset condition that impacted both the primary and secondary wastewater treatment system at a large West Coast refinery. We will present the processes that allowed for detection of the upset, and the steps taken by the operations group, technical team, and vendor support that helped maintain target production rates and avoid any environmental violations or impacts. The mitigation steps allowed for storage and post-upset treatment of the problematic effluent streams. The technical team evaluated options for treatment and environmental compliance, and the water treatment vendor supplied specialty biological treatment technology to get the system back online as quickly as possible. All of this contributed to a successful upset response and the implementation of best practices that can help all refineries facing a wastewater oil contamination.
Moderator:
Dan Harbs, Veolia
Speakers:
Angela Wharton, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
Kai Zhang, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
The intersection of refining and petrochemical manufacturing has never been more significant as industries navigate the dual challenges of efficiency and sustainability. This session will explore the critical role of Perchloroethylene (PERC) in modern refining processes while also highlighting its applications in petrochemical production.
PERC is recognized as one of the safest catalyst activators during normal operations, as well as a regenerator for spent catalysts. Utilizing less efficient materials can necessitate larger quantities of hazardous substances being kept onsite, thus increasing exposure risks. Other chlorinating agents are either restricted by the EPA or are inherently more hazardous, making PERC a preferable option.
Attendees will gain insights into how PERC enhances refining technologies through processes such as isomerization and catalytic reforming, which help ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Industry experts will discuss the extensive benefits of utilizing PERC, emphasizing innovations that contribute to both safety and operational efficiency.
Moreover, we will review advancements in safety protocols that facilitate the effective handling of PERC, ensuring minimal exposure and adherence to rigorous regulatory standards. By fostering dialogue among leaders in refining and petrochemical manufacturing, this session aims to identify collective strategies for driving innovation and achieving sustainability goals within the industry.
1. Slop Oil Reprocessing 2. Vacuum Tower Washbed Maintenance
How do you reprocess slop oil in your refinery? Join us at this Town Hall session to discuss how others in the refining industry handle slop and best practices for success. Come share your experiences with the group and learn from industry experts about effective slop oil reprocessing techniques.
Refineries have increased focus on processing unfamiliar opportunity crude oils to improve profitability. However, the introduction of these new crude slates brings uncertainties that can impact refinery operations. One major challenge is crude incompatibility due to asphaltene instability, which affects desalters, emulsion stability, preheat trains and furnace fouling.
For decades, the industry has recognized the importance of tracking asphaltene stability. Suppliers and refineries employ diverse equipment to assess feeds stability including benchtop microscopy and titration equipment. Unfortunately, those methods can require time-consuming offsite laboratory testing.
Now, utilizing a portable, handheld near-infrared (NIR) analyzer, crude oil tanks and other refinery feeds can be assessed for stability and blending suitability with near instantaneous results. NIR spectra from crude oil samples are collected and compared against a database of crudes and crude unit feeds with known asphaltene stability parameters. Asphaltene stability parameters are modeled and reported with a stability assessment.
In the presentation, we will delve into the fundamentals of these available tools, showcasing real-world case studies where they have been successfully applied for crude blends and crude pretreatment to improve and optimize desalter operations and crude preheat train fouling.