Petrochemical Engineering-Lect-(05)

Murid Hussain, PhD

Department of Chemical Engineering, CIIT Lahore

30.09.2015.

Contents

u Primary Raw Materials

Natural Gas
Petroleum

Natural Gas
Chemical Composi-on and Energy Content
Chemical Composi-on
Primary component of natural gas is CH4 (shortest, lightest HC molecule)
Other components include: ethane(C2H6), Propane(C3H8), butane(C4H10)
and other gases
Common contaminants: H2S, Hg which must be removed prior to uses
Energy Content
CombusGon of one hundred cubic feet (1 ccf) of commercial quality natural
gas yields 1 therm (100,000 BTU, 30kWH)

Natural
Gas
Vehicles

Power
GeneraGon

NG
FerGlizers

Sources: Oil elds and natural gas elds

DomesGc
Use

Petroleum
Origin
Biogenic Theory
Geologist view crude oil, like coal and natural gas, as the product of compression
and heaGng of ancient vegetaion over geological Gmescales.
it is formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric marine animals and terrestrial plants

Organic maXer , mixed with mud, is buried under thick sedimentary layers of material.
High levels of heat and pressure cause the remains to rst into waxy materials (kerogen),
and then into liquid and gaseous HCs (Catagenesis).

These then migrate through adjacent rock layers unGl they become trapped underground
in porous rocks called reservoirs, forming an oil eld, from which liquid can be extracted
by drilling and pumping.

Alterna-ve Theories (Abiogenic Origin of Petroleum)

Thomas Gold was the most widely known Western proponent of the Russian-Ukrainian
theory of abiogenic petroleum origin.

It suggests large amounts of carbon exist naturally in the planet, some in the form of
Hydrocarbons (lighter than rocks so they seep upward).

Deep microbial life convert them into the various hydrocarbon deposits.
Composi-on
In rening, the component chemicals of petroleum are separated by disGllaGon

Renery based products: kerosene, benzene, gasoline, paran, wax, asphalt, etc.

GC, HPLC, GC-MS can separate some fracGons of petroleum into individual components

Petroleum consists: HCs and non-hydrocarbon fracGons (nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, V, Ni)

Boiling ranges of petroleum atmospheric pressure dis-lla-on frac-ons in oC

Petroleum ether: 40-70 C (used as solvent)
Light petrol: 60-100 C (automobile fuel)
Heavy petrol: 100-150C (automobile fuel)
Light kerosene: 120-150C(household solvent and fuel)
Gas oil: 250-350C(diesel fuel/heaGng)
Lubricant oil: >300C (engine oil)
Remaining fracGons: tar, asphalt, residual fuel
Extrac-on
First stage: Drill a well/wells into the underground reservoir to make
ExtracGon rate viable.

In some wells water, steam or various gas mixtures are pumped to rise or
maintain the reservoir pressure to maintain economic extracGon rate.

Oil will be forced to the surface under this pressure

Storage and processing

Calssica-on
Crude: locaGon of origin (West Texas Intermediate, WTI or Brent), relaGve
Weight or viscosity (light, intermediate or heavy), sweet(less S) or sour(more
S)
The world reference barrels are:
West Texas Intermediate(WTI) for North American oil
Dubai used benchmark for the Asia- Pacic region for Middle East Oil
Tapis (Malaysia, reference for light Far East oil)
Minas(Indonesia, heavy Far East oil)

OPEC Basket consists:
Arab Light Saudi Arabia,
Bonny Light Nigeria,
Fateh Dubai,
Isthmus Mexico(non-OPEC)
Minas Indonesia,
Saharan Blend Algeria,
Tia Juana Light Venezuela