The Petroleum Life-Cycle

Presented By: Russell Wiltse

November 28, 2006

CHE 555

Overview Origins of Petroleum Extraction from earth Refining operations Gas Tanks and Pocketbooks

Origins Petroleum = Rock Oil Dead organisms’ organic material accumulates

in aquatic environments Buried in a reducing environment Gradual increase in Temp. and Pressure Petroleum is an intermediate of a process that

ends with methane and graphite

Origins (cont.) Organic material is converted to Kerogen and

Bitumen (high molecular wt.) Kerogen – insoluble Bitumen – soluble

Nature of kerogen determines whether oil or gas Wood derived – gas Surface coatings of plants – waxy oils Algae, aquatic organisms – normal crude

Composition Saturates, aromatics, and compounds with

sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen

Sweet crude – low sulfur (>1.5 wt%) Sour crude – high sulfur (<1.5wt%)

Extraction (Drilling) Rotary Drilling

Roller bit Drill pipe Drilling fluid (mud) is pumped through drill pipe

Mud carries drill cuttings out Enough pressure to stop cave-in or seep-in Cool the bit

Casing – most of well cost Depths Range 200-20,000 ft, Pressures < 10,000 psi

Extraction (Pumping) Natural flow Gas lift Rod or beam pumping Hydraulic pumping Submergible electric pumping

Extraction (Enhanced Recovery)

Fluid injection Steam Drive Steam Soaking Underground generation of heat – in situ

(fire flooding)

Extraction (Marine) Issues

Re-entry systems Blowout preventer

controls Risers Dynamic positioning

controls

Extraction (field separation) Crude contains gases, water, and dirt Decant Sand filtration

Subsector VOC NOx HAP

Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas 60,040 178,207 2,846

Natural Gas Liquids 34,195 187,278 899

Drilling Oil And Gas Wells 59 753 20

Oil And Gas Exploration Service 12 13  

Oil And Gas Field Services, NEC 243 542 1

  Total, all oil and gas extraction (tons/yr) 94,549 366,820 3,766

Refining °API = [141.5/specfic gravity at 60°F] – 131.5

Water = 10 Crude ~ 35-40 range

Refining (simplified!)

Pipe Still Distillation column (< 350°C) Atmospheric cuts

Naphtha, kerosene, light gas oil

Vacuum cuts (50-100 mmHg, OH~150°C) Heavy gas oil, lube oil, vacuum gas oil, residuum

Coker Conversion of heavy feedstock into lighter

distillate products (gas oil, coke) Delayed Coking

Semi-continuous Feed is vacuum resid 480-515°C, 24 hour run time

Fluid coking, Flexi-coking

Fluid Catalytic Cracking Vacuum gas oil (VGO)

is feed Fluidized bed Zeolite catalyst –

aluminosilicates Continuous catalyst

regeneration

Hydrotreating Gas oil feeds Removing sulfur and nitrogen Fixed bed catalytic process – Co, Mo, W Products – hydrogen sulfide, ammonia ~350°C, 500-1000 psi Effluent stream stripped and scrubbed Sulfur used in fertilizer production

Reformers Very important in gasoline market Heavy naphtha feed

Straight run, coker naphtha

Converts long chain paraffins to high octane rating olefins (dehydrogenation)

~550°C, 400-1000 psi Fixed bed - Platinum

Isomerization Provide feed for alkylation units (isobutane) Aluminum chloride catalyst

Alkylation Olefins reacted with paraffins to form isoparaffins Acid catalyst (sulfuric acid) High octane gasoline additive

Pollution FCC – Primary pollution source in refinery

Flare emissions Seal leaks Coke

FCC Air Pollution 50,000 BPD Unit

  90's (tons/day) Now (tons/day)

Fine Catalyst Particles

2-3 < 0.5

NOx 3-4 < 0.7

SOx 0.5 < 0.5

CO 1.5-2 < 0.3

Gasoline and Diesel Ratings Octane Rating (gasoline)

Ability to avoid knocking in a single cylinder engine Isooctane (C8H18) rating 100, heptane rating 0

Equivalent knocking at volume percentage

Cetane Rating (diesel) Ability to ignite quickly Cetane (C16H34) rating 100, heptamethylnonane 15 Usually 30-60 range

Gas PricesGasoline Diesel

Gas Prices (cont) 2005 Gasoline Excise Taxes

Federal 18.4¢/gallon Average State 21¢/gallon Wisconsin 32.9¢/gallon

Estimate tax revenue: 9.16 million bbls gasoline/day 2005: $60 billion 4.6 million bbls diesel/day 2005: $35.5 billion 7.0 million gal gasoline/day WI 2004: $840 million

Causes of 2005 Gas Price Increase Increase in crude price (Jan $42, Sept $70)

Worldwide demand increased dramatically

Katrina Took out 25% of US crude production 15% of refining capacity Some pipelines were shutdown Had to increase imports

References Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology,

Copyright John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Online Edition Shell Book Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook, pg 359-363 Pump Handbook 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Knovel, pg www.energy.gov www.eia.doe.gov/basics/energybasics101.html www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/diesel/dieselprices200

6.html www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/e

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