INTERNSHIP REPORT

HEAVY CRUDE UNIT (OPERATIONS)

SUBMITTED BY:
USAMA SHAKIL

SERVICE # 361556
Student, B.Sc. Chemical Engineering
University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore

DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONS

ATTOCK REFINERY LIMITED

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The preparation and writing of this report faced many challenges, as I have tried to
cover complete Heavy Crude Unit in this report. The report could not have been
researched, compiled and written in these circumstances without the assistance of
HCU Plant Staff and Manager.
I am highly indebted to Engr. Arshad Nazir (Manager Operations) and also my
seniors Engr. Daniyal (Trainee Engineer), Engr. Ali Hudaib (Trainee Engineer)
and Engr. Salmaan Javaid (Trainee Engineer) for

their guidance, effective

discussions, answering my questions regarding plant operations and for providing

necessary information regarding preparation of this report.
I assure the reader that this may be my first report of its own kind, but at least for a
while, I have put a bit of "heart and soul" into it! Therefore, I hope that you will find
this report immensely educative & informative.

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1
HISTORY ............................................................................................................................1
DEPARTMENT OF HSEQ ..........................................................................................................1
IMPORTANCE....................................................................................................................1
PERSONAL PROTECT EQUIPMENTS ............................................................................1
DEALING WITH FIRE HAZARDS ...................................................................................2
DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONS ...........................................................................................3
HEAVY CRUDE UNIT .................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................4
CRUDE OIL ...................................................................................................................................4
PLANT FEED ................................................................................................................................5
PLANT PRODUCT .......................................................................................................................6
PLANT SECTIONS .......................................................................................................................6
1ST PRE-HEAT TRAIN .................................................................................................................6
DESALTING SECTION ...............................................................................................................7
FUNCTION OF DESALTIONG .........................................................................................7
DESALTING AT HCU .......................................................................................................8
2nd PRE-HEAT TRAIN .................................................................................................................9
HEAVY CRUDE FRACTIONATOR CHARGE HEATER ...............................................9
ATMOSPHERIC FRACTIONATION ......................................................................................11
PUMP-AROUNDS ............................................................................................................12
TCR ....................................................................................................................................13
MCR...................................................................................................................................14
LCR ....................................................................................................................................14
SIDE-STRIPPERS .............................................................................................................14
LIGHT WEIGHT KEROSENE .................................................................................................15
HIGH SPEED DIESEL ...............................................................................................................16
LIGHT DIESEL OIL ..................................................................................................................17
FRACTIONATOR BOTTOM....................................................................................................18

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VACUUM DISTILLATION .......................................................................................................19
VACUUM GENERATION ...............................................................................................20
NAPHTHA STABILIZTION .....................................................................................................20
REFLUX TO HC-V-001....................................................................................................20
NAPHTHA STABILIZER (HC-V-006) ............................................................................20

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

INTRODUCTION
Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) is the pioneer in crude oil refining in the country with its
operations dating back to the early nineteen hundreds (1900s). Backed by a rich experience of
more than 80 years of successful operations, ARLs plants have been gradually upgraded / replaced
with state-of-the-art hardware to remain competitive and meet new challenges and requirements.

HISTORY: It all began in February 1922, when two small stills of 2,500 barrel per day (bpd)
came on stream at Morgah following the first discovery of oil at Khaur where drilling started on
January 22, 1915 and at very shallow depth of 223 feet 5,000 barrels of oil flowed. After discovery
of oil in Dhulian in 1937, the Refinery was expanded in late thirties and early forties. A 5,500 bpd
Lummus Two-Stage-Distillation Unit, a Dubbs Thermal Cracker Lubricating Oil Refinery, Wax
Purification facility and the Edeleanu Solvent Extraction unit for smoke-point correction of
Kerosene were added. There were subsequent discoveries of oil at Meyal and Toot (1968).
Reservoir studies during the period 1970-78 further indicated high potential for crude oil
production of around 20,000 bpd. In 1981, the capacity of Refinery was increased by the addition
of two distillation units of 20,000 and 5,000 bpd capacity, respectively. Due to their vintage, the
old units for lube/ wax production, as well as Edeleanu, were closed down in 1986. In 1999, ARL
commenced JP-1 pipeline dispatches and in 2000, a Captive Power Plant with installed capacity
of 7.5 Megawatt was commissioned. Another expansion and up gradation project was completed
in 1999 with the installation of a Heavy Crude Unit of 10,000 bpd and a Catalytic Reformer of
5,000 bpd. ARLs current nameplate capacity stands at 43,000 bpd and it possesses the capability
to process lightest to heaviest (10-65 API) crudes.

DEPARTMENT OF HSEQ
IMPORTANCE:
As working for an oil refinery, where we are dealing with huge quality of hydrocarbons and
inflammables etc., it is necessary to take some special measurements and precautions to avoid any
major harms i.e. life loss.
Hence, to ensure health and safety of its employees, contractors, and customers and work for
continual improvements in Health, Safety, Environment and Quality systems, ARL has a
department to manage these affairs, under the name tag HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT
& QUALITY (HSEQ).

PERSONAL PROTECT EQUIPMENTS (PPEs)

Before entering in battery limit of any plant, following PPEs must be used for safety:
Helmet:

Refinery operations are a combination of mechanical and chemical operations,

where there is a possibility that falling of any equipment on head can cause
immediate death.

Goggles:

Eyes are the most sensitive part of a human body, to protect them from hazardous
gasses and chemicals, goggles must be used on field.

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

Shoes:

On field, there can be some maintenance of any equipment for which all chemicals
are drained out, so protect our feet from such hazardous chemicals proper dedicated
shoes must be wore on field.

Ear-muffs:

Mechanical operations are all noisy operations e.g. working of a pump,

condenser, compressor etc. and so while on field earmuffs must be worn to
protect our ears from noise pollution.

DEALING WITH FIRE HAZARDS:

Fire is produced by reaction of
Fuel
Ignition (Temperature)
Oxygen (Air Supply)
We can deal with fire by remembering just the following few points and using our reflexes at the
right time.
WHATS ON FIRE?
WHAT TO DO?
HOW IT WORKS?
Solid materials (wood, Water at very high Water removes heat from the fire. This is possible
carpet)
flow rate
through waters ability to absorb massive amounts
of heat by converting water to water vapor., hence
fire is extinguished
Liquid Materials (oils, 3% foam added to Water cant be used directly over oils, petrol because
petrol)
water and sprayed
they have less density than water and water cant
cover them, rather water settles down. When 3%
foam is mixed with water it gets less dense then oils,
petrol and hence cuts off O2 supply.
Explosive Metals
Phenomenon
of Water extinguishes fire by smothering the fire.
smothering is used. When water is heated to its boiling point, it converts
to water vapor. When this conversion takes place, it
dilutes the oxygen in the air with water vapor, thus
removing one of the elements that the fire requires
to burn.
Electrical Appliances
DCP Extinguisher DCP fire extinguisher contains dry chemical powder
(control
panel, (Dry
Calcium (Sodium Bicarbonate) in container having CO2
computer)
Powder)
cartridge. The powder contains approximately 80%
of NaHCO3. When in contact with fire, it dissociates
in CO2 and H2O, thus depleting the surrounding
atmosphere from the oxygen necessary to sustain the
fire and at the same time lowering the temperature
by absorbing energy to dissociate. In addition, a
layer of powder will be deposited on the mass. Direct
contact with the surrounding air becomes
impossible, thus preventing re-ignition of the fuel.

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONS
PLANTS:
Operations Department is the largest department in Attock Refinery Limited. Its staff operates:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Heavy Crude Unit (HCU)

Howe Baker Unit (HBU) I
Howe Baker Unit (HBU) II
Reformer
Lummus

formerly known as New Distillation Unit NDU I

formerly known as New Distillation Unit NDU II

It also controls an effluent treatment plant for producing prime quality products in an environment
friendly manner.

PRODUCTS:
The products include LPG, Premium Motor Gasoline, Jet Fuels, Kerosene, Diesel, Furnace Fuel
Oil and various grades of Bitumen.

REFINING CAPACITY:
All crude is extracted with in Pakistan.

HEAVY CRUDE UNIT CAPACITY:

10000 barrels per day

REFORMER UNIT CAPACITY:

5000 barrels per day

HOWE BAKER UNIT I CAPACITY:

20000 barrels per day

HOWE BAKER UNIT II CAPACITY:

5000 barrels per day

LUMMUS UNIT CAPACITY:

5000 barrels per day

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

HEAVY CRUDE UNIT

INTRODUCTION
The Heavy Crude Unit (HCU) in ARL is a fully integrated two stage crude distillation unit and
offers lucrative process scheme derived from the optimization of study of Pinch Technology. The
function of HCU is to exact useful fractions from Crude Oil i.e. refining of Crude Oil.
The fractionation is accomplished in two fractionation towers and Naphtha Stabilizer in
association with heating, cooling and control of various variables which affect the composition
and boiling range of the various products. The heavy Crude unit is being controlled at Central
Control Room (CCR).

CRUDE OIL
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Crude oil is a dark, sticky liquid which scientifically speaking is a hydrocarbon. Crude oil is highly
flammable and can be burned to create energy.

COMPOSITION:
Crude oil is a compound containing carbon and hydrogen, with or without non-metallic elements
such as oxygen and sulfur.
The hydrocarbons present in crude oil are classified into three general types:

Paraffins
Oelifins
Naphthenes
Aromatics

The basic raw material for refinery is crude oil. The chemical compositions of crude oils are
uniform, but their physical characteristics vary widely. The elementary composition of crude oil
usually falls within the following ranges:
Carbon
Hydrogen
Sulfur
Nitrogen

84-87%
11-14%
0-3%
0-0.6%

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

EXTRACTION:
Crudes from different sources have different make-ups. Some may have more of the valuable
lighter hydrocarbons and some may have more of the heavier hydrocarbons.
When crude oil comes out of a well (especially an undersea well), the crude oil is often mixed with
gases, water and sand. It forms an emulsion with the water that looks a bit like caramel.
The main Methods to extract the crude oil are:
1. Gravimetric method
2. Magnetic method
3. Seismic method

PLANT FEED
The feed of Heavy Crude Unit is Heavy Crude Oil and Light Crude Oil which is extracted from
all over Pakistan.

Heavy Crude Oil:

Heavy crude oil or extra heavy crude oil is oil that is highly viscous, and cannot easily flow to
production wells under normal reservoir conditions. It is referred to as "heavy" because its density
or specific gravity is higher than that of light crude oil. Heavy crude oil has been defined as any
liquid petroleum with an API gravity less than 20.
Physical properties that differ between heavy crude oils and lighter grades include higher viscosity
and specific gravity, as well as heavier molecular composition. Contains heavy oils and asphalt
that are dense non-aqueous phase liquids.
The capacity of HCU at heavy crude feed charge is about 10, 0000 11,000 BPSD

Light Crude Oil:

Light crude oil is liquid petroleum that has a low density and flows freely at room temperature. It
has a low viscosity, low specific gravity and high API gravity due to the presence of a high
proportion of light hydrocarbon fractions. It generally has a low wax content.
Light crude oil receives a higher price than heavy crude oil on commodity markets because it
produces a higher percentage of gasoline and diesel fuel when converted into products by an oil
refinery.
The clear cut definition of light and heavy crude varies because the classification is based more on
practical grounds than theoretical. Generally light crude oil is defined as being between 37 API
(840 kg/m3) and 42 API (816 kg/m3).
The capacity of HCU at light crude feed charge is about 7, 000 8,000 BPSD

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

PLANT PRODUCTS
The unit produces:
NAPHTHA
KEROSENE
HIGH SPEED DIESEL (HSD)
LIGHT DIESEL OIL (LDO)
JUTE BATCHING OIL (JBO)
FURNACE FUEL OIL (FFO)
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG)
PAVING GRADE ASPHALTS

PLANT SECTIONS
The Heavy Crude Unit (HCU) in ARL is a fully integrated two stage crude distillation unit and
comprise of the following sections:
1. 1st Pre-Heat Train
2. Desalting
3. 2nd Pre-Heat Train
4. Atmospheric Fractionation Section
5. Vacuum Tower Section
6. Naphtha Stabilization

1ST PRE-HEAT TRAIN

The 1st Pre-Heat Train comprises of a series of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers in which Crude
Oil is Pre-Heated before Desalting.
Heavy Crude is supplied from the battery limits and boosted by Heavy Crude Feed Pump HC-P001 A/B. In the suction of the Heavy Crude Feed Pump, demulsifier is injected to promote the
following desalting process in the Desalters. Process Water is also injected mainly to prevent any
plugging, such as salt or sedimentation deposition, in the exchangers of Pre-Heating Section.
FLOW-RATE OF CRUDE:
When Heavy Crude Charged: 60 68 m3/hr

When Light Crude Charged: 51 58 m3/hr

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

The boosted Heavy Crude then flows into the 1st Pre-Heat Train and is heated by products or
intermediate products or pump-around refluxes from Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) and
Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005). Crude is in the Tube-side of all Heat Exchangers except HC-E-003
A/B due to corrosive nature of TCR.
1st Pre-Heat Train comprises of the following Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers:
HEAT EXCHANGER
HC-E-001
Feed / Vacuum Tower
TCR
HC-E-002AB
Feed / Fractionator
OVHD
HC-E-003AB
Feed / Fractionator TCR

HOT STREAM
Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO)
/ Vacuum Tower TCR
Fractionator Overhead

Feed / Kerosene Product

HC-E-004AB

Fractionator Top Circulating

Reflux (TCR)
Kerosene

Feed / HSD

HC-E-005AB

High Speed Diesel

Light Diesel Oil (LDO)

Fractionator Middle Circulating
Reflux (MCR)
By this Pre-Heating the Crude is heated to 90 145 oC and then flows to Desalting Section

Feed / LDO
Feed / Fractionator MCR

HC-E-006
HC-E-007

Inlet Pressure: 23 kg/cm2

Outlet Pressure: 21 kg/cm2
Outlet Temperature: 105 0C
Outlet Pressure: 19 kg/cm2
Outlet Temperature: 111 0C
Outlet Pressure: 18 kg/cm2
Outlet Temperature: 120 0C
Outlet Pressure: 16 kg/cm2
Outlet Temperature: 130 0C
Outlet Pressure: 1430 kPa
-

HC-P-001 A/B PUMP:

Type: Double Impeller Centrifugal Pump
Discharge Pressure: 26 27 kg/cm2
Capacity: 76 m3/hr.
Head: 286.7 m

DESALTING SECTION
After 1st Pre-Heating the Crude is desalted in the following Desalters in Series:

1st Stage Desalter (HC-V-51)

2nd Stage Desalter (HC-V-52)
3rd Stage Desalter (HC-V-53)

FUNCTION OF DESALTING:
Desalters are originally used to clean up the feed of distillation unit. Desalting reduces the salt
fouling and corrosion in exchangers and pipelines. Contaminants of crude oil may remove by
electrical or chemical desalting and both can also be used together. There is lot of process variables
involved in crude desalting.
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Desalter are not only used for the removal of salts but also used to remove the other impurities
from crude oil. These impurities normally consists of varying amount of solid materials, such as
slit, iron oxides, sand, crystalline salts carbon and sulfur etc.
Basically salts are not found in crude oil but in the water which present dispersed from Crude oil
is pre heated up to specific limit and fresh water is added to contact the dispersed water. Fresh
water also contact with solid impurities in the crude. Small amount of demulsifying chemical is
also added. This stream of crude, fresh water and demulsifier passes through a mixing valve which
makes a required emulsion. This stream enters the desalter and passes through a high voltage
electrical field provided by a metal electrodes connected with step up transformer.
Demulsifier breaks the emulsion and separated the water entrapped in the crude. Electrical forces
combine the small water droplets and make them so large that they settle down under gravity. The
salted water collected in the bottom is drained continuously from the vessel and desalted crude is
collected from the top of vessel for distillation.

DEMUSIFIER USED: EP- 8046

DESALTING AT HCU:
Process Water (PW) stored in the Water Storage Tank (HC-TK-001) is used as desalting water.
The desalting water is boosted by PW Feed Pump (HC-P-017 A/B) and heated in PW/Effluent
Heat Exchanger (HC-E-0027).
The heated desalting water is injected into the upstream of the mixing valve provided in the
upstream of 3rd Stage Desalter. A part of desalting water from HC-TK-001 is also injected into the
upstream of 1st Pre-Heat Train.
The total flow-rate of the injected Desalting Water is equal to 8 9 vol. % of the flow-rate of
Crude.
The Desalting Water is drawn off from 3rd Stage Desalter and is boosted by PW Recycle Pump
(HC-P-018 A/B) and injected into the upstream of mixing valve provided in the upstream piping
of 2nd Stage Desalter.
The Desalting Water is drawn off from 2nd Stage Desalter and after cooling in PW/Effluent Heat
Exchanger the drawn water is combined with the drawn water line from 1st Stage Desalter and sent
to B.L.
PSVs (Pressure Safety Valves) are present on top of each desalter and operating pressures are
controlled by control valve installed in the outlet line of 3rd Stage Desalter.
After Desalting the salt content in Crude is about 0.4 1.4 PTB (Pounds per 1000 Barrels). Salt
Content in Outlet Stream greater than 1.6 PTB causes excessive fouling and corrosion.

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

2nd PRE-HEAT TRAIN

The desalted heavy crude is heated by the products or intermediate products or pump-around
refluxes from Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) and Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005) in the heat
exchangers in the 2nd Pre-Heat Train.
By this Pre-Heating the Crude is heated to 180 200 oC and then flows to Desalting Section
2nd Pre-Heat Train comprises of the following Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers:
HEAT EXCHANGER
HC-E-009B
Feed / FFO Product
Feed / Fractionator
MCR
Feed / Vacuum Tower
LCR
Feed / Asphalt Product
Feed / Fractionator
LCR
Feed / FFO Product

HC-E-010
HC-E-011
HC-E-012
HC-E-013
HC-E-009A

HOT STREAM
Furnace Fuel Oil (FFO)
Fractionator Middle Circulating
Reflux (MCR)
Vacuum Tower Lower Circulating
Reflux (Vac. LCR) / HVGO
Asphalt
Fractionator Lower Circulating
Reflux (LCR)
Furnace Fuel Oil (FFO)

Outlet Temperature: 140 0C

Outlet Pressure: 1020 kPa
Outlet Temperature: 145 0C
Outlet Pressure: 11 kg/cm2
Outlet Temperature: 202 0C
Outlet Pressure: 6 kg/cm2
-

HEAVY CRUDE FRACTIONATOR CHARGE HEATER (HC-H-001)

FUNCTION OF HEATER:
A direct fired heater is used to provide heat for a process or can serve as reactor which provides
heats of reaction. Furnace designs vary as to its function, heating duty, type of fuel and method of
introducing combustion air. However, most process furnaces have some common features.
SECTIONS OF HEATER:
Convection Section
Radiation Section
Bridge Zone
Burners
Stack
Damper
HEATER AT HCU (HC-H-001):
After HC-E-009A in 2nd Pre-Heat Train, the Crude is charged to the convection section of the
Heavy Crude Fractionator Charge Heater (HC-H-001). Decoking Steam is injected in the inlet
line of Heater to cause turbulence and prevent coke formation in the tubes of the Furnace.
Crude is further heated to 270 320 oC after passing through HC-H-001
There are total of four burners in HC-H-001 which can operate on fuel gas as well as fuel oil.

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

SECTION
Convection Section
Radiation Section

DESIGN TEMPERATURE
380 oC
500 oC

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CRUDE PROCESS FLOW CIRCUIT

Discharge
P051

Fractional
Long
Ciruculation

Process
Water
HCE001

Demulsifiers
FI

Feed
(HeavyCrude)

BrodieMeter
Filter

FT48A

FCV48B

HCP001A/B
HCE002A

HCE002B

HCE003A

HCE004A

HCE003B

HCE004B

HCE006

HCE005A

HCE007
Desalter
Stage I
HCV051

HCE005B

Desalter
Stage II
HCV052

Desalter
Stage III

FCV48A

HCV053

HCE009B

Decoking
Steam

LEGEND
=1stPreHeatTrain
HCE009A
nd

=2 PreHeatTrain

HCH001
HCV001

HCE013

HCE012

HCE011

HCE010

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

ATMOSPHERIC FRACTIONATION
The partially vaporized Heavy Crude from heater enters the flash zone of Heavy Crude
Fractionator (HC-V-001). Atmospheric Distillation occurs in HC-V-001 and Crude is separated
into different fractions according to boiling point.
At HCU the Atmospheric distillation column is installed with 42 Trays and Crude Oil feed enters
the 37th Tray (Flash Zone) in the Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001).
The arrangement of side-streams from fractionator is as follows:

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The heater outlet temperature is set such that thermal cracking of the oil molecules does not occur.
At the temperature at the heater outlet the crude oil is partially vaporized. Additional vaporization
occurs as the crude oil passes from the heater outlet to the atmospheric tower. The piping
connecting the heater outlet with the atmospheric tower is referred to as the transfer line.
The crude oil, now a two phase mixture of vapor and liquid, enters the atmospheric tower at the
flash zone where the initial vapor-liquid separation occurs. The atmospheric tower operates at low
to near atmospheric pressure to maximize the amount of vapor formed.
Vapor from the flash zone rises up through the tower and is contacted in a series of distillation
stages by condensed oil flowing by gravity down from the top of the tower. At each distillation
stage the oil vapor and the oil liquid are in equilibrium and oil is fractionated with the highest
boiling oil condenses just above the flash zone and the lowest boiling oil condenses at the top of
the tower. Liquid products are drawn from the atmospheric tower at multiple locations.
The main operating conditions of Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) are as follows:
Top of Fractionator
o Operating Temperature
o Operating Pressure
Flash Zone
o Operating Temperature
o Operating Pressure
OVHD Receiver
o Operating Temperature
o Operating Pressure

113 117 oC
1.1 kg/cm2G
330 339 oC
1.3 kg/cm2G
49 51 0C
0.6 kg/cm2G

PUMP-AROUNDS:
All of the heat energy used in the atmospheric tower comes from the crude preheat exchangers and
the atmospheric fired heater. To improve the energy efficiency of the crude unit, heat removal
pump-arounds are provided. These pump-around systems provide higher level heat sources which,
along with the product streams themselves, provide much of the heat used in the preheat
exchangers.
The drawn off pump-arounds are completely returned back to the Fractionator and only sensible
heat changes occur in pump-around heat exchangers.
From the Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) the following three Pump-Arounds are drawn off
and are used effectively in the Pre-Heat Trains:

Top Circulating Reflux (TCR)

Middle Circulating Reflux (MCR)
Bottom Circulating Reflux (LCR)

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TOP CIRCULATING REFLUX (TCR):

TCR Draw Off: 6th Tray
TCR Return: 3rd Tray
TCR passes through the tube-side of HC-E-003 A/B and Crude is in Shell-Side.

MIDDLE CIRCULATING REFLUX (MCR):

TCR Draw Off: 6th Tray

TCR Return: 3rd Tray

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LOWER CIRCULATING REFLUX (MCR):

LCR Draw Off: 34th Tray

LCR Return: 31st Tray

SIDE-STRIPPERS:
A substantial quantity of lower boiling point fractions exist in the intermediate distillates from
Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) and HC-V-001 Bottom Oil the lower boiling fractions are
to be removed as far as possible to meet the specification of Flash Point. Otherwise, the light
fractions may cause the degradation of flash point as well as the reduction in the yield of lighter
fractions.
So the boiling fractions are stripped off in Three Side-Strippers:
Kerosene Stripper (HC-V-002)
High Speed Diesel Stripper (HC-V-003)
Light Diesel Oil Stripper (HC-V-004)
In Side-Strippers, the low boiling fractions are stripped off by blowing Super-heated steam from
the bottom. The effect of stripping becomes larger as the ratio of the quantity of stripping steam
injected to the liquid drawn-off from Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001 becomes higher.
In actual operation, the stripping steam flow-rate is manipulated to adjust the product flash point.
Namely, the stripping steam flow-rate increases the flash point of product increases.

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LIGHT WEIGHT KEROSENE (LWK):

From the Fractionator (HC-V-001):
HSD Draw Off: 25th Tray
HSD Vapor Return: 24th Tray
LWK Product from the Bottom of LWK Stripper is boosted by LWK Stripper Bottom Pump (HCP-006 A/B) and cooled by Feed / LWK Heat Exchanger (HC-E-004 A/B). LWK is further cooled
in Kerosene Product Air Cooler (HC-E-031) and LWK Cooler (HC-E-026) and sent to B.L.

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HIGH SPEED DIESEL (HSD):

From the Fractionator (HC-V-001):
HSD Draw Off: 25th Tray
HSD Vapor Return: 24th Tray
HSD Product from the Bottom of HSD Stripper is boosted by HSD Stripper Bottom Pump (HCP-007 A/B) and cooled by Feed / HSD Heat Exchanger (HC-E-005 A/B). HSD is combined Light
Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO) from Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005), cooled by HSD Cooler (HC-E-016)
and sent to B.L.

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LIGHT DIESEL OIL (LDO):

From the Fractionator (HC-V-001):
LDO Draw Off: 30th Tray
LDO Vapor Return: 31st Tray
LDO Product from the Bottom of LDO Stripper is boosted by LDO Stripper Bottom Pump (HCP-008 A/B) and cooled by Feed / LDO Heat Exchanger (HC-E-006). The product is combined
Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO) from Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005), cooled by LDO / BFW Heat
Exchanger (HC-E-020) and sent to B.L. LDO is also mixed with HSD and/or FFO depending on
the market demand of LDO.

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FRACTIONATOR BOTTOM:
Bottoms from the bottom of the Fractionator is drawn off and boosted by Fractionator Bottom
Pump (HC-P-021 A/B) and transferred to the Vacuum Section. A part of the bottom is spilt at the
discharge line of the Fractionator Bottom Pump
The split stream is cooled in Feed / FFO Heat Exchanger (HC-E-009AB), FFO / BFW Heat
Exchanger (HC-E-032) and FFO Fin-Fan Cooler (HC-E-022) and sent to B.L.

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VACUUM DISTILLATION
Typically atmospheric residue contains gas oils that could not be recovered in the atmospheric
tower due to the limitations imposed on the heater outlet temperature by concerns over thermal
cracking. The temperature at which hydrocarbons vaporize is a function of pressure so that if the
pressure is lowered, the hydrocarbons will vaporize at a temperature lower than the temperature at
which thermal cracking occurs.
The major components of the vacuum section are the vacuum heater and the vacuum tower. By
operating the vacuum tower at an extremely low pressure - near full vacuum - the valuable gas oils
in the residue can be vaporized and recovered.
Pressure drop is critically important in the vacuum tower. Extensive use is made in the tower of
low pressure drop contacting beds such as grid and structured and random packing. Vacuum tower
flash zones typically include specially design devices called galleries to assist in separating the
vapor and liquid and providing a uniform distribution of vapor across the cross-section of the first
contacting bed.
The bottom of Heavy Crude Fractionator is heated with Vacuum Charge Heater (HC-H-002) to
305 317 0C. The partially vaporized bottoms from Heavy Crude Fractionator (HC-V-001) enters
flash zone of Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005), which has 6 theoretical plates with packing beds.
The products of Vacuum Distillation are:

Light Vacuum Gas Oil (LVGO)

Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO)
Asphalt
Wash Oil
Jute Batching Oil (JBO)
Slope Oil

In a vacuum tower making products to be used for as feed to fuels conversion units, most of the
vapor from the wash zone is condensed in the heavy gas oil (HVGO) section, the section
immediately above the wash section. Cooling is provided using a recycle stream that preheats the
crude in the atmospheric section preheat exchangers.
Residual vapors from the HVGO section are condensed in light vacuum gas oil (LVGO) section.
Any hydrocarbon vapors that leave the LVGO section go to the vacuum system and are disposed
of in the refinery flare.
The internals of the Vacuum Tower consists of the following 6 sections from the top:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

LVGO Pump-Around Section

Enrichment Section
HVGO Pump-Around Section
Washing Section
Flash Zone
Stripping Section

19

Attock Refinery Limited Internship Report

GENERATION OF VACUUM IN VACUUM TOWER:

The Vacuum Generation System consists of:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

1st Off Gas Ejectors (HC-J-001A/B)

2nd Off Gas Ejectors (HC-J-002A/B)
Ejector Inter Condenser (HC-E-028)
Ejector After Condenser (HC-E-028)
Vacuum Tower OVHD Receiver (HC-V-008)
Slope Oil Pump (HC-P-015)
Vacuum Tower Waste Water Pump

The main operating conditions of Vacuum Tower (HC-V-005) are as follows:

Top of Vacuum Tower
o Operating Pressure
o Operating Temperature
Flash Zone
o Operating Pressure
o Operating Temperature
OVHD Receiver
o Operating Pressure
o Operating Temperature

65 mmHgA
62 65 0C
85 mmHgA
304 311 0C
760 mmHgA
35 0C

NAPHTHA STABILIZATION
REFLUX TO HC-V-001:
Overhead vapors from the top of Fractionator is condensed by Feed / Fractionator OVHD Heat
Exchanger (HC-E-002 A/B) and Fractionator OVHD Trim Cooler (HC-E-015). Neutralizing
Amine and Filming Amine are injected into Fractionator OVHD to neutralize acids at upstream of
HC-E-002 A/B.
The condensate from Trim Cooler flows into Fractionator OVHD Receiver (HC-V-007). Water is
drained from bottom and liquid from the Receiver is boosted by Fractionator Reflux Pump (HCP-005 A/B) and a part of stream from the discharge is sent back to HC-V-001 as Reflux. The
remaining part is sent to Naphtha Stabilizer (HC-V-006).

NAPHTHA STABILIZER (HC-V-006):

The Naphtha distillate from the top of the Fractionator boosted by HC-P-005 is heated to ~145 0C
with Stabilizer Feed / Naphtha Product Heat Exchanger (HC-E-024). Naphtha is fed to Tray # 21
of Naphtha Stabilizer.

20

NAPHTHA PROCESS FLOW CIRCUIT

PV36B

HCE002A

HCE002B

LP

P2

HCE015

RefluxtoHCV001

HCV007
FV10

FT10

WatertoTK001

LPG
HCV001

HCP005A/B

FV11

HCE024

FT11

NaphthaStorage
(FBRN)

HCE014
HCE024

HCE025