A UNIQUE TOOL FOR CRUDE MANAGEMENT

Didier Lambert, Julie Williams, Topnir Systems, 425 Rue Ren Descartes, Bt. C, 13857
Aix en Provence Cedex, France
Contact: Julie Williams, Topnir Systems, (508) 736-2696, julie.williams@topnir.com
Web site: www.topnir.com

1.

INTRODUCTION

Crude diet characterization is crucial for Refinery Optimization. It firstly affects the planning and
scheduling activities, and secondly affects optimization of the individual units as well as the blending of
final products. This is particularly important when special products are produced for instance paraffinic
and naphthenic lubricants and bitumen. A good understanding of the crude to the refinery has an impact
on the planning and affects all the Refinery operations.
Real time knowledge of crude properties is the only way to ensure that full value is extracted from the
crude in the refining activity based on simulated plant operation and product quality. This affects both the
allocation of the crude to the appropriate crude distillers, and also the setting of target yields and qualities
for process units.
Short terms fluctuations of feed properties introduces instability into the unit, necessitating larger
offsets from constraints. In the time frame of days, changes in the crude mix necessitate operational
changes: steady operation over a longer period enables better optimization of the unit by pushing
against the appropriate constraints.
A huge project was completed at Ecopetrol in 2005 aiming at identifying and characterizing the whole
crude production network, including both pumping station linked to inland wells and the two
Refineries located in Cartagena and Barrancabermeja.
This unique identification and characterization of Crude mixture obtained from Topnir (Topology NIR
Software) and Simcrude (Identification Software) lead to annual benefits of several Million USD, not
only for Crude operation itself but also for downstream activities such as Diesel Blending.
This paper describes this unique project as well as the technology and real cases results.

2.

OBJECTIVE OF ECOPETROL CRUDE PROJECT

The Project, named Crude Diet and Property Monitoring project, is dedicated to monitor the composition
of crude mixtures:

At two key pumping stations (Vasconia and Ayacucho) of the in-land crude pipe network
At the entry of the two refineries, Barrancabermeja (GCB) and Cartagena (GRC) refineries.

This information feeds the SENSOR monitoring system, defined as the network of NIR analyzers, the
Planning & Scheduling and IT systems.
This project includes also the characterization (monitoring of Crude properties) of the crude mixture feed
to the Topping units at Barrancabermeja and Cartagena Refineries.
This is sketched in the following context picture:

Import/Orito

EXPORT

Covenas

GRCartagena

E&S

PS Ayacucho

E&S
Cano
Limon

GCBarranca

Castilla

El Centro

PS Vasconia

PS Tenay

PS Porvenir

Figure 1: Crude mixture monitoring Scope

Previous Situation

Sensor
%

The Barranca Refinery (GCB) acquired its crude from various locations around the country, the
composition of which varied greatly in properties such as density, sulphur, salt content and volumetric
yield, which consequently varied the quality of the feedstock to the various crude units at the GCB.
The following 4 segregations occurred:
Cusiana for low sulphur ACPM (Diesel Grades) and reduced-crude was fed direct to Cracking
Unit
Cupiagua used for paraffinic lubricants
LCT used for naphthenic lubricants
Mezclado a mixture of more than 50 crude oils for the Demex-Unibon-VRII scheme and
Bitumen.
Although the types of crude to be segregated were well established, before launching the crude project the
refinery didnt have systems that allowed characterizing the quality (Assays) of the crude arriving to the
refinery. The only properties that were known are Salt and BSW. Moreover, there was no control on the
quality of the crude fed to each one of the process units, since the only consideration was an average API.
On occasion, the homogeneity of those feeds was not good due to differences between the Top, Middle
and Bottom samples, which lead to instability in the operation of the Topping units.
There were no tools in place to allow prediction of the composition of the prepared blend, therefore it was
impossible to know the yield of products in the Topping units. Also no tools were available to prepare
feeds to maximize distillate yield, since the only consideration was an average API. It is worth noting that
two crude oils with the same API can have different yields in one crude Unit.
Finally, with the processing of light crude, Topping units were constrained in their overhead systems
resulting both in constrained throughput and increased gas to fuel gas and to the flares.
One example is that some Cusiana crude was purchased in excess of the plan to ensure that low sulphur
diesel can be produced and to meet the cetane index in the Diesel pool. This resulted in sulphur and
Cetane giveaway and was attributed to uncertainties in the crude and component logistics systems.
For Cartagena Refinery (GRC), the refinery operations were reactive to the crude fed to the refinery as
they didnt know the crude that was in the blend. Crude was segregated according to API and sulphur, not
allowing for a proper assessment of product yields and quality prior to feed the CDU.
This situation produced a suboptimal operation of the Refinery, where the plant capacities were not
maximized.

New Situation after Project Completion

An integrated system to control, optimize and schedule the preparation of crude blends that are received
at Barrancabermeja and Cartagena Refineries, allows for, among other things:
Automation of transport and storage operations for the various crude that are received in GCB and
GRC Refineries
Preparation of feeds for each of the Topping Units that are sufficiently homogeneous to allow
greater stability in these units and for the type of blend defined as appropriate for the operational
requirements at the Refinery.
Preparation of feeds that allow maximizing the yield of valuable products, such as Jet A1 and/or
ACPM.
Preparation of homogeneous and optimum feeds for the preparation of bitumen and lubricants.

Forecasting the properties for the various intermediate or finished products that are produced both
in the Topping units as well as in the remaining process units in the refinery, to direct production
towards valuable products
To ensure raw materials regarding quality and quantity for process units downstream from topping
units.

The Crude composition is known before arrival. A combination of better information in the Ecopetrol
transportation pipeline and the use of Topology NIR technology to predict the composition of the crude
blend in the pipelines to the pumping stations and crude tanks at refineries GRC and GCB now addresses
this issue.
Once blend composition is known, product quantities and qualities of all streams in the refinery
configuration can be calculated such that refinery throughput is maximized and product qualities are
known.
A second stage, Phase 2, involves installing APC and optimization on the crude oil blender to trim the
blend within constraints given by Scheduling. This requires an on-line NIR located either on the
component streams or the blend headers to the Topping units.
Phase 2 allows the feeds to the individual topping units to be better optimized to take into account
transient effects. It will therefore give additional benefit in the areas of:
Prepare feeds that allow maximizing the yield of valuable products such as Jet A1 and/or ACPM
(Diesel Grade).

Prepare homogeneous and optimum feeds for Bitumen and lubricants preparation.

Forecast the properties for the various intermediate or end products that are produced in the
Topping units, to direct production towards valuable products and to ensure raw materials for the
process units downstream from said process.

3.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Crude Diet and Property Monitoring system is composed of:

Two new at-line NIR systems (AS200 Analyzer type using FTIR Spectrometer integrated in a
cabinet) located in the two key Pumping stations Ayacucho and Vasconia, named Slave 1 and 3.
Two existing off-line NIR systems upgraded at the refineries (GCB, GRC).
One new off-line NIR system at ICP (Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo, from Ecopetrol) for
development purposes.
Model and Software to provide crude identification" application to deliver crude diet/ratio of
pure crude.
Topology Model and Software to provide crude characterization" application to deliver CDU
feed properties (density, distillation (12 points), sulphur and TAN).
Additional on-line NIR systems planned in phase 2 on the Feed inlet of the CDU Plants at
Cartagena and Baranca Refineries.

The terminology applied to crude monitoring has been defined as follows:

Crude identification to measure the percentage of pure crude in any crude mixture;
Crude characterization to measure the exact properties of the crude itself.

Crude Identification
=crude finger printing
Crude diet
Crude composition
% crude equival.

Figure 2: Crude
Terminology

Crude
assay

Crude allocation
Economic &
Scheduling
Blending

API, sulphur,
TBP (12x)
TAN?

Crude characterisation
=Crude properties

Crude identification applies mainly at crude mixtures at the various pumping station but also at the
crude arriving at the refinery gate aiming at facilitating the crude allocation/segregation, but also for E&S
inputs.
Crude characterisation is mainly applied at the refinery on the CDU feed to monitor the quality of the
blend feeding the various CDUs / Topping units. Such data are used for crude blending
control/optimisation; this application will therefore be limited to the two refineries.
The Figures hereafter give an overview of the project complexity. The Figures 3 describes the complexity
of the crude oil network as existing in Ecopetrol operations.

Figure 3: Crude Flow sheet origins

Figure 4 details the application at Cartagena Refinery while Figure 5 shows the Crude flow sheet to be
considered in Barrancabermeja Refinery.

GRC - Application
TNP Scheduling

ECP COED
Crude Schedul.
Density,
Distillation (12x)
sulphur,
TAN

Import/Orito
4.2.4 Importados (IMP)
4.2.5 Orito (South blend) (ORIM)

TNP tanks

Covenas

Ratio (manual input)

Blending Control

%
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.1.5
4.1.6

CDU

24 h residence time

FRC

Mezcla 6 (COVM)
Mezcla 3 (VASM)
Tib-Zulia / Cao Limn (CZTM)
Pesado Vasconia (VASH)
Parafnico Vasconia (VASP)
Cusiana OCL (CSG)

4.3.1

4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3

Segregate

Mezcla 6 (COVM)
Mezcla 3 (VASM)
Livianos (LIVC)

Mezcla GRC (MGRC)

Phase 1 - Identification
Phase 1 - Identification + Only input to Charact.
Phase 1 - Only input to Characterisation
Phase 1 - Characterisation
Phase 1 - Preliminary identification
Phase 2

Figure 4: Cartagena Crude application context (types)

GCB December 2005

OMIMEX (Velasques)
Mezcla 3 + Castilla + Palagua +

2.7

2.6

2.7.1

Heavy/
pesada

Galan

2.6.1

Casabe

2.5.1

Pesado Vasc.

2.1.4

Cusiana OCL

2.1.3

2.8.5

Parafinico Vas. 2.1.2

2.8.3

Blending

PH8

K-966

2.8.1
2.5

K-3850

Vasconia
2.1

Ayacucho
2.2.

2.3

Payoa/Prov
2.4

El Centro

L
i
g
h
t

K-965

Cusiana

K-3851

Par Lube

Mezcla 3

2.1.1

Mezcal Ayacucho

2.2.1

Isla 6

2.2.2

Cano Limon

2.2.3

Tib-Zulia

2.2.4

Provi.
Payoa
HCT

Light
/liviana
2.8.2

H
e
a
v
y

b
l
e
n
d

bl
e
n
d

K-962

4 Classes - blend

K-963

Cano Limon

2.4.1

2.8.6

2.4.2

K-3852

2.9.3

Nap Lube
2.8.4

Pre-blend tanks
Blend tanks

2.9.2

PH2
K-822

(Some tanks store pure crudes and others store preblends)

Sampling point characterisation

P
r
a
f
n
c

b
l
e
n
d

K-961

2.3.1

Sampling point identification

b
l
e
n
d

K-964

K-800

2.3.2

LCT

C
u
s
i
a
n
a

K-804

2.9.4

K-805

K-102
K-816
K-817

U2000

U150

Spare ?

U2100

T250

2.9.5

2.9.1

K-801
K-802

U200

K-823

T204

Figure 5: Barrancabermeja Crude application context (types)

3.1 Modelling software / NIR calibration

NIR calibration is done through technology using Topology method and computer data base densification.
It integrates automatic outlier detection and prediction from the on-line NIR database in real time
densification.

TOPOLOGY NIR SOFTWARE

It is a chemometrics software that exploits the NIR spectra to determine a full vector of properties of the
hydrocarbon product.
The key features of the technology package are the Near Infra Red (NIR) hardware required to carry out
the analysis. It is the unique software enabling the information provided by the analyser to be modelled
and the multiple properties determined. It will then provide system integration to allow the properties to
be transferred to process advanced control system.
It is based on topology, works through pattern recognition and databank densification. It does not use
linear model for a set of properties (one model per property). The Model instantly delivers all the
properties required for a given application. Moreover, it offers the possibility of extrapolation from the
initial calibration range.
Concerning the treatment of outliers, the classical linear methods require a very heavy amount of work to
maintain the models. It can rapidly become a bottleneck when the application involves a lot of properties,
everyone requiring a specific calibration treatment.
The system takes into account any outlier and does not require any new calibrations of the models. It is a
self-learning method fitting perfectly with the reality of industrial operations.
The principle of the Topology is to represent spectra of n wavelengths to one point in a set of planes.
These planes are defined by some aggregates and are representative of particular chemical characteristics
(aromatic, unsaturated ratio, ). By this concept the spectral vision is reduced to some planes that allow
the quick and precise visualization of the quality of the analyses products.
Only one model is required to determine the full set of properties for one or several grades. Moreover the
technique is self-learning, as the model is automatically updated every time new point is entered in the
database. Thus, this approach offers a real opportunity to anticipate feed quality changes and to optimize
process CDU based on real-time quality determinations.
For Crude characterization, Topology unique proprietary technology is used through a chemometric
software that exploits the NIR spectra to determine a full vector of properties of the hydrocarbon product.
It offers a real opportunity to anticipate feed quality changes and to optimize process CDU based on realtime quality determinations.
One of the most obvious examples is the ability to predict TBP (True Boiling Point) of a crude mix to the
topping. The incentive is particularly important when refineries are switching crude qualities several
times per week and have difficulty tracking crude mixture in feed tanks. It is also possible by using
Topological NIR prediction on TBP Curve (True Boiling Point, Distillation curve for Crude) to calculate
the CDU products yields at given cut points.
The benefits from crude analysis are a function of the economics, but the reduction of feed transitions can
yield magnitude of gains, keeping the distillation unit closed to the optimum set of cut points and
throughput.
Thus, Topology model is used here to provide Characterization of the properties of the Topping units feed
for

o 5 blended crude, mixture of 5 crude pre-blends, at Barrancabermeja (GCB) refinery

o 1 blended crude, mixture of 5 crude pre-blends, at Cartagena (GRC) refinery.

CRUDE IDENTIFICATION SOFTWARE

This software has been developed, as an extension to the Topology modelling technique, to satisfy the
following requirements:
Predict the type of crude oil and the properties from an unknown sample
Predict the formulation of an unknown crude oil blend and its associated properties
Perform as a crude oil tank management tool
Thus, it is used as shown in Figures 3 to give the following information:

Identification of the composition in pure crude:

o For 15 families divided in 8 sampling points at Vasconia pumping station site
o For 7 families divided in 4 sampling points at Ayacucho pumping station site

Identification of the composition in pure crude:

o For 15 families divided in 7 sampling points at the Barrancabermeja (GCB) refinery
o For 11 families divided in 2 sampling points at the Cartagena (GRC) refinery

Identification of the composition in pure crude:

o For 6 families in crude pre-blends of the Barrancabermeja (GCB) refinery
o For 4 families in crude pre-blends and 1 imported crude family of the Cartagena
(GRC) refinery
Indeed, this identification Model is monitoring the crude % from samples collected at various sampling
points of the two major pumping stations (Ayacucho and Vasconia) as well as the crude % from samples
collected at Cartagena at the pipe entrance (1line) and at the tanks (3 ones) and the crude % from samples
collected at Barrancabermeja at the pipe entrance (7 lines) and at the tanks (10 ones).
The 2 software for Crude Identification and Characterization have been are delivered at ECOPETROL
sites:

Characterization Software installed on the laboratory PC at ICP (Institute Colombian of

Petroleum),

Barrancabermeja,

Cartagena

and

on

CDU

on-line

analyzers

at

Barrancabermeja, Cartagena on Phase 2.

Identification software installed on the laboratory PC at ICP, Barrancabermeja, Cartagena,

and on the at-line analyzers PC at Vasconia, Ayacucho.

One database for circa 100 in-land + 30 import crude oils for determination of % in mixtures
(identification)
One database/models for circa 100 in-land + 30 import crude oils for determination of streams
properties such as Distillation (12 points) i.e. % distillate at each cut point, degree API, sulphur
and TAN (characterization).
Note about distillation points: the points corresponding to the following 12 cuts are monitored:
CRUDE
C

Nafta Nafta Nafta Nafta Medios Medios Medios Gasoleo Gasoleo Gasoleo
CRED F
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
1
2
3
1560107- 152- 199249315371427482371+
5

60

107

152

199

249

315

371

427

482

565

3.2 NIR Systems / Functions

Five off/at-line NIR Analyzers are used. The database/models have been built on the master NIR to be
installed in ICP while four slaves analyzers are installed, one in each two pumping stations (PS) and the
two refineries, to monitor both crude diet and crude properties (only in the refineries).
On-line NIR Analyzers on Refinery CDU Plants Feed lines will be used for Crude characterization on
phase 2.
The databases have been then transferred to these four slave spectrometers.
The transfer occurred in three steps according to complexity of the crude diet.
The four slaves apparatus for Phase 1 are used actually:
For monitoring the crude % from samples collected at various sampling points of the two major
pumping stations (Ayacucho and Vasconia).
For monitoring the crude % from samples collected at Cartagena at the pipe entrance (1line) and at
the tanks (3 ones), and monitor the properties of the blended stream (1line).
For monitoring the crude % from samples collected at Barrancabermeja at the pipe entrance
(7lines) and at the tanks (10 ones), and monitor the properties of the blended stream (4 lines).

4.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

TBP (True Boiling Point) prediction of a pure crude or a crude blend is achieved by NIR Topology model
which procures a unique advantage in daily operations. Indeed, Advanced Control strategies have been
constrained by mainly poor availability of on-line analyzers and dubious robustness of inferential models
for stream qualities, especially during transients.
It is also possible by using Topology NIR prediction on TBP Curve (True Boiling Point, Distillation curve
for Crude), to calculate the CDU products yields at given cut points.
All the database work (update, compilation, studies, check up) is done off-line, on the laboratory PC.
A typical example of screen display is shown on Figure 6 below.

Figure 6: Topology NIR Crude Characterization Screen display

CRUDE
C

Nafta
1
1560

Nafta
2
60107

Nafta
3
107152

Nafta
4
152199

Medio
s1
199249

Medio
s2
249315

Medio
s3
315371

Gasoleo
1
371427

Gasoleo
2
427482

Gasoleo
3
482565

The Identification software is a chemometrics tool that exploits the NIR spectra to determine the % of the
pure crude in a crude blend.
Typical Crude identification is shown in the Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: Crude Identification Software Screen display

The complexity of the crude oil in-land and Import at ECP is very high. The list of crude oils that have
been identified in mixtures and characterized is shown hereafter.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46

ANG
TIB
YAR
ZUL
CCN
CSB
CST
GAL
HCT
LCT
PAY
PRO
SEG
TOQ
TOT
VEL
RSA
ARA
CLM
ALB
BC1
BC4
BRE
CAB
CND
ESC
FNV
FOR
GUF
HEI
KRP
KUI
LEO
LGT
LOR
MAR
MDN
MEN
MRL
MRY
OTE
PED
PIL
QUA
SCH
TLL

CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
TOQUICRUDO
CRUDO
Crudo
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO
CRUDO

CARROTANQUE
ANGEL,TIS
AYACUCHO
TIBU,BARCOS
18,18 TIBU
AYACUCHO
YARIRI
??
YARIRI
AYACUCHO
ZULIA
18,18 ZULIA
AYACUCHO
COCORNA
14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
BARRANCA
CASABE
Blends 17,18 CASABE
CASTILLA Blends 14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
BARRANCA
GALAN
Blends 16,17 GALAN
BARRANCA
LIS.-HCT
Lisama blends
16,17 LA CIRA
BARRANCA
LCT
16,17 EL CENTRO
PAYOA
BARRANCA
Mz.payoa-sal MEZCLA Blends?
BARRANCA
PROVINCIA Blends 16,17 PAYO
Segundo
14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
TOQUI
Truck
14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
TOTARE
Truck
14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
VELASQUEZ
14,15 VELASQUEZ 26BARRANCA
Rio Saldaa
COMBUSTIBLE COMBUSTIBLE
ARAUCA
10,11 C. LIMON
COVENAS
C. LIMON
10,11 C. LIMON
COVENAS
ALBA
IMPORT
IMPORT
BCF-22
IMPORT
IMPORT
BCF-24
IMPORT
IMPORT
Brent Blend
IMPORT
IMPORT
Cabinda
IMPORT
IMPORT
CANADON SECO
IMPORT
IMPORT
ESCALANTE
IMPORT
IMPORT
Foinaven
IMPORT
IMPORT
Forcados
IMPORT
IMPORT
Gull Faks
IMPORT
IMPORT
Heidrun
IMPORT
IMPORT
CARIPITO
IMPORT
IMPORT
Kuito
IMPORT
IMPORT
LEONA-22
IMPORT
IMPORT
LAGOTRECO
IMPORT
IMPORT
LORETO
IMPORT
IMPORT
MARLIM
IMPORT
IMPORT
MEDANITOS
IMPORT
IMPORT
Menemota
IMPORT
IMPORT
MARALAGO
IMPORT
IMPORT
MEREY
IMPORT
IMPORT
ORIENTE
IMPORT
IMPORT
Pedernales
IMPORT
IMPORT
PILON
IMPORT
IMPORT
Quaiboe
IMPORT
IMPORT
Schiehallion
IMPORT
IMPORT
Troll
IMPORT
IMPORT

47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94

APA
BAR
CHA
CHI
CPE
CRI
CRS
CSI
CSP
CST
CUP
CUS
EST
FLO
GAE
GAN
GLN
GLO
GUR
JOR
JTP
JUN
LRF
MOR
ORO
PLT
RUB
SAR
SIA
SJP
TOC
TOR
TRI
ORI
AND
BAC
DIN
GIG
GUA
ORT
PAL
PLR
PUR
RCB
SF1
TEO
TOL
YAG

EBA - APIAY PORVENIR

CRUDO
APIAY
Blends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Barquerea CANO GARZA
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Chaparrito GAVAN 7,8
EBA - Castilla PORVENIR
CRUDO
CHICHIM.
Blends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CASANARE PESADO
Blends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CASANARE RIO PAUTO Blends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Cravo Sur
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CASANARE INTERMEDIOBlends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CASANARE PARAF
Blends 7,8
EBA / APIAY PORVENIR
CRUDO
CASTILLA Blends 7,8
CRUDO
CUPIAGUA Blends 12,13 CUPIAGUA-CPFPORVENIR
CRUDO
CUSIANA
Blends 12,13 CUSIANA-CPF PORVENIR
---------->
PORVENIR
CRUDO
Estero-1
SANTIAGO
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
La Flora
Cravo Sur7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Cao Garza Este
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Cao Garza Norte
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Gloria Norte GLORIA 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Lagloria
7,8
SANTIAGO/MANI
PORVENIR
CRUDO
GUARIMENA ?
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Jordan
SARDINAS
7,8
SANTIAGO/MANI
PORVENIR
CRUDO
TROMPILLOS?
7,8
SANTIAGO/MANI
PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Juncal
?
7,8
EBA Reforma PORVENIR
CRUDO
LIB.REFORMA
Blends 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Morichal
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CAO LA
HERMOSA
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Palmarito
GAVAN 7,8
7,8
---------->
PORVENIR
CRUDO
Rubiales
SANTIAGo
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Sardinas
7,8
EBA - Suria
PORVENIR
CRUDO
SURIA
Blends 7,8
SANTIAGO
7,8
---------->
PORVENIR
CRUDO
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Tocaria
7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
Crudos Casanare
Los Toros
GAVAN 7,8
ARAGUANEY PORVENIR
CRUDO
TRINIDAD
7,8
ORITO
TUMACO
CRUDO
MZ. SUR
MEZCLA Blends?
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
ANDALUCIA
3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
BALCON
3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
DINA (list)
Direct
3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
Crudo
Gigante
DINA
3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
Guando
?
SANTA RITA VASCONIA
CRUDO
MZ ORT-PACMEZCLA Blends?
PALAGUA
VASCONIA
CRUDO
PALAGUA Blends 5,6
TENAY
VASCONIA
Crudo
Palermo
DINA
3,4
PURIFICACION VASCONIA
CRUDO
Mz Pur-mat MEZCLA Blends?
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
RIO CEIBAS TELLO 3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
SAN FCO
Direct
3,4
TENAY
VASCONIA
Crudo
Tello
Direct
3,4
TOLDADO
VASCONIA
CRUDO
MZ TOL-QUIMMEZCLA Blends?
TENAY
VASCONIA
CRUDO
YAGUARA Direct
3,4

Moreover, the NIR Topology system is able to predict outlier as shown on the figures hereafter
where the spectra, the location of sample compared to the box is displayed as well as the
prediction obtained.
This is a unique advantage of this technology.

Benefits
It is expected that implementation of Phase 1 (At-line systems) allows for Barrancabermeja Refinery 10%
of Blending Product Optimization leading to an Annual Benefit of several MUSD.
For Cartagena Refinery, the estimated benefit for better crude characterization and optimization is an
increase in crude throughput from additional crude processed in the refinery leading also to an estimated
amount of several MUSD per year. Crude management takes half of this benefit and the other half is
attributed to Scheduling tools. 20% of the Product giveaway is also attributed to better crude
management.
The second stage, Phase 2, involves installing APC and optimization on the crude oil blender to trim the
blend within constraints given by Scheduling. This requires an on-line NIR located either on the
component streams or the blend headers to the Topping units.
Phase 2 allows the feeds to the individual topping units to be better optimized to take into account
transient effects. It will therefore give additional benefit in the areas of:
Prepare feeds that allow maximizing the yield of valuable products such as Jet A1 and/or ACPM
(Diesel Grade).

Prepare homogeneous and optimum feeds for Bitumen and lubricants preparation.

Forecast the properties for the various intermediate or end products that are produced in the
Topping units, to direct production towards valuable products and to ensure raw materials for the
process units downstream from said process (i.e., Cracking, Demex, Unibon and Lubes).

It is currently estimated that this phase gives an additional benefit of about 1% throughput on the Topping
units.

5.

CONCLUSION
The unique and attractive capability of Topology NIR technology represents a revolution in
Oil Industry.
Thus, this technology is able to provide two key information:

Direct identification and quantification in ratio of Pure Crude composition in an

unknown crude mixture.
Real time measurements of full property vector for any Pure Crude and Crude
mixture, including full TBP curve, TAN, Sulphur and Degree API within ASTM
warranty, in less than one minute.

The unique system installed at Ecopetrol Sites is managing a network involving more than
100 Crude oils throughout the country.
The Identification and Characterization of Crude mixture lead to annual benefits of several
Millions USD, not only for Crude operation itself but also for downstream activities such as
Diesel Blending.