Industrial Report

INDUSTRIAL
TRAINING REPORT
INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LIMITED (AOD),
DIGBOI, ASSAM
SUBMITTED BY: GUIDE:

SAURAV PURKAYASTHA NIRUPAM DAS GUPTA
Chemical Engineering Dept. M (AD & E)
HERITAGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Kolkata
CONTENTS
Sl.No. Title Page
No.
1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3
2 CERTIFICATE 4
3 INTRODUCTION 5
4 HISTORY 6
5 DIGBOI REFINERY 7
6 MISSION 8
7 THE SAFETY CELL 9
8 ATMOSPHERIC AND VACUUM UNIT 10-24
9 CATALYTIC REFORMING UNIT 25-31
10 MOTOR SPIRIT QUALITY 32-39
UPGRADATION UNIT(MSOUU)
11 DELAYED COKING UNIT (DCU) 40-46
12 HYDROGEN GENERATION UNIT (HGU) 47-56
13 HYDROTREATING UNIT (HDTU) 57-65
14 SOLVENT DEWAXING UNIT (SDU) 66-70
15 WAX HYDRO-FINISHING UNIT 71-77
16 EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT (ETP) 78-83
17 LPG DISPATCH UNIT (LDU) 84-86
18 BIBLIOGRAPHY 87
19 CONCLUSION 88
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who were a part of
this huge experience, I want to thank the department of training and
development of Digboi Refinery for granting me the permission to
pursue this training. I would further like to thank the officers of the
Production department who gave me the knowledge about the plant,
production process, and products in depth. The learning process was
a total different perspective altogether because everything was solid
and practical. And the environment surrounding the workplace was
very helpful in accelerating the whole process. I am deeply indebted
to Digboi Refinery for providing such opportunity to students that they
can explore their curiosity to its full extent on various skills from team
work, time management to most importantly their confidence level. I
would like to give credit and express my generous gratitude to the
concerned officers of different units who were there all along guiding
and directing me at every step. Following are the names with
respective units:
1. AVU J SONOWAL (PNM)
2. CRU V CHOURASIA (SPNM)
3. MSQU R PRAKASH (PNM)
4. DCU P. K. ROY (SPNM)
5. HDTB VED PRAKASH (SPNM)
6. SDU, WHFU S. P. BHUYAN (SPNM)
7. WHFU, ETP AND LDU V. RAKSHIT (PNM)
Lastly but not the least I would like to thank each and every
employee of the production department who gave me directions,
ideas and advices in a whole new place from the first day and
making me feel guided throughout.
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Saurav Purkayastha of Chemical
Engineering from Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata has
completed the winter in-plant training programme from 27
December 2018 to 26 January 2019 at Indian Oil Corporation
Limited (IOCL) Assam Oil Division (AOD), Digboi Refinery under
my guidance and supervision.
Signature of Training in-charge
Designation
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INTRODUCTION
Digboi is known as the oil town of Assam where the first oil well in
Asia was drilled. The first refinery was started here as early as
1901. Digboi has the oldest well in operation.
The Digboi Refinery was set up at Digboi in 1901 by Assam Oil
Company Ltd. The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and
marketing and management of Assam Oil Company Ltd. From
1981 and created a separate division. The division has both
refinery and marketing operations.
The refinery at Digboi had an installed capacity of 0.50 MMTPA.
The refinery capacity was increased to 0.65 MMTPA by
modernisation of refinery in July 1996.
At present IOCL, Digboi production plant contains various units
which are inter-related to each other. The various units are as
follows.
 Atmospheric and Vacuum Unit (AVU)
 Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU)
 Motor Spirit Upgradation Unit (MSQUU)
 Delayed Coking Unit (DCU)
 Hydrogen Treatment Block (HDTB)
 Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU)
 High Purity Nitrogen Unit (HPNU)
 Sour Water Stripper Unit (SWSU)
 Sulphur Recovery Unit (SRU)
 Solvent Dewaxing Unit (SDU)
 Wax Hydro Finishing Unit (WHFU)
 Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)
AVU plant is the mother of all the plants which extracts crude oil
from M/s OIL and M/s Geo Enpro from Duliajan, Digboi & Kharsang
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HISTORY
It is said that the town gets its name from the phrase "dig-boy-dig," which
is what the English told the labourers as they dug for crude oil. The town's
history begins in 1867 when a small group of men from the Assam Railway
and Trading Co. found their elephants' legs soaked in black mud that smelt
somewhat like oil. The men began exploring more, and in 1889, the English
started a small oil installation. India (and Asia) obtained its first refinery in
Digboi in the year 1901. Assam Oil Company was formed in 1899 to look
after the running of the oil business in this area. The Digboi oil field
produced close to 7,000 barrels per day (1,100 m3/d) of crude oil at its
peak, which was during World War II. The field was pushed to produce the
maximum amount of oil with little regard to reservoir management; as a
result, production started to drop almost immediately after the war. The
current production from the Digboi fields is about 240 barrels per day
(38 m3/d). Over 1,000 wells have been drilled at Digboi – the first well in
1889 had stuck oil at 178 feet (54 m). In 1989, the Department of Posts,
India came out with a stamp commemorating 100 years of the Digboi fields.
Today, though the crude production is not high, Digboi has the distinction
of being India's oldest continuously producing oilfield. Digboi refinery, now
a division of Indian Oil Corporation, had a capacity of about 0.65 MMTPA
as of 2003.
Digboi is now Headquarter of Assam Oil Division of Indian Oil Corporation
Limited. The earliest recorded to the existence of oil in India is found in the
memories and dispatches of the Army Officers who penetrated the jungles
of Upper Assam since 1825. Lt. R. Wilcox, Major A. White, Capt. Francis
Jenkins, Capt. P.S. Hanney—they all saw at different times petroleum
exuding from banks of the Dihing River. Mr. C.A. Bruce (1828) and Mr. H.B.
Medicott (1865) of the Geological Survey of India also saw oil while
prospecting for coal in Upper Assam.
Mr. Goodenough of McKillop, Stewart & Co. Calcutta was the first in India
to start a systematic programme of drilling for oil in November 1866,
at Nahorpung about 30 miles (48 km) south east of Digboi, just seven years
after the world's first commercial oil well was drilled in 1859, by Col Edwin
L Drake in Pennsylvania, USA.
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DIGBOI REFINERY
The Digboi Refinery was set up at Digboi in 1901 by Assam Oil
Company Ltd. The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) took over
the refinery and marketing management of Assam Oil Company
Ltd. with effect from 1981 and created a separate division. This
division has both refinery and marketing operations. The
refinery at Digboi had an installed capacity 0.50 MMTPA
(million metric tonnes per annum). The refining capacity of the
refinery was increased to 0.65 MMTPA by modernization of
refinery in July, 1996. A new delayed Coking Unit of 1,70,000
TPA capacity was commissioned in 1999. A new Solvent
Dewaxing Unit for maximizing production
of microcrystalline wax was installed and commissioned in
2003. The refinery has also installed Hydro treater-UOP in 2002
to improve the quality of diesel. The MSQ Upgradation unit has
been commissioned. The refinery is ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and
OHSAS accredited, its laboratory is NABL accredited and follows
TPM.
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MISSION
1. To achieve international standards of excellence in all aspects of
energy and diversified business with focus on customer delight
through value of products and services, and cost reduction
2. To maximise creation of wealth, value and satisfaction for the
stakeholders
3. To attain leadership in developing, adopting and assimilating
state-of-the-art technology for competitive advantage.
4. To provide technology and services through sustained Research
and Development.
5. To foster a culture of participation and innovation for employee
growth and contribution.
6. To cultivate high standards of business ethics and Total Quality
Management for a strong corporate identity and brand equity.
7. To help enrich the quality of life of the community and preserve
ecological balance and heritage through a strong environment
conscience.
8. To serve the national interests in the oil and related sectors in
accordance and consistence with government policies.
9. To ensure and maintain continuous and smooth supplies of
petroleum product by way of crude refining, transportation and
to provide appropriate assistance to the consumer to conserve
and use petroleum product efficiency.
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THE SAFETY CELL
General Safety Rules of the Refinery:
1. Smoking is prohibited in the refinery.
2. All persons before entering the refinery must deposit lighters,
matches, mobile phones etc. at the refinery gate.
3. No person is allowed to enter the refinery without safety shoes.
Use of sleepers, sandals or sandal shoe is strictly prohibited.
4. All vehicles, mobile engine and generator sets inside the refinery
must have standard spark arrestors fitted to the exhaust.
5. Use of entertainment media inside the refinery is strictly
prohibited, use of public address system, VCP/VCR etc. will be
permitted for official use only with prior permission of competent
authority.
6. Use of hydrant lime water for washing is strictly prohibited.
7. Any person entering an operating unit/ project site must wear
safety helmet and safety shoes.
8. Photography inside the refinery without prior permission is strictly
prohibited.
9. Speed limit for all vehicles inside the refinery should not exceed
more than 20 km per hour and no overtaking is allowed except
for fire tender and ambulance in case of emergency only.
10. All should move to the specified assembly point in case of
disaster.
11. Care should be taken that LPG doesn’t leak out while dispersing
waster from LPG bullet. A vapour cloud will form if the same
happens.
12. Breathing analyser should be used while going to any confined
space in the refinery.
13. Various permits like hot permit, height permit, confined space
entry permit, evaporation permit should be maintained before
initiating any activity.
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ATMOSPHERIC AND
VACUUM UNIT
INTRODUCTION: The crude and vacuum distillation unit of Digboi

Refinery is designed to process 0.65 MMTPA of crude oil blend comprising
Duliajan, Digboi and Kharsang crude oil.
OBJECTIVE: To produce Gas, Naphtha (Raw Material), Light Kerosene

(LK), Heavy Kerosene (HK), Light Gas Oil (LGO), Heavy Gas Oil (HGO),
Reduced Crude Oil (RCO)
FEED: Crude Oil
PRODUCTS: Gas, Naphtha (Raw Material), Light Kerosene (LK), Heavy

Kerosene (HK), Light Gas Oil (LGO), Heavy Gas Oil (HGO), Reduced Crude
Oil (RCO), High Speed Diesel (HSD), Pressable Waxy Distillate (PWD),
Heavy Waxy Distillate (HWD), Vacuum Residue (VR).
PROCESS DESCRIPTION:
AVU is divided into three sections:-
1. Crude Distillation Unit (CDU)
2. Naphtha Stabiliser Unit (NSU)
3. Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU)
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Crude Distillation Unit (CDU):
1. Crude pre-heat train:

 Crude oil pre-heat train is divided into two sections; first is upstream of
desalter and the second is downstream of the desalter.
 Section after the desalter is again divided into two parallel heat
exchanger trains.
 The crude oil is heated in pre-heat exchanger train to achieve desalting
temperature and heat recovery by successive heat exchange with HSD
product + PA, Top PA, heavy kero, HGO, heavy kero PA, and PWD PA.
(PA system or Pump Around system is used to maintain temperature
profile of column).
 Crude is heated from the storage temperature to desalting temperature
of 128.5 degree Celsius. Desalting is done at 128.5 deg C and 10 kg/cm2.
 Demulsifier is injected in crude to break water emulsion and achieve
better functioning of the desalter.
2. Desalter :-
 The main purpose is to remove contaminated water, salts, sand, silt,
deposits dissolved in water under the effect of high electric field.
 Crude desalter is used for reducing salt content in crude oil at a
temperature of 128.5 deg C.
 The parameters that are to be monitored for good desalter operation
are: water injection rate, chemical injection rate, oil water interface
level, mixing valve performance, desalter pressure and temperature.
 Crude is on the tube side and heating media is on the shell side of these
pre heat exchanger.
3. Heater:
 It is a cylindrical type furnace having two parallel passes on crude oil side
through each pass is adjusted by pass flow controller. Feed enters the
convection section and passes through the radiant section and then
entered into ADU.
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 Both radiant and convection section are used for heating crude from
274 deg C to 356 deg C for normal operation.
4. Atmospheric column:
 Crude Oil after final heating in the atmospheric heater is fed to the
atmospheric column for separation. It has 54 trays, also the column has
a stripping section at the bottom of the feed enters the flash zone of the
column at tray no. 8 at 356 deg C. Stripping is done to remove the lighter
constituents from Reduced Crude is pumped out from the bottom of the
column to the vacuum furnace.
 Top PA is drawn from tray 47, then cooled to 100 deg C in the tube side
of the exchanger with crude enters tray 50.
 Heavy kero pump from 32 at 205 deg C and cooled to 155 deg C enter
tray 35
 LGO pump A from 29 at 235 deg C and cooled to 215.1 deg C and then
176.1 deg C enters tray 31.
 HGO PA from 15 at 313.5 deg C and cooled to 288 deg C – 244.5 deg C
enters tray 18.
 Light Kero, Heavy Kero, LGO and HGO flow by gravity to the respective
strippers.
 Reduced oil from the bottom at the atmospheric column is withdrawn
by RCO pump and pumps to vacuum furnace.
 The column flash zone pressure and temperature are normally at 1.42
kg/cm2 and 348 deg C respectively.
Naphtha Stabiliser Unit (NSU):
 Naphtha obtained in the overhead reflux drum also contains light ends,
C3 and C4 which vaporize at normal atmospheric conditions.
 This Naphtha is fed to NSU where C3 and C4 hydrocarbons are removed
from naphtha.
 The feed to the stabiliser is first heated up to 100 deg C in stabiliser
bottom exchanger by exchanging heat with stabilised naphtha product
stream from stabiliser bottom.
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 Stabiliser has 36 nos. of valve type trays
Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU)
 VDU separates RCO into vacuum diesel, PWD, HWD and VR.
 RCO from the bottom of the distillation column at 337 deg C is mixed
with vacuum furnace.
 The column is provided with HSD, PWD and HWD. VR is drawn as
bottom product.
 Overhead system
 Vacuum is maintained in the column by 3 stage ejector system
with condensers. Each ejector has 3 elements which can be
isolated if required in the event of reduction in load by by cutting
of steam and isolating suction inlet valves.
 Steam and a small amount light hydrocarbons produced as a
result of cracking pass out the column top.
 RCO if heated in normal pressure becomes crack due to cracking.
Therefore required at high boiling temperature.
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AVU PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
a. Product:- Stabilised naphtha
Parameter:- Density (745 kg/m3)
IBP (40oC)
FBP (140-164 oC)
b. Product:- Light Kero (139 kl)
IBP (>150 oC)
FBP (<25 oC)
Flash point (>35oC)
c. Product:- Heavy Kero (383 kl)
Parameter:- Density (84.8 kg/m3)
IBP (165-185oC)
FBP (<300oC)
Flash point (>60oC)
d. Product:- LGO
IBP (>250oC)
FBP (<370oC)
Flash point (>100oC)
e. Product:- HGO
Parameter:- Density (at 15 oC-880 kg/m3)
IBP (195oC)
FBP (<400oC)
Flash point (<24oC)
f. Product:- PWD (556 kl)
Parameter:- IBP (at 10mm Hg:-150-180oC)
FBP (300-325oC)
Drop set point (>39-45oC)
g. Product:- HWD (91 kl)
Parameter:- Drop set point (53oC)
h. Product: VR (205 kl)
Parameter:- RI viscosity (>1000”)
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DESIGN CAPACITY & MATERIAL BALANCE
The feed and product capacities for normal and other cases of operation of
CDU and VDU are given in table 1. The other cases of operation
correspond to production of MTO, Solar Oil and ATF.
UNIT DESIGN CAPACITY:
Unit Feed Case TBP cut MT/hr

CDU crude Normal/MT As per 81.25
O/Solar design (0.65
Oil/ATF basis MMTPA)
VDU RCO Normal 370+ 30.25
VDU RCO Solar Oil 335+ 35.58
The number of days of operation required for production of 2000 TPA of MTO
is 44 and for the production of 2000 TPA of Solar Oil is 40.
FEED AND PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

Feedstock characteristics (Design) to CDU and VDU are as per IOC (AOD)
Laboratory report no. 201-0/40 dated 26/10/87.
Table below gives the estimated product characteristics, as per design, in
Atmospheric and Vacuum sections.
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ESTIMATED PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS –
ATMOSPHERIC UNIT
NORMAL AND SPECIAL CUTS:
Characteri Napht Lt. Hy. LG HGO MTO ATF Sola

stics ha Kero Ker O r oil
o
Sp Gr. @ 0.79 0.8 0.8 0.89 0.80 0.8 0.89
15oC 91 39 76 95 31 27 02
ASTM D
86oC
IBP 131 165 262 300 146 176 294
10% 151 203 282 320 161 194 311
30% 90 160 224 293 331 168 204 319
50% 101 167 237 300 340 173 213 325
70% 114 174 249 308 350 179 222 332
90% 132 187 268 321 372 188 236 344
FBP 150 213 293 343 403 210 258 370
Flash Point 32.7 61.7 40.4 148.5
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Kinematic
Viscosity
cst
@ 100oF 0.58 1.0 2.2 6.0 14.0 1.1 1.7 11
@ 210oF 0.478 0.7 1.275 2.4 3.9 0.74 1.07 3.35
ESTIMATED PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS- VACUUM

UNIT
Characteristics HSD PWD HWD Vacuum

Residue
Sp. Gr. @ 15oC 0.887 0.938 0.979 1.018
ASTM D86 (oC)
IBP 297 355 450 494
10% 300 381 472 519
30% 307 401 486 547
50% 317 415 495 569
70% 325 433 500 582
90% 350 460 527 597
FBP 363 475 531 605
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Flash Point
(oC)
Kinematic
Viscosity
@100oF 9.0 36.0 180 40000
@210oF 3.0 5.5 13.5 650
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VACUUM DISTILLATION UNIT (VDU)
Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU) separates RCO into Vacuum Diesel, PWD,
HWD, Slop & Vacuum Residue. It essentially consists of a vacuum heater,
vacuum column, product strippers and product rundown arrangement. These
are described as under:
Vacuum Furnace
Reduced Crude Oil from the bottom of the atmospheric distillation column at
337oC is mixed with vacuum slops recycle stream and the combined stream
enters the vacuum furnace. Flow controller controls the flow of RCO.
Provision for advanced control features is given for better efficiency of the
heater. A separate dedicated low flow switch with alarms is provided which is
connected to the furnace trip interlock. The cases for this interlock actuation
are similar to those of atmospheric heater. Emergency MP Steam connection
is provided at the downstream of RCO flow control valve for purging the coil
after normal/emergency shutdown.MP Steam connection is also provided in
the coil in radiation section also for increasing the velocity through heater
tubes. Flow indicator indicates the flow of this coil steam. Pressure gauges
located at the pass inlet of the furnace and at the external crossover of coil
from convection to radiation section. Temperature indicators are provided in
the external crossover.
The partially vaporized stock leaving the furnace is transferred through a 24”
line through the flash zone of the vacuum column the temperature at the pass
outlet of this indicated by respectively in DCS. Transfer line temperature
controller controls the fuel firing rate. Transfer line temperature will be
adjusted to about 404oC to maintain the flash zone temperature around
387oC. A selector is provided to select the temperature control either on oil
or gas firing. When the firing is on fuel oil control resets the fuel oil pressure
controller. The fuel pressure (either oil or gas) which is selected can be
maintained at a fixed value by means of its controller on auto mode, at “set”
position. A return line is provided on the fuel oil heater from the burners. A
ratio of 1:1 fuel oil return is considered in the design to obtain good control
on firing and prevent congealing of the IFO system. Differential flow indicator
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indicates the net fuel oil consumption in the furnace. If the fuel oil pressure
to burners falls below 02-PALL-1101 set value a very low pressure alarm will
sound in the DCS. And shut down valves will close. Hence the fuel to burners
from supply as well as return headers will cut off.
The atomizing steam pressure to burners is controlled by differential pressure
controller DPIC-1101. Proper differential pressure is to be maintained to
achieve good atomization for efficient burning of fuel oil.
Pressure in the pilot gas line normally adjusted. Low pressure in the pilot gas
line will actuate an alarm.
02-FF-001 is a balanced draft furnace. The heat carried away by the fuel gas
after the convection is utilised for pre heating the air required for combustion.
The combustion chamber houses the radiant section tubes. In this section
heat is primarily transferred by from the flame and hot combustion product.
The convection section provided at the top of the radiation section serves to
increase the thermal efficiency of the furnace by removing further heat from
the flue gas. The reduced crude enters at the top of the convection zone. From
bottom of the convection zone the coils come out and enter the radiation
from the flame and hot combustion product. From radiation zone RCO enters
02-CC-001
Vacuum Distillation column, Product cooling and run

down
The partially vaporized stock from vacuum furnace is fed to the vacuum
column. The vacuum column has two sections of different diameters. Top is
of 4750mm diameter, and bottom section is 4200mm diameter. The tower is
made of carbon steel with a lining on inner walls up to tray 13 & below. The
uncladed portion is provided with 4.5mm corrosion allowance. All draw-off
trays are made of SS-410. The column is provided with side draw-off cuts viz.
HSD, Slop, PWD and HWD have also been provided.
RCO feed coming from the vacuum heater enters the column in the flash zone
below the slop draw-off chimney tray. The vaporized portion rises up the
tower and is fractionated into four side stream products. The liquid portion of
the feed drops to the bottom section of the tower and withdrawn as bottom
residue by VR+ quench pumps. It is cooled in the pre-heat exchanger trains.
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VR is circulated back to the column bottom below flash zone as quench stream
and also sent as run down. VR pump discharge exchanges in VR+ quench
exchangers Downstream splits in two parts and first part goes to 01-EE-N3
and mixes with outlet of 01-EE-11. Second part ex 01-EE-N2 splits into two
parts. One part goes straight to VR/tempered water cooler under flow control
02-FIC-1404 for getting run down to various destinations. Second part is fed
to 01-EE-11 to pre-heat crude and mixes with VR from 01-EE-N3 at outlet and
goes to 02-EE-005 A/B under level controller 02-LIC-1202. VR is cooled in 01-
EE-011 to 250oC for use as VR quench in 02-CC-001. This quench stream is
required to maintain the vacuum column bottom temperature at around
340oC to reduce possible cracking of vacuum residue during hold up in the
tower. Column bottom temperature is controlled by varying the quench
steam flow to the column through flow control 02-FIC-1208. Since only a small
fraction of VR can be used as VR quench in vacuum column, balance quantity
downstream of 01-EE-011 is also diverted to 02-EE-005 A/B for final cooling
to 95oC.
. Slop draw-off is withdrawn as the first side draw stream. It is drawn from the
chimney tray of the wash section. This recycle stream is pumped back to the
column through vacuum furnace by slop draw off pumps 02-PA-007 A/B. level
of the chimney tray is controlled by 02-LIC-1201. For this the slop recycle flow
through 02-LV-1201 controlled by 02-LIC-1201 on 02-PA-004 A/B discharge to
VR circuit. The purpose of maintaining slop recycle stream is to provide
necessary over flush in the vacuum column. The slop draw off is mixed with
RCO from atmospheric column bottom before heating in vacuum furnace. A
2” branch with flow control valve 02-FIC-1209 is provided for this purpose.
One 3” size slop quench line is cooled in 01-EE-014 & admitted on chimney
tray of 02-CC-001 under flow control 02-FIC-1407 to control temperature of
slop draw off chimney tray to prevent coking. Slop is routed through VR
circuit.
The vapour rising from the wash zone pass through a demister pad provided
above the wash section to trap entrained droplets of heavy hydrocarbons
which could otherwise adversely affect the PWD/HWD quality.
The rising hydrocarbon vapours from wash section are condensed in HWD and
PWD section by circulating refluxes (pump around) to yield the side draw
products.
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HWD product + PA is withdrawn as second side stream. HWD PA is drawn by
pump 02-PA-006 A/B from tray No.9. Earlier HWD product is withdrawn by
HWD product pump from 02-CC-003 bottom. From December 2012, an
interconnection has been made between HWD Pdt and PA pumps connecting
the suction lines and discharge lines of both the pumps. Since then, 02-PA-
006 A/B is serving the purpose of both HWD PA and product circuits vide flow
control through 02-FIC-1201 and 02-FIC-1403 in PA and Pdt circuits
respectively.
The HWD PA at a temperature of 3570 C is used to preheat crude. It is cooled
down to 3070 C in 01-EE-013. It goes to vacuum column under 02-FIC-1201.
Duty controller (working on product of flow and temperature difference of
the stream) shall control the flow rate of HWD PA based on the heat duty
difference between the set value and the measured value of PA stream.
Distributors are provided for proper distribution of PA. The HWD product is
drawn from 9th tray (common suction to HWD PA pumps) and 12th tray of
vacuum column. HWD product is steam stripped by MP steam to improve
flash point and remove lighter ends. It is sent to HWD stripper 02-CC-003
under stripper level control 02-LIC-1203. High and low alarms are provided on
stripper. Steam flow to HWD stripper is controlled by 02-FIC-1205. HWD
product is drawn from stripper bottom by 02-PA-003 A/B. HWD is cooled in
01-EE-020, 01-EE-018 and 01-EE-016 A/B in crude preheat exchanger trains. It
is finally cooled in 02-EE-004 A/B to 800 C. HWD is diverted to slop/ DCU feed
tank under flow control 02-FIC-1403. One jump over of 3” size is provided
between PWD and HWD rundown lines. From upstream of 02-FE-1403, HWD
can be diverted to tanks (with flow measurement 02-FI-1409). Seal flush to
VR + quench pumps is also provided by HWD product through 1” line.
PWD PA+ product is withdrawn as the third side stream from tray no.24. The
liquid is drawn through PWD product pumps 02-PA-002 A/B & PWD PA pumps
02-PA-005 A/B.
The PWD PA drawn at a temperature of 2470 C is used to preheat crude in 01-
EE-017 A/B/C/D. PWD PA cooled down to 1970C before entering 02-CC-001.
PWD PA enters above 24th tray. Duty controller controls the flow rate of PA
based on heat duty difference between the set value and the measured value
of PWD PA stream. Distributors are provided above the PWD draw off tray for
proper distribution. The PWD product is drawn from same tray as that of PA.
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This product goes to PWD stripper 02-CC-002. PWD is cooled in 01-EE-007
A/B/C from 2470C to 1820C and finally to 480C in 02-EE-003. It is diverted to
SDU feed tank or slop under flow control 02-FIC-1402. PWD to DCU feed tank
can be sent from upstream of 02-FIC-1402 its flow is measured by 02-FI-1407.
One jump over is provided between PWD run down lines to DCU & SDU within
battery limit.
The fourth side stream is HSD product + PA. It is withdrawn 30th tray above
the PWD section at 1350C. The stream is drawn through HSD product + PA
pumps 02-PA-001 A/B. HSD pumps have auto-start facility as it acts as reflux
to vacuum column. HSD product + PA is cooled 01-EE-001 to 91.50C and in 02-
EE-001 to 700C. HSD PA is sent to 02-CC-001 at tray 33 under flow control 02-
FIC-1203. This controller can be cascaded with 02-TI-1202 on HSD draw off
line. Temperature of HSD PA is maintained by 02-TIC-1401. Before sending to
run down HSD product is cooled in HSD product trim cooler 02-EE-002 to 400C.
HSD can be sent to storage/slop under flow control 02-FI-1401. Vacuum HSD
can be diverted to Dewaxing Unit (DWU) feed tank also from upstream of 02-
FI-1401 (mass flow meter). Flow of this stream is measured by 02-FI-1406.
Feed to Dewaxing Unit maybe HSD from CDU or PWD from VDU also, routed
through common run down line. All pumps connected with vacuum
column/strippers can be vented to vacuum column.
Superheated MP steam provided at the vacuum column bottom to serve as
partial pressure reduction steam. 02-FIC-1202 controls MP steam flow to
vacuum column
24 | P a g e
CATALYTIC REFORMING UNIT
INTRODUCTION: Catalytic Reforming is a major conversion process

that transforms low octane feed stock to high octane reformate for use
as a gasoline blending component to make lead free petrol (MS). A rich
Hydrogen gas (about 85-90% purity) and LPG rich off gas are obtained as
valuable by products. The reformer can also be run for the production of
reformate rich in benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX).
OBJECTIVE: The objective of CRU is to produce high octane number

reformate which is a main component of gasoline pool and a hydrogen
rich gas.
FEED: A blend of full range naphtha obtained from AVU and reformate
naphtha from Guwahati refinery.
PRODUCTS: Light naphtha, Stabilised Reformate or Gasoline,

Hydrogen Rich Gas & LPG rich off gas ex stabiliser.
a. The raw naphtha is drawn from storage tanks and fed directly to the
splitter column. Before feeding to the splitter column, the raw naphtha is
pre heated to 1020C in splitter feed bottom heat exchange by the hot
splitter bottom product which in turn is cooled to 650C.
b. The splitter overhead vapour is condensed in the overhead condenser and
is sent to splitter drum. The balance part is routed to storage under level
control of the reflux drum. The same pump is used for reflux and product
transfer to storage.
c. The splitter column top pressure is maintained at 1.1-1.2 kg/cm2 either
flooding the condenser or depressurising to flare system when pressure
builds up.
25 | P a g e
d. The column bottom liquid is re-boiled in a vertical thermo-siphon Reboiler
using MP steam. The bottom product is cooled partially against the
incoming cold feed to about 650C and is sent to the Hydrotreater Unit.
e. The HDT charge pumps located in NSU take suction from the splitter
bottom.
f. A steam condensate pot has been provided for collecting the condensate
from the reboiler. The condensate is routed on level control to storm sewer
or to NDCU for MP steam production.
The essential operating variables of Naphtha Splitter Unit are:

1. Pressure
2. Temperature
g. A high temperature (480-5300C) is read to promote the chemical reactions

which move octane number.
h. The Reforming catalysts used in Digboi Refinery CRU are RG582 and RG482.
i. The catalysts is regenerated by burning the deposited after the end of the
cycle.
Naphtha Hydro-treatment
a. Hydro-treatment is a catalytic process based on hydrodesulphurisation
and hydrodenitification reactions. The hydrotreater feed is the special cut
heavy naphtha (900C-1600C) which is the bottom product of Naphtha
Splitter Unit.
b. The major contaminants like S, N and O are converted to H2S, NH3 or H2O
respectively in the hydrotreater reactor.
c. The liquid product from the reactor is then stripped to remove H2S, H2O,
NH3 and light hydrocarbons in a stripper column.
d. The stripper bottom (hydrotreated naphtha) is then directly fed to the
reforming section or routed to storage.
e. The chemical reaction involves the elimination of poisons or undesirable
compounds contained in the feed which contaminate the reformer catalyst
and inhibit the metallic and acidic functions.
f. Mainly two kinds of reactions occur.
26 | P a g e
1) Hydrorefining – Elimination by production of volatile compounds.
 Sulphur: By desulphurisation. The H2S or sulphur compounds
inhibit the hydrogenation function of the reformer catalyst. They
are eliminated by production of hydrogen sulphide.
 Nitrogen: By denitrogenation. Nitrogen compounds inhibit
considerably the acidic functions of the reforming catalyst. They
are eliminated by production of Ammonia.
 Oxygen: oxygen compounds modify the acidic function of the
reforming catalyst. They are eliminated by production of water.
2) Hydrogenation-
 Elimination by production of compounds not detrimental for
reforming- Olefin hydrocarbons are normally absent in the
straight run naphtha’s. Olefin hydrocarbons at high temperature
provoke coke deposit on the aromizer (or reformer) catalyst as
well as furnace coils. The reaction is highly exothermic.
 Aromatics hydrogenation- Occurs as a consequence of
temperature and hydrogen partial pressure. The reaction is
highly exothermic.
 Elimination by fixation of catalyst: Arsenic , lead, mercury and to
a lesser degree copper, nickel, iron damage permanently the
aromizing (or reforming) catalyst.
Elimination by fixation of catalyst

Arsenic, lead, mercury and to a lesser degree copper, nickel, iron damage
permanently the aromizing (or reforming) catalyst. They are eliminated by
destruction of compounds which contain these metals and by fixation of those
on the catalyst. The absorption occurs on the upper layers of the catalyst bed
and progressively extends down to the lower part.
Role of the catalyst:

Cobalt-Molybdenum catalyst is used to promote the hydrodesulphurisation
and hydrodenitrification reaction.
27 | P a g e
In addition to hydrodesulphurisation and hydrodenitrification the catalyst
“traps” the metals contained in the feedstock:
 Arsenic: the catalyst can fix up to 3% wt. and the catalyst activity is
recovered by regeneration.
 Siliceous: the catalyst can fix upto 3% wt. but the catalyst activity
cannot be recovered by regeneration.
 Lead: Is also a permanent poison for the catalyst and the activity is not
recovered by regeneration
 Sodium: the catalyst an fix upto 0.3% wt. and the activity is not
recovered by regeneration.
REFORMING UNIT:
In Reformer section hydrotreated naphtha is reformed to produce high
octane gasoline.
The objective of the octanizing process is to produce a high octane number
reformate which is a main component of the gasoline pool and a hydrogen
rich gas. Octanizing feed is either straight run naphtha or cracked naphtha
mixed with straight run naphtha. Due to presence of contaminant, naphtha is
first hydrotreated and then fed to catalyst reforming unit.
The reforming reactions take place in three fixed bed catalytic reactors.
Continuous basis with full automatic control of operations. A high
temperature (480-5300C) is required to promote the chemical reactions,
which improve octane number. Hence the feed is heated ip before entering
the reactor. Moreover, some of the desirable reactions are highly
endothermic. This leads to splitting of the bulk of the catalyst into several
reactors with intermediate heaters.
The reforming catalysts used in the Digboi Refinery CRU are RG582 and
RG482. Coke deposition takes place in the catalyst during the course of the
operation and this renders the deactivation of the catalyst. The catalyst is
regenerated by burning the deposited coke after the end of the cycle.
28 | P a g e
PLANT CAPACITY:
The capacity of the reforming section is 90000 MT/year
OPERATING FLEXIBILITY:
The normal operating flexibility of the reformer is 50% of 90,000 MT/year.
FEED SPECIFICATIONS:
Feedstock of the catalytic reformer is hydrotreated naphtha received from
the HDTU. The maximum allowable level of contaminant in the reformer feed
i.e. hydrotreated naphtha is as follows:
Contaminants by wt. ppm
Sulphur 0.5
Nitrogen (organic) 0.5
Water and oxygenated products 5.0
Arsenic 5.0
Lead 5.0
Copper 5.0
Nickel 5.0
Chloride 1.0
Total Heavy Metals 5.0
29 | P a g e
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
The following abbreviations are used:
S.O.R.: Operation corresponding to catalyst start of life
E.O.R.: Operation corresponding to catalyst end of life (ultimate yields). There
are essentially four primary products from the CCR Reformer.:
1. High Octane reformate stream,
2. Rich hydrogen gas stream,
3. LPG stream (with or without C5)
There is an additional small secondary purge gas stream to fuel gas from the
reformer separator and absorber drum. This is mostly H2 rich with some
amount of C1, C2 and other light ends from the cracking reactions
30 | P a g e
CATALYTIC REFORMING PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM
31 | P a g e
MOTOR SPIRIT QUALITY
UPGRADATION UNIT
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of MSQU is to improve the research and motor octane number
of the light naphtha feed (predominantly C5/ C6) before blending into the
gasoline pool. The light naphtha fraction is typically high in normal isomer
content resulting in a low octane number (typically <68). The isomerisation
process converts an equilibrium proportion of these low octane normal
isomer into their higher octane branched isomers.
The process of motor spirit equality upgradation comprises of the
following steps :
 Naphtha Splitter Unit (NSU)
 Hydrotreater Unit (HDU)
 Isomerisation Section
NAPTHA SPLITTER UNIT:

I. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the NSU is to split the naphtha feed
composed of Straight Run Naphtha & Coker Naphtha into Light &
Heavy Naphtha. The light naphtha is fed to the ISOM-HDT to the
Isomerization Unit while the heavy naphtha is routed to the
Catalytic Reforming Unit.
II. FEED SPECIFICATION: SRN & Coker Naphtha are routed to MSQU
NSU while Guwahati Naphtha is routed directly to CRU.
III. THE PROCESS: The blend of Straight Run Naphtha and Coker
Naphtha is routed to feed surge drum from where it is pumped
under level/flow control by the Naphtha Splitter feed pumps.
Feed is heated with Naphtha Splitter bottom in Naphtha Splitter
32 | P a g e
feed/bottom exchanger and enters the Naphtha Splitter on tray
#17 at 880 C. The total no. of trays are 36.
Overheads from the columns at 920 C are fully condensed while

passing through the Naphtha Splitter air cooler and are collected
in the Naphtha Splitter reflux drum. The liquid hydrocarbon is
pumped from the reflux drum by the Naphtha Splitter reflux pump
and split Part is sent under flow control to the column as reflux,
the other part is sent under level/flow control to the HDT unit
through light naphtha cooler.
The button stream at 1540 C is pumped by Naphtha Splitter button pumps
and cooled down in Naphtha Splitter feed/bottom exchanger and in heavy
naphtha trim cooler and sent under level/flow control to existing CRU unit.
HYDROTREATER UNIT:-
A. OBJECTIVE: The Naphtha Hydro treating Process is a catalytic refining
process to decompose organic Sulphur, oxygen and nitrogen
compounds contained in the naphtha fraction. In addition
hydrotreating removes organometallic compounds and saturates
olefin compounds, which acts as catalytic poisons.
B. CHEMICAL REACTIONS: Mainly two different kinds of reactions
occur. These are Hydro refining and hydrogenation, in presence of
Ni-Mo catalyst on alumina.
 Hydrorefining: Elimination by production of volatile compounds
a. Desulfurization:
The Sulphur compounds of straight run naphtha, like mercaptans,

sulphides, disulphides, and polysulphides are eliminated by
production of hydrogen sulphide.
RSH+H2RH+H2S
b. Denitrification:
Nitrogen is removed in catalytic hydro treating by the breaking of the

C-N bond producing nitrogen free aliphatic and ammonia. The
33 | P a g e
breaking of C-N bond is much difficult to achieve than the C-S bond
in desulfurization.
C5H7N + 4H2 --> C5H12+ NH3
c. De-Oxygenation
In the de-oxygenation reactions, the C-O bond is broken and the

corresponding saturated aliphatic or aromatic compound is formed
together with water.
C6H5OH + H2 C6H6 + H2O
 Hydrogenation reactions
Hydrogenation is the addition of hydrogen to an unsaturated
hydrocarbon to produce a saturated product. The olefin saturation is
highly endothermic and proceeds relatively easily and quickly (in the
top portion of the catalyst bed). Straight chain mono-olefins are easy
to hydrogenate while branched cyclic di-olefins, such as
methylcyclopentadiene, are somewhat more difficult. Aromatic rings
are not hydrogenated except under the most severe hydrotreating
conditions. Typical olefin hydrogenation reactions are :
CH3 – CH2 – CH = CH – CH3 + H2  CH3 – CH2 – CH2—CH2—CH3

2-Pentene Pentane
C. THE PROCESS:
Reaction section : The light naphtha feed from naphtha splitter
enters the unit at battery limit conditions (5.0 kg/cm2 and 420C ) and
are directed to the HDT feed surge drum and is pumped under
level/flow control by the HDT feed pumps. The feed is then mixed
with the hydrogen-rich recycle gas, coming from the isomerization
unit.
This mixture is then preheated in the reactor feed/effluent

exchangers (shell side) and further heated to the required
temperature in the reactor feed heater before entering the HDT
34 | P a g e
reactor. The dry point for the reactor feed is reached in the
feed/effluent exchangers before entering the feed heater.
Hydro treating is performed in two steps: the first step consists

of olefins and di-olefins hydrogenation, performed in the first bed of
the HDT reactor, and the second one corresponds to desulfurization
and de-nitrification, which take place in the second bed of the HDT
reactor.
The first bed of the HDT reactor is filled with Ni-Mo catalyst to
selectively hydrotreat the di-olefins and the olefins present in the
feed. A gas quench is used at the outlet of the first bed to maintain
the temperature under 3380C depending on the position in the cycle.
In the second bed of the reactor Ni-Mo catalyst selectively
hydrotreats the naphtha feed i.e. desulfurization and de-nitrification
takes place in the vapour phase with a moderate temperature
increase DMDS is injected to activate the catalyst.
The reactor effluent is then cooled down and partially

condensed in the HDT reactor feed/effluent exchangers (tube side)
and in the HDT reactor effluent air cooler and HDT reactor effluent
trim cooler.
The vapor phase coming from the reactor is used as recycle and
mixed with hydrogen make-up coming from the Isomerization
section. This mixture is then routed to the suction of HDT recycle gas
compressors. A small part of the recycle gas can be purged to flare.
This purge is used to increase the recycle gas purity during normal
operation and to control the reaction section pressure during start-
up.
This separated liquid hydrocarbon phase is routed under flow

control with level reset to the stripper section.
35 | P a g e
D. STRIPPER SECTION: In the stripper section, the raw hydrogenated
naphtha is heated in the first and second HDT stripper feed/bottom
exchangers to enter the HDT stripper at around 1200 C. This column
is reboiled by the HDT stripper reboiler with MP steam.
Column overheads are partially condensed in the HDT stripper air

cooler and in overhead trim cooler and then collected in the HDT
stripper reflux drum. The overhead vapors are routed to fuel gas. The
liquid phase is pumped by the HDT stripper reflux pumps under flow
control with level reset to the stripper column as reflux.
The stripper bottom is cooled down in the first and the seconds
stripper feed/bottom exchangers and then in the hydrotreated
product cooler. A sulfur guard bed is provided to capture any
remaining sulfur. The desulfurized naphtha is routed to the
isomerization unit under flow control.
ISOMERIZATION :
Isomerization in the conversion of low octane straight chain
compounds to their higher octane branched isomers. The
isomerization reactor temperatures and kept in the range 120-1600C
to minimize hydrocracking.
Feed and Hydrogen make-up section: Light hydrotreated naphtha
from HDT unit and deisohexanizer recycle product are mixed in feed
surge drum and then pumped to enter two feed dryers in order to
protect the isomerization catalyst from irreversible damage with
water. The make-up hydrogen gas from unit is also behind dried to
remove water hydrogen is compressed to desired pressure level and
cooled in exchanger, then under pressure control, part is sent to HDT
and the remaining part is sent to dryers. It is mixed with dried
36 | P a g e
naphtha and sent to isomerization reaction section under flow
control.
A. ISOMERISATION REACTION SECTION:
The combined two phase feed from the dryer section is preheated in
deisohexanizer recycle/reactors feed exchanger, in first stage reactor
feed/effluent exchanger and in hydrogenation reactor feed/effluent
exchanger. Finally reactor feed is heated with medium pressure to
the required inlet temperature by hydrogenation reactor feed
heater.
Feed enters the benzene hydrogenation where the benzene is

hydrogenated. The reaction of hydrogenation is highly exothermic. A
small amount of chlorinating agent is used in first stage isomerization
reactor feed in order to maintain the chloride balance on the
isomerization catalyst. Hydrogenated feed is routed to the first stage
isomerization reactor, isomerization reaction occur, these reaction
are slightly exothermic. The reactor effluent, that leaves the first
isomerization reactor has to be cooled in the reactor feed/effluent
exchanger before entering the second stage isomerization reactor
enters both 1st and 2nd step isomerization reactors are mixed phase,
down-flow reactors, with a single catalyst bed. The effluent is then
routed to stabilizer under pressure control. The temperature profile
in each reactor is monitored with multiple temperature indicators
located across the catalyst bed.
The differential temperature thermocouples is admeasure of the

extent of reaction, while also indicating the reactive zone of the
catalyst bed.
37 | P a g e
B. STABILIZER SECTION: The stabilizer purpose is to reduce the C4
content LPG, H2 and HCL are stripped and sent to caustic scrubber
column.
The stabilizer overhead is partially condensed in stabilizer air cooler
and trim cooler. It is collected in the stabilizer reflux drum where
vapour phase is routed under pressure control to the scrubber
section while the liquid is pumped by pumps under flow control
cascade by level to the stabilizer as reflux. Stabilizer is reboiled with
medium steam in the stabilizer reboiler.
Stabilizer’s bottom is routed to deisohexanizer via the stabilizer
bottom chloride guard bed in order to avoid chloride presence in the
rest of the unit.
De-isohexanizer: Deisohexanizer (called DIH) is fed with stabilizer

bottom. DIH recovers isomerate product and recycles low octane
methyl-pentanes and n-hexane to the reactors. Liquid is pumped by
isomerization recycle pumps, part is recycled to the reactor section
after being cooled, the other part of the DIH side draw is heated and
vaporized against DIH pump around Exchanger. Overhead vapour of
the column is totally condensed through deisohexanizer air cooler
and is routed to deisohexanizer reflux drum. Part of the light
isomerate is sent as reflux under flow control. The remaining part is
sent under level/flow control to the light isomerate cooler before
being sent to the light isomerate storage.
Deisohexanizer is reboiled with MP in steam deisohexanizer boiler.

The bottom stream is pumped by deisohexanizer bottom pumps. The
stream, concentrated in C7 and C6 naphthelenes, is cooled in heavy
isomerate cooler before being sent to heavy isomerate storage. To
reduce steam consumption of DIH reboiler, a pump around is
installed.
C. SCRUBBER SECTION:-
As the off-gas from the stabilizer reflux drum overhead
contains HCL, it must be caustic treated and water washed before
38 | P a g e
being released. This off gas enters in the bottom of the column. The
gas leaving the caustic wash section. Saturated by caustic, is again
washed with cold boiler feed water from HDT in the top packed
section, to remove any entrained caustic. Water is collected in the
chimney tray below the water wash packed section and it is
circulated using pumps then off-gas from water wash section is
routed under pressure control to Fuel gas or to flame. The caustic
inventory requirement is stored in the tower bottom section, and the
feed gas is bubbled through this caustic inventory. A portion of the
circulating caustic is sprayed onto the column walls below the caustic
wash packed section to avoid any wet hydrogen chloride corrosion in
this part of the scrubber.
D. CATALYST USED:-
The benzene hydrogenation catalyst is platinum on alumina used to
hydrogenate benzene contained in the isomerization feed stocks.
39 | P a g e
DELAYED COKING UNIT
INTRODUCTION: The operating manual outlines the designed data
and describes the general princilpes of start-up data, operation and shut
down as well as the safety aspects of the 0.17 MMTPA, DCU of Digboi
Refinery of IOCL (AOD).
OBJECTIVE: To produce Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
FEED: Vacuum Residue from AVU, HWD, foots oil from SDU. In the
offsite tank both VR and foots oil blend together, is the feed for DCU.
PRODUCTS: Coker Kero, Coker LDO, Coker Fuel Oil, Coker Residue
(CR), Coker Naphtha, LPG, Fuel Gas (FG), Coke, LPG and coke are final
product.
Feed at 700C pump to exchanger at temperature 4900C and above. Furnace is
the heart of DCU having two sections: convection & radiation.
Furnace is a chamber having burners aligned at 450 angle. It consists of of
tubes and a refractory wall and heats the tubes. FG is used in the burner.
The furnace has two passes: pass one and pass two each having 36 nos. of
trays for better heating of the tubes.
The difference between convection and radiation is called arch level. To adjust
the heat, damper is used. There are 16 nos. of burners. There are 8 nos. of
burners in each pass
40 | P a g e
In DCU plant there are two sections one is critical section and the other is LRU
(LPG Recovery Unit) section.
HWD- 480-5300C
VR:- 5300C and above
Foots oil:- from SDU
Equipment:- Furnace i.e. natural furnace, vital pump i.e. fractionator bottom
pump, coke cutting pump, compressor, tank, LPG recovery system.
Coke section:
1) Two fractionator bottom pumps, one is running another is in standby.
Pressure 60 kg/cm2 and temperature 3400C and above vital pump.
2) In fractionator, bubble cap tray (32 no. tray) top product- high kero, Coker
LDO and bottom product:- coker fuel oil and RCO. In stripper, Pyrolytic
polymerization reaction at temperature 4400C and above takes place to
stripped out water from products.
3) There are two coke chambers RB1 and RB2. It takes 24 hours to fill one
chamber. Below 1000C chamber should be opened and coke cutting
temperature is 1450C. A four way valve (actually 3 way valve; one is for
inlet and the other two for outlet) is used to control to remove the coke
from the filled chamber with the help of Kelly by using water.
4) There are three types of feed exchanger:
a) Kero feed exchanger
b) LDO feed exchanger
c) CFO/CR feed exchanger
These three products will enter through the shell side of the feed
exchanger. The feed will enter through the tube side of the feed exchanger.
5) The feed from the feed surge pump is preheated in a pre-heat exchanger
train to a temperature of 1950C by exchanging heat from the coker kero,
LDO and CR and then to a temperature of 2400C in convection coil if coker
furnace.
6) The feed entry to the fractionator is at two levels, one below tray no. 1 and
the other above tray no. 8. This is provided for controlling the bottom
temperature of the fractionator.
41 | P a g e
7) The unit is designed for recycle of 70 wt. %. In bottom section of
fractionator, temperature around 4250C is cooled by fresh feed entering
the fractionator at around 2400C.
Lighter product- FG (used in furnace)
CFO- lube oil produced
LRU Section:
1) Three types of valve – globe valve, gate valve, Centrifugal valve.
2) BFW (Boiler Feed Water) at 2000C is introduced to the furnace to decrease
the residual time and increase the velocity of the fluid. If the fluid flow
stops it will form into coke.
3) Corrosion inhibitor is used in the fractionators and anti-foam is dozed into
the chamber of the coker side to minimise the foam.
4) LPG recovery unit consists of C1 & C2 i.e. FG component, C3 and C4 i.e. LPG
component, C5 i.e. Naphtha component.
5) From LRU stripper remaining goes to the debutaniser (LDO reboiler). And
first and second product goes to the reboiler.
6) LPG condenses to remove Mercaptans washed with Caustic soda (NaOH).
7) Remaining gas goes to the absorber it absorbs C1 & C2 component in
absorber reflux drum.
Stabilised naphtha goes to the two-stage reciprocating compressor first stage
and second stage.
BRIEF PROCESS FLOW DESCRIPTION:

Blended feed from off-sites is received in the feed surge drum in the unit. The
feed from the feed surge drum is pre-heated in a pre-heat exchanger train to
a temperature of 1950C by exchanging heat from coker kero, LDO and coker
residue to a temperature of 2400C in convection coil of coker furnace. The
pre-heated feed is then fed to the fractionator column. the feed entry to the
fractionator is at two levels one below tray no.1 and the other above tray
no.8. This facility is provided for controlling the bottom temperature of the
fractionator. The mixed stream of feed and recycle from the fractionator
bottom is pumped to the reaction coils of the coker furnace at a temperature
42 | P a g e
of 3700C and the material is heated to a coking temperature of 495-4980C
which causes partial vaporisation and mild cracking of the charge stock. The
vapour-liquid mixture then enters the coke chamber which is in coking
service, where the vapour experiences further cracking as it passes through
the coke chamber and the liquid experiences successive cracking and
polymerisation until it is converted to vapour and coke. The unit has two coke
chambers one in coking service while the other is being decoked with high
pressure water jets.
The coke chamber overhead vapours pass through quench column to
facilitate condensation of the heaviest fraction of vapours by LDO quench and
thereby produce coker residue. The Coker residue after pre-heating the fresh
feed is mixed with Coker fuel oil. A part of cooled residue is recycled back to
quench column to maintain its bottom temperature. Quench column
overhead vapours enter main fractionator at a temperature of about 4250C
above shield, trays (1st two trays). In the fractionator column, coker off gas
and and coker naphtha is obtained as overhead products and Kerosene, LDO
and CFO as side draw-off products. Kerosene, LDO and CFO are steam stripped
in the stripper columns, and cooled prior to being routed to their destinations.
A part of the cooled CFO is sent to the fractionator as a forced FO reflux to
enable condensation of recycle material. A LDO circulating reflux stream is
drawn and after giving its heat to reboil vapours in debutaniser reboiler and
to generate steam in a thermo-siphon steam generator, cooled LDO is
circulated to the fractionator above tray no.19.
The filled coke chamber is depressurised first to primary fractionator for an
hour to recover the hydrocarbons trapped inside the old coke chamber and
then to blow down scrubber and then gradually cooled with MP steam, then
by a mixture of steam and low range water and finally with deluge water to
avoid thermal shock and lengthen the drum life. The coke chamber is
depressurised to chamber blow down system consisting of blow down
scrubber overhead condenser and blow down condensate drum for recovery
of heavy oil and wax tailing which comes along with steam vapours from coke
chamber during chamber cooling cycle. The condensed heavy oil and wax
tailing from the blow down scrubber bottom can be routed to either main
fractionator for reprocessing or to slop. The condensate and sour water
43 | P a g e
collected in sour water collected in sour water condensate drum are sent to
slop and sour water stripper respectively. Coke from cooled coke drum is cut
and removed by high pressure water jet operating at a pressure of about 120
kg/cm2g. The cut coke falls through bottom chute to coke yard for dewatering.
Coke fines and water are sent to coke fines thickener where coke fines are
separated out as slurry and sent back to the coke drop out area. The clean
water is sent to decoking water tank for reuse. After coke cutting operation,
empty coke drum is heated slowly by steam followed by hydrocarbon vapours
from coke chamber which is on line before bringing empty coke chamber back
in line. During vapour heating stage of empty chamber, condensed
hydrocarbons and non-condensable vapours are collected in chamber
condensate drum. Vapours from chamber condensate drum are sent to the
primary fractionator.
Liquid condensate is first routed to CFO upto a temperature of 2000C and then
fractionator through forced FO reflux or fresh feed line. Vapours from main
fractionator reflux drum and unstabilised naphtha from fractionator reflux
pumps are sent to LPG recovery section. In LPG recovery unit fuel gas ex. CDU
stabiliser are also processed for recovery of LPG. The coker off gases are
compressed in a two stage off-gas reciprocating compressor. The unstabilised
coker naphtha, fuel gas ex. CDU stabiliser reflux drum of AVU, absorber
bottoms and stripper OVHD vapours are mixed with hot gases from
compressor 1st stage discharge. The 1st stage condensate from compressor 1st
stage KOD, liquid and vapour distillate ex. CRU stabiliser are mixed with hot
gases from compressor 2nd stage discharge. The compressed gases from
compressor 2nd stage discharge KOD are fed to absorber where LPG and
naphtha components are absorbed by stabilised recycle naphtha from
absorber reflux drum. Vapours from absorber reflux drum are routed to fuel
gas system. Absorber bottom liquid is sent to compressor after-cooler by
gravity. Liquid from compressor 2nd stage compressor KOD is sent to stripper
to strip off C2s and lighter components. Heat required for stripping is supplied
from MP steam and debutaniser bottom, liquid through stripper reboiler. The
stripped vapour is routed to compressor after-cooler to maximise the
recovery of LPG component in liquid phase. Stripper bottom is fed to c column
where it is split to LPG and debutaniser naphtha. Debutaniser reboiler heat
44 | P a g e
duty by LDO circulating reflux from fractionator. Stabilised naphtha is partly
recycled to absorber reflux condenser and partly sent to as product coker
naphtha after caustic wash. Debutaniser overhead vapours are condensed in
debutaniser overhead condenser. A part of overhead liquid is drawn as LPG
product and part is returned to debutaniser as reflux. LPG product is routed
to storage after caustic and water wash to remove H2S and Mercaptan present
in LPG. The LPG recovery unit can operate in fuel gas mode to handle coker
off gases and unstabilised naphtha from fractionator reflux drum. In FG mode,
gases from 2nd stage discharge KOD are routed to fuel gas system directly
instead of going to absorber and condensate from compressor 2nd stage
discharge KOD is sent to debutaniser where naphtha is stabilised by removing
lighter components. Fuel gas from debutaniser reflux drum is routed to FG
system and unstabilised naphtha from debutaniser.
45 | P a g e
46 | P a g e
HYDROGEN GENERATION
UNIT
INTRODUCTION:
The Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU) consists of DeSulphurization,
Reforming and process gas cooling with High temperature shift
conversion to increase the hydrogen content of the process gas.
Purification is done with PSA Unit. The feedstock to the Hydrogen unit is
Natural Gas.
The Hydrogen plant is divided into six main sections :

 Feed treatment consisting of feed compression and
desulphurization.
 Reforming
 Heat recovery
 High temperature shift
 Product purification by means of PSA unit
 Steam system consisting of water conditioning by means of
degasification and chemical dosing. The steam generation
is based on a natural circulation system.
Some hydrogen is recycled to the feed treatment section to be

able to meet hydrogen demand there and the purge gas from the
PSA unit is a fuel in the reforming section.
A.PLANT CAPACITY:
Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU): 7000 TPA(875kg/hr.)(contained
H2)
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B. PROCESS DESCRIPTION:
The production of hydrogen based on steam reforming of natural
gas and purification by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) consist of
following major steps :
 Feed gas conditioning
 Reforming
 CO conversion (H.T. Shift)
 Hydrogen purification
 Heat recovery
 Fuel system
 Vent system BFW Conditioning
FEED GAS CONDITIONING:

The feed for the hydrogen generation unit is natural gas
available to the plant at a minimum pressure of 1.5 kg/cm2g.
This gas is fed to the Feed K.O. Drum to remove any condensate
in the feed from OSBL. The gas from the K O Drum supplies the
requirement of make-up fuel for the reformer and feed for the
steam reforming reaction. The feed gas is mixed with recycle
hydrogen from the PSA unit and compressed to a pressure of
28.7 kg/cm2g maintained by a pressure control, by means of the
Feed Gas Compressor. Normally the amount of recycle
hydrogen constitutes about 5 mol % of the natural gas feed to
the reformer. At any time, one compressor is in operation and
the other is on standby.
The compressed gas mixture is heated to about 3900C in the
Feed Preheater located in the convection section of the
reformer. The efflux from the coil is fed to the DeSulphurizer.
The DeSulphurizer reactor has two beds containing Comox and
ZnO respectively.
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The Comox bed converts the organic-Sulphur compounds
present in the feed to hydrogen sulphides. In the ZnO bed, the
hydrogen sulphides is removed to less than 0.2 ppm by reaction
with the zinc oxide as per the following reactions :
RHS + H2  RH + H2S
ZnO + H2S  ZnS + H2O
REFORMING:
The desulfurized feed gas is mixed with steam to ensure the
required Steam to Carbon ration (S/C) and then superheated in the
convection section to about 5800C in the Feed / Steam Superheater.
Both streams are under flow control to achieve this objective.
In the tubes of the top Reformer, the mixture of feed and steam
reacts over a nickel-based catalyst to produce a mixture of
hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane as a
result of the following reactions :
CH4 + H2O CO + 3H2
CO + H2O CO2 + H2
The reforming reactions themselves are endothermic and require a
substantial heat input. This heat input is supplied by firing PSA
purge gas and make up fuel in the form of natural gas. The process
gas leaves the reformer at a temperature of around 8800C.
CO CONVERSION (HT SHIFT):

In order to increase the hydrogen content in the efflux gas from the
reformer, a major portion of the carbon monoxide present is
converted by steam to hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the H.T. Shift
Reactor. In presence of an iron oxide based catalyst and at an inlet
process gas temperature of 3350C (SOR), the CO content in the
process gas is reduced to about 4% (dry basis) as per the following
reactions :
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CO + H2O CO2 + H2
For end-of-run conditions, the inlet temperature can be increased
to about 3450C.
HYDROGEN PURIFICATION
The process gas from the H.T. Shift Reactor is cooled and the excess
steam present is condensed and separated in the Process Gas
Separator. The gas from this separator is then fed to the PSA Unit.
The hydrogen rich gas is purified by pressure swing adsorption
process in this unit. The hydrogen is recovered from the process gas
by adsorption of the methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
nitrogen and water vapor on suitable and specific adsorbents.
The PSA unit uses a pressure swing adsorption process in which the
impurities from the process gas are adsorbed at the high feed gas
pressure, leaving a pure hydrogen product steam at almost the
same pressure in a repeated cycle having two basis steps
(adsorption and regeneration) with no virtually change in
temperature.
The unit comprises number of adsorbers and the hydrogen
remaining in an adsorber at the end of the adsorption step is used
for re-pressurization and purging of the other adsorbers in line.
 Regeneration of the adsorbent is carried out in the following
steps :
 Depressurization by equalization with absorbers, which are in
the re-pressurization steps.
 Providing the purge for another adsorber.
 Depressurization to low level pressure of about 0.3 kg/cm2g.
During this step, a part of the impurities are removed from
the adsorbent.
 Purging at low pressure with hydrogen from another
adsorber, whereby the remaining impurities are removed.
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 Re-pressurization by equalization with adsorber, which are in
the depressurization steps.
 Re-pressurization to adsorption pressure with product
hydrogen
Each adsorber is cycled through the same adsorption/regeneration

sequence. The waste gases, which are being released during the
regeneration, are collected in the purge gas drum to even out
pressure and composition variations and routed to the burners of
the reformer.
The pure hydrogen from the PSA unit passes through a Hydrogen
Product Filter (10-GN-00-101) to remove fine dust from the
adsorbers. The pure and clean hydrogen product is sent to the
battery limit under back pressure. The recycle hydrogen fed to the
DeSulphurizer is also taken from this stream. The purge gas from
the PSA is used as fuel in the reformer furnace.
HEAT RECOVERY:
The heat in the process gas from the Reformer is recovered by
generating steam in the Process Gas Boiler. The boiler is equipped
with an internal bypass to control the H.T. shift Reactor inlet
temperature. The shifted effluent gas passed through a steam super
heater, superheating the steam to meet the export conditions of
2880C at 12kg/cm2g.
Downstream of this Superheater, the process gas passes through
Boiler Feed Water Preheater where heat is exchanged with boiler
feed water from the De-gasifier. After further heat recovery against
demineralized water cum process condensate in 10-EE-00-104, the
process gas is cooled to about 400C in the Process Gas Air Cooler
against air followed by Process Gas Trim Cooler cooling water. The
condensate formed is separated in the Process Gas Separator and
the hydrogen rich process gas is sent to the PSA Unit.
The heat in the flue gas is recovered firstly in a Shock Boiler
protecting the Feed/ Steam Superheater from shock temperatures.
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Subsequent coils in the convection sections are the Flue Gas Boiler-
I, Feed Preheater and finally, Combustion Air Preheater. The
combustion Air Preheater includes a Flue Gas Boiler to recover heat
in the form of steam. To avoid cold end corrosion, a part of the
preheated combustion air can be bypassed, if required. The flue
gases are discharged to the atmosphere by means of the Flue Gas
Fan through the stack.
The generated steam (raised by natural circulation of the boiler
water) is partly used as process steam for the reforming. The excess
is sent under back pressure control to unit battery limit.
FUEL SYSTEM:
The fuel used in the plant to meet the heat duties of the reformer
furnace are :
 PSA Purge Gas
 Make-up fuel gas in the form of natural gas
PSA purge gas is used as a priority fuel in the reformer. Natural gas
is used to make-up any additional firing demands. The temperature
of the process gas leaving the reformer controls the make-up fuel
quantity. The combustion air is on flow control in order to ensure
the required quantity of air for the combustion. The flue gases are
removed from the reformer on pressure control by the Flue Gas Fan
to ensure that the pressure in the radiant zone is always just below
atmospheric.
BFW CONDITIONING:
Demineralised water from battery limit is mixed with process
condensate from the Process Gas Separator and heated to about
950C in the Demineralised Water/ Condensate Preheater before
entering the top section of the Degasifier. In the Degasifier, the CO2
in the incoming water is stripped off with the recovered flash steam
and LP Steam. Proper stripping is ensured by maintaining a
52 | P a g e
minimum quantity of stripping steam. The oxygen scavenger and pH
control agents are added to the Degasifier sump before pumping of
the water to the Steam Drum with the Boiler Feed Water Pump.
This water is preheated in Boiler Feed Preheater. Phosphate is
added before entering the Steam Drum.
VENT SYSTEM:
Flammable gases that have to be relieved from the unit in case of
an emergency are routed to outside battery limit through a flare
header outside the plot area. Steam from the Steam Drum is
relieved to a Silencer whereas the vent from the Degasifier and flue
gases are sent to safe location to the atmosphere.
Demineralised water from battery limit is mixed with process
condensate from the Process Gas Separator and heated to about
950C in the Demineralised Water/Condensate Preheater before
entering the top section of the Degasifier. In the Degasifier, the CO2
in the incoming water is stripped off with the recovered flash steam
and LP Steam. Proper stripping is ensured by maintaining a
minimum quantity of stripping steam. The oxygen scavenger and pH
control agents are added to the Degasifier sump before pumping of
the water to the Steam Drum with the Boiler Feed Water Pump.
This water is preheated in Boiler Feed Preheater. Phosphate is
added before entering the Steam Drum.
B. EFFLUENT SYSTEM
LIQUID EFFLUENT
The only source of continuous liquid effluent is from the steam
drum blowdown. In order to control the conductivity, the
continuous blowdown of the steam drum is set by means of a
manually operated calibrated heavy duty valve downstream the
blowdown cooler. The blowdown is cooled in the Blowdown Cooler
53 | P a g e
by exchanging heat with cold combustion air from Combustion Air
Fan.
GASEOUS EFFLUENTS
The source of gaseous effluent are flue gas generated in the
reformer.
The vent steam from the Degasifier is vented to atmosphere and
contains the stripped contaminants from the boiler feed water,
consisting mainly of :
 The main contaminant is CO2, due to its chemical solubility in
the process condensate (acid-base reaction)
 Smaller amounts of physically dissolved process gas.
 Traces of ammonia formed over the reformer catalyst (if
nitrogen is present in the feedstock).
 Organic compounds formed over the HT shift catalyst.
C. OVERPRESSURE PROTECTION SYSTEM

The plant is safeguarded against overpressure by safety relief
valves. They are installed in appropriate places, designed to prevent
the mechanical design pressure of the equipment being exceeded.
Safety relief valves and rupture discs are purely mechanical devices,
which are supposed to work under all circumstances, since they are
not dependent on external supplies of electricity or instrument air,
etc.
The design flow rates for the relieving devices are calculated in
accordance with API Recommended Practice 521. The identified
relief cases determining the size of the relieving devices are :
 Blocked outlet
 Inadvertent valve opening
 Heat exchanger tube failure
54 | P a g e
 Hydraulic expansion
 Fire
Other relief cases as per API 521 are also considered, but not found
to be size determining.
Major process streams can also be vented to the flare header
through control valves. These controllers have set points such that
the venting pressure will always stay below the relevant mechanical
design pressure. In this way the safety relief valves will not lift
unnecessarily.
The process streams safety valve outlets are connected to the flare
header for safe relieving process streams in an emergency
circumstance.
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HYDROGEN GENERATION UNIT DIAGRAM
56 | P a g e
HYDRO TREATING UNIT
A.INTRODUCTION:
Petroleum fractions contain various amounts of naturally occurring
contaminants including organic Sulphur, nitrogen and metal
compounds. These contaminants may contribute to increased levels
of air pollution, equipment corrosion and cause difficulties in the
further processing the material in a proprietary, fixed bed, catalytic
process developed by UOP for hydro treating a wide range of
feedstock.
The process uses a catalytic hydrogenation method to upgrade the
quality of petroleum distillate fractions by decomposing the
contaminants with a negligible effect on the boiling range of feed,
the process does an excellent job of saturating olefin and aromatic
compound while reducing Conrad son carbon and removing other
contaminants such as oxygenates and organometallic compounds.
The desired degree of hydro treating is obtained by processing the
feedstock over a fixed bed of catalyst in the presence of large
amounts of hydrogen at temperature and pressure dependent on the
nature of the feed and the amount of contaminant removal required.
Naphtha’s used as feedstock to catalytic reforming units must be
hydro treated to such an extent that they are essentially free of all
contaminants (less than 0.5 ppm Sulphur), whereas 0.2% of Sulphur
may be permissible in heavy distillates for fuel oil.
Catalyst in varying quantities can be used to hydro treat straight run
naphtha, vacuum gas oil, catalytically and thermally cracked
distillates. Use of catalytic reforming units has made available large
quantities of excess hydrogen, making it feasible to hydro treat many
or all of the distillates produced by the refinery.
57 | P a g e
B. FEED SPECIFICATION:
 Feed for Kerosene mode of operation will be a blend of straight run light
kerosene and straight run heavy kerosene.
 Feed for Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) mode of operation will be straight run light
kerosene.
 Feed for Diesel mode of operation primarily will be a blend of straight run
heavy kerosene, Coke gas oil and side stream II from low wax crude distillation
unit.
C.COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES FOR FRESH STOCK

CHARGE:
1) Kerosene mode of operation:-
Stream type SR Light SR heavy Blend

kerosene kerosene
Sulphur, wt. % 0.008 0.053 0.0297
Nitrogen, 105.7 120.5 112.8
wt.ppm
Aromatics(Vol)% 38.5 41.8 40.1
Paraffin’s 61.5 58.2
(Vol/wt.)%
Flash point, 0C 32 73.5 32
Cetane number 21.5 34.0
2) Diesel mode of operation:-

Stream type SR heavy Coker SR SR Coker Blend
kerosene Kero Light heavy gas
gas gas oil
oil oil
Sulphur,wt.ppm 0.053 0.22 0.19 0.28 0.31 0.211
Nitrogen,wt 120.5 146.4 172.7 203.0 21 134.1
ppm
Aromatics(Vol)% 41.8 26.9 44.0 45.0 32.7 38.5
Flashpoint,0C 73.5 31 98 101 <105
Cetane no 34 42.3 39.6 40.2 38 42
58 | P a g e
D.PRODUCT SPECIFICATION:
The unit products shall be routed to the storage and the properties
of the ATF, kerosene and diesel will meet the following specification:
Properties ATF Kerosene Diesel
Smoke point 21 mm and 21 mm --
naphthalene
less than 3%
Flash point 38 35 40
Cetane no - - 48.5
Sulphur net - - 2000
ppm Max
E.HYDROTREATING CHEMISTRY:
The following chemical steps occur during the hydro-treating
process.
Sulphur Removal :
 Typical feed stock to the Union-fining Unit will contain simple
mercaptans, Sulphides and Di-Sulphides. These compounds are
easily converted to H2S. Desulphirization of these compounds
proceeds by initial ring opening and Sulphur removal followed
by saturation of the resulting olefin.
Example:
1.Mercaptans
C – C – C – C – SH + H2  C – C – C – C + H2S
Nitrogen Removal :
 This process is generally more difficult than Sulphur removal.
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Oxygen Removal :
 Organically combined oxygen is removed by hydrogenation of
the carbon-Hydroxyl bond forming water and the
corresponding Hydrocarbon.
Olefin Saturation :
 Olefin Saturation reactions proceed very rapidly and have high
heat of reaction.
Aromatic Saturation :
 Reactions are exothermic.
Hexane + H2  Cyclohexane
Catalyst Used :
 The oxides of Nickel and Cobalt and Molybdenum impregnated
on Alumina balls are used as Catalyst.
Metals Removal :
 Metals are removed by the process of adsorption and chemical
reaction, done in a plug flow w.r.t. the catalyst bed. Typical
metals deposited are Nickel and Vanadium.
Halides Removal :
 The inorganic Ammonium Halides salts are produces when the
reactors are cooled and are removed by dissolving by the
injection of water into the reactor effluent or leave with the
stripper off gas.
Catalyst Deactivation :
Catalyst activity is reduced whenever molecules cannot reach active
sites. Catalyst deactivation is caused by the following reasons :
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Coke Deposition :
 Coke formation begins with adsorption of high Mol. Wt.
molecules and proceeds with further loss of hydrogen.
Deactivation increases with time and magnitude of the
temperature with the catalyst exposed to. Coke deposition
occurs at a relatively slow rate and the catalyst is able to
operate effectively for period of one year or more before
regeneration becomes necessary. The coke gets deposited on
the active sites and provide a physical blockage to the pores on
the sites.
Metal Accumulation :
 The deposition of metal usually occurs at the pores entrance or
near the outer surface of the catalyst thereby reducing the
availability of the active site of the catalyst.
Catalyst Sintering :
 Due to exposure to high temperature the metals becomes
mobile and gets accumulated on the active sites and thus
reduces catalytic activity.
Catalytic Regeneration :
 Regeneration is done to remove coke and Sulphur compounds
to recover the activity by burning of the coke and Sulphur
deposited on the surface under controlled conditions.
F.PROCESS DESCRIPTION :
This unit consists of High Pressure Reactor Section and Low Pressure
Product Fractionation Section.
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G.REACTOR SECTION :
 The incoming feed is stored in storage tanks and then is passed
to Feed Surge Drum using the Feed Transfer Pump. Nitrogen
blanketing is provided to Feed Surge Drum to prevent gum
formation and thus preventing equipment fouling, also to
prevent solid particle content in the feed to enter the reactor
section, a 25 micron backwash filters are used.
 The combined feed is sent to Cold Combined Feed Exchanger
against effluent (130 Kg/cm2g), which is passing through a
series of HE, with a aim to heat up the incoming cold feed to
the desired inlet temperature for the reactor and it also serves
as a Heat Recovery system. The combined Feed Stream is then
passed to the Mixed Phase Heater to again rise up the feed
temperature. A fresh feed bypass around the Feed Effluent
Exchanger is used to provide better control of the charge
heater outlet temperature.
 Also a separate Feed Coalescer is provided for the cold feed
from the storage as the feed from the surge drum is slightly of
high temperature thus resulting in a poor separation of fluid.
 The HE body, inner lining and almost every body part is made
of stainless steel because of its resistance to atmospheric
corrosion and severe conditions but traces of air and moisture
content in the HE may result in corrosion and wearing away of
the parts, thus this is prevented by neutralizing the sulphides
scales inside the tubes and also preventing the inlet of air and
moisture.
MAKE UP H2 SYSTEM :
 The H2 gas is taken from HGU section with an incoming
pressure of 19.5 Kg/cm2g which is then passed to a Gas
Compressor which uses a Multi-Stage Reciprocating
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Compressor to compress the gas to required pressure of 101
Kg/cm2g.
 The feed to the compressor (make up gas) is also mixed with
the Recycle Gas from the unit at the second stage of the
compressor for reuse. At its first stage the feed gets cooled to
410C and then is passed to the second stage.
FRACTIONATOR :
 This section separates the Sour gas and Naphtha from the
Diesel product. Hydrocarbon Liquid is collected in the
vapor/liquid separator section and the rest is sent to the
stripper section. The feed in the stripper section is preheated
by using bottom products, Reactor effluent and fired heater to
strip the light ends from the bottom.
 The vapors leaving the stripper are cooled and is sent to
Stripper Reflux Drum, where the condensed Hydrocarbon is
sent a reflux to the stripper. Water phase is separated in the
reflux drum and is sent to Sour Water Stripping Unit.
 From the Reflux drum, sour gases are sent to Amine Treating
Unit to remove H2S. The naphtha is sent out as refinery outlet
and the Diesel product, a fractionator product is sent to Salt
Drier and then to storage.
 In kerosene mode of operation the product is directly sent to
Caustic Wash to remove Sulphur content and then to sand
filters and then to storage.
AMINE TREATING UNIT :

 Sour off gases from HDT (Flash drum off gas, stripper receiver
off gas and recycle gas vent stream) and Sour gas from DCU are
mixed and the mixed feed stream is fed to Sour Gas cooler and
then to LP Amine Absorber Knock Out Drum to minimize the
potential for amine carry over to the fuel gas system with
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treated off gas. The Amine is sent to the unit by diluting with
DM water and MDEA at the make-up tank.
 Rich Amine from the absorber is sent to Amine Flash Drum and
vapor from the flash drum are contacted with slip stream of
lean amine and is then sent to Acid Gas Relief Header.
 Any Hydrocarbon separated from rich amine is routed to slop
tank. The rich amine stream from the flash drum is then
pumped and routed to Amine Regeneration Unit, where it is
stripped with stripping steam.
 Lean amine from the bottom is feed to Lean Amine Feed
Exchanger Bottoms then to Lean Amine Cooler and then is
passed to Lean Amine Pre Filters, followed by Lean Amine
Carbon Filters and Lean Amine post Filter and finally to Lean
Amine Absorber.
Gases from the amine absorber is sent to amine regenerator condenser

and then to amine regenerator reflux drum. Reflux from the reflux drum is
again sent to Amine regenerator. Gases from reflux drum is then sent to
Acid gas flare header and Sulphur Recovery plant.
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PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM OF HYDROTREATING UNIT
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SOLVENT DEWAXING UNIT
INTRODUCTION: Solvent Deoiling unit has been installed at Digboi
Refinery to replace the age of the old Wax Extraction Unit and Wax
Sweating Stoves Unit to Improve wax production in terms of quantity as
well as quality. After installation of SDU, wax production has been
increased from 33000 TPA from the old wax extraction unit to 49,000
TPA. And also an additional 11000 TPA Micro crystalline waxes will be
produced.
The capacity of SDU is 210,000 TPA. The feedstocks to the unit are
Pressable Waxy Distillate and Heavy Waxy Distillate from Vacuum
Distillation Unit. The wax to be produced will have an oil content of 0.2
wt% and 0.5 wt% for PWD and HWD feed respectively. There is no
provision to process VRSD distillate through this unit.
The de-oiled wax from SDU will go to WHFU for production of finished
wax. The dewaxed oil will go to LDO/HSD pool or as feedstock for NDCU.
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK) is used as a solvent to extract oil from the
waxy feed stock. The tank has two tank farms: one for feed and one for
products.
CHEMICAL REQUIREMENT:
1. AMMONIA: It is required to maintain the pH MIBK solvent which is
injected in the solvent surge drum about two cylinders of 350 kg of
compressed NH3 during start-up.
2. PROPYLENE: It is used as refrigerant in the refrigeration compressors for
cooling ethylene glycol which flows to the different coolers or chillers like
MIBK. Its weight is 100%.
3. ETHYLENE GLYCOL: It is used as coolant for feed chilling in feed scrappers
chillers; MIBK is cooled in MIBK chiller which is used to cool the flow gas that
goes to the filters.
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4. MIBK: Its consumption is estimated at 1kg/MTT, it is to consider the
maximum make up rate of MIBK as 1 kg/hr but it has been fixed as 1.2
kg/MT.
1) SOLVENT DILUTION AND FEED CHILLING: In this system, the waxy distillate
is diluted with MIBK solvent and cooled at specific rate to the filtration
temperature. The waxy feed (PWD/HWD) is pumped from the tanks at
around 8000C through feed pumps and mixed with about 20% of solvent
for initial dilution. The diluted feed is then cooled to about 52/64 0C in the
feed pre-cooler, which is then divided to identical trains of chiller and
filters.
The feed mix flows through the inner tube and the cooling media i.e.
refrigerated ethylene glycol flows through the annulus in counter current
direction. The inner pipe is fitted with scrappers rotating at a low speed.
The purpose of the scrappers is to scrap the wax crystal from the inner pipe
surface continuously. The crystals get deposited due to cooling of the feed
mix stream.
The feed in waxy distillate pre-cooler is cooled to 5200C temperature which
is slightly higher than the initial crystallisation temperature, by wax or
coolant in the shell side. As the feed mix slurry is cooled, its viscosity
increases, rate of crystal formation and growth increases and the pressure
drop across the exchanger tubes increases.
Solvent ratios are kept to optimum. Low solvent ratios lead to high
pressure drop due to thickening of the slurry. Low solvent ratios effect the
crystal formation, which results in more oil retained with the primary cake.
2) DEOILING FILTRATION: It consists of two filters working in series: called

primary filter and secondary filter, which are primarily rotary drum filters.
The chilled feed mix from the FSCs enters the primary filter. The filtrate is
collected in the Primary Filtrate Receiver. The primary filtrate is partly used
in dilution make-up and the remainders go to the Foots Oil Recovery
section. The wax cake is washed with secondary filtrate in the Primary filter
scroll, pumped to the secondary Filter.
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The filtrate from the Secondary filter is collected in a Secondary Filtrate
Receiver. This filtrate which is mostly solvent is used to wash the Primary
Filter cake and as a diluent to the primary filter scroll. The remainder is
recycled as dilution solvent to the feed.
The wax from the Secondary Filter is further mixed with warm solvent to
maintain fluidity and then pumped to the Wax Recovery Section. The
secondary filtrate and the chilled solvent are used for wash in the primary
filter.
3) WAX RECOVERY SECTION: The wax-mix from the Secondary filter boot is
pumped by centrifugal pump to the Wax Recovery Section. Here the wax
is first pre-heated to about 144/1200C in Wax Slurry Solvent Vapour
exchanger and Wax Slurry high Pressure solvent exchanger and finally
heated to 165/1660C in Wax Slurry Heater using MP steam.
The hot wax then flows to the Wax Flash Tower where most of the solvent
is vaporised. The overhead solvent vapour is first cooled in the Wax Slurry
Solvent Vapour exchanger and then condensed in Atmospheric Solvent
Cooler and collected in the Solvent Decanter for water separation.
The wax from the Wax Flash Tower by gravity flows to the Wax Stripper to
remove traces of solvent in the wax. The Stripper overhead vapour is
condensed in Foots Oil Stripper Condenser and gets collected in the
decanter. The deoiled wax is pumped to storage through Tempered Water
Wax Cooler.
4) FOOTS OIL RECOVERY SECTION: The Primary Filtrate from the FSC is first
heated in Filtrate Atmospheric Flash Vapour Exchanger and then in Filtrate
Pressure Flash Vapour Exchanger to 115-1250C and then fed to Filtrate
Atmospheric Flash tower. The stripped oil is again heated to 2880C first in
Flash Filtrate Foots Oil Exchanger followed by the Filtrate Heater and
charged to Filtrate heater and charged to Filtrate Pressurised Flash Tower.
The foots oil from the bottom of the Flash Tower is sent to foots oil stripper
where steam stripping is done to remove any traces of solvent. The
stripped foots oil is cooled in flash filtrate foots oil Exchanger and foots Oil
cooler and sent to storage after removing water in the foots oil coalescer.
68 | P a g e
5) SOLVENT RECOVERY UNIT: The solvent is recovered in three stages and is
thus divided into three parts:
a) DRY SOLVENT RECOVERY: Its main source is from the Filtrate
Pressurised Flash Tower and is collected in solvent surge drum.
b) WET SOLVENT RECOVERY: Its source is from the overheads of Wax Flash
Tower, Filtrate Atmospheric Flash Tower, wax stripper, foots oil stripper
and waste water stripper. The solvent is collected in the solvent
Decanter for water separation. The overhead vapour from the strippers
of foots oil, wax and waste water combine together and pass through
the water cooled condenser called Foots Oil Stripper condenser. The
condensate is received in the decanter for water separation.
c) WATER SEPERATION: The solvent decanter provides time for separation

of solvent and water into two layers. The water from the Decanter is
pumped to the waste water stripper. The vapours are sent to the wet
solvent recovery section and the water from the stripper is drained after
exchanging heat with the incoming waste water. The solvent is collected
in the surge drum and recycled to the unit.
6) SOLVENT MAKE-UP/DECANTING: MIBK solvent make-up is required into

the system due to operational losses over a period of time. Normally, MIBK
is supplied through tanker but sometime, it is available in barrels also,
which is decanted to the MIBK Storage Tank and subsequently transferred
to the MIBK Surge Drum for distribution to the system.
69 | P a g e
PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM OF SOLVENT DEWAXING
UNIT
70 | P a g e
WAX HYDROFINISHING
UNIT
INTRODUCTION: The WHFU was installed and commissioned in 2001
to carry out refining of Deoiled Wax received from SDU to improve
colour, colour stability and sulphur content by hydrogenation process in
presence of catalyst. The catalyst and the operating conditions selected
allow hydrogenation of aromatic compounds as well as removal of
sulphur and nitrogen by Desulphurisation and denitrification of the wax.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS:
Hydrogenation: this is the most important reaction. This takes place
under hydrogen pressure at a temperature 300-3500C in presence of
catalyst. These reaction mainly affects olefins, diolefins, aromatics and forms
saturated compounds and thereby give colour stability to wax. The reactions
are exothermic.
1. Hydrogenation of olefins: The olefins content in waxes is generally
low. At operating conditions; the saturation of their bond is complete
leading to corresponding paraffin.
71 | P a g e
2. Hydrogenation of aromatics: This reaction is an important one as the
properties of wax is strongly dependent on their aromatics content of
whose evaluation may be followed by U.V. absorbance.
Benzoic compounds are completely hydrogenated depending on the
conditions
3. Hydrogenation of oxygenated compounds: Generally these

compounds are not present in waxes after extraction. Hydrotreatment
removes them if any.
4. Hydrodesulphurisation of oxygenated compounds: sulphur is present
in the feed in various forms, the simplest being Mercaptans, sulphides
and disulphides structures. In other compounds, sulphur is combined
in cyclic structures of aromatic and naphthenic compounds. All the
reactions involved are exothermic and result in hydrogen sulphides.
Mercaptans: R-S-H +H2 = R-H + H2S + 12.5 Kcal/mol

Sulphides: R-S-H + H2 = R-S-H = R’-H + 27 Kcal/mol
72 | P a g e
Disulphides: R-S-S-R + H2 = R-S-H-R’-S-H + 50 Kcal/mol
R = S + 2H2 = R-H + H2S + 28 Kcal/mol
5. Hydrodenitrification: Nitrogen present in the feed is mainly under the form

of heterocyclic compounds. The hydrogenation of such molecules is more
difficult than for their sulphur homologous. The reaction results in
degradation of the molecule to intermediate compounds the ultimate
product being ammonia.
A large part of nitrogen structures are eliminated during solvent extraction
but to obtain highly refined waxes, they must be removed. The reactions
taking place are complete at operating conditions and with the catalyst
selected, they involve hydrogen consumption.
6. Hydrocracking: This reaction results in the degradation of the molecules.
Generally the extents of these reactions are at low level with the selected
catalyst and operating condition.
7. Naphthenic compounds: These compounds are dealkylated, the number of
carbon of the side chain being lowered.
73 | P a g e
The cycle is eventually opened to a branched chain paraffinic compounds.
The cycle may eventually be opened to a branched chain paraffinic

compounds
8. Aromatic Compounds: Aromatic compounds are dealkylated and then

hydrogenated.
74 | P a g e
1. REACTION SECTION: Deoiled wax from Solvent Deoiling Unit (SDU) is taken
in the storage tanks at WHFU. Liquid wax feedstock is pumped from the
storage tanks by Booster Pump at a temperature of about 750C to the filters
after pre-heating in the heat exchanger by the bottom product of the vacuum
dryer and then it is injected into the reaction section by the feed booster
pump.
The H2 make up is introduced into the unit through a KOD and Make Up Gas
Compressor. It is then mixed with gas from Recycle Gas Compressor and the
total gas is added to the liquid feedstock. The hand valve on the discharge of
the feed pump takes care of on-line isolation of the pump from the system.
This valve is operated in case of tripping of the feed pump.
The resultant stream is pre-heat in exchanger by the reactor effluent to about
2250C. The stream passes through a 3-way temperature control valve before
entering into the exchanger which is again heated to 3100C in the electrical
heater before entering into the reactor.
The effluent in the reactor is cooled down in the exchanger and is flashed in
the HP Hot Separator Drum. A bypass of the feed to the feed to exchange
controls its temperature.
2. SEPARATION SECTION: The vapour phase of the HP Hot Separator is cooled

down in Vapour Effluent Cooler and is flashed in the HP Cold Separator. A part
of the vapour phase is sent to fuel gas network under pressure control and the
other part is recycled through the Recycle Gas Compressor. The pressure in LP
Hot Separator is maintained at 5 kg/cm2. The vapour phase is added to the HP
purge, cooler and sent to fuel gas through the Purge Gas Drum.
3. DISTILLATION SECTION: The liquid phase of the LP separator drum constitute
stripper feed and is sent to the stripper column after pre-heating in Stripper
Feed Heater. The lighter compounds are taken out by MP steam.
The bottom product of the Stripper feeds the Dryer by gravity. The bottom
product of the Dryer is the finished wax and is withdrawn by the pump through
the filter after cooling in the Feed-Product Exchanger and the product cooler.
The dryer level is controlled by level controller.
75 | P a g e
The stripper is operated under vacuum of about 0.8 kg/cm2 by means of Steam
Ejectors. The dryer is also operated under vacuum of around 0.92 kg/cm 2 by
the ejector. The stripper overhead is cooled down to 800C in tempered Water
Exchanger to condense the major part of the hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons
are collected into the underground Sump Drum. This drum is also used as
receiver for all the wax drains of the unit. These drains are sent by batch to the
slops by the immersed pump. The condensate stripping water, cooled down to
400C by exchangers is collected into Barometric well and then pumped to the
sour water treatment/disposal by the pump. The non-condensable gases are
vented to a safe location through the seal pot.
4. TEMPERED WATER SYSTEM: In order to prevent the solidification of waxes
in cooling equipment on wax containing streams, tempered water is used as
cooling medium. The exchangers connected to tempered water systems are-
Vapour Effluent Cooler, 1” Stage Condenser, Product Cooler
The tempered water is adjusted around 55 degree depending on wax
feedstock.
5. MISCELLANEOUS: The wax-melting tank is used to melt all solid wax, which
might be spelled on the ground. Melted wax will be drained to the sump
drum. Two conical settlers of capacity about 40 kl each will be used for
separating free water from the wax pumped from sweating stoves.
The main operating variables in WHFU are the following:
a) Hydrogen Partial pressure
b) Space Velocity
c) Temperature
d) Hydrogen to Hydrogen ratio
76 | P a g e
PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM OF WAX HYDRO-FINISHING
UNIT
77 | P a g e
EFFLUENT TREATMENT
PLANT
A. INTRODUCTION:
Industrial wastewater treatment covers the mechanisms and
processes used to treat waters that have been contaminated in some
way by anthropogenic industrial or commercial activities prior to its
release into the environment or its re-use.
Waste water generated is sent to Central Static Pump (CSS) and is
sent to flow to the ETP by gravity. The waste water is collected in an
influent sump from where it goes to the holding pond and then
pumped to the API Separator located to the highest topographical
point and then pumped to the effluent treatment plant and collected
in the equalization tank.
The major pollutants in the effluent are oil and grease, suspended
solids, BOD & COD, sulphides, phenols, cyanide etc. The treated
effluent is required to meet the required treated effluent quality as
per MINAS an environmentally friendly norm.
Oil and grease is separated in API (American Petroleum Institute) and
TPI (Tilted Plate Interceptors) separator and DAP system.
Degradation of organic matter is carried out in Biological system
consisting of Trickling Filter, Aeration tank and clarifier.
Treated effluent is taken for polishing for the removal of suspended
solids, odour, colour and residual BOD, COD in pressure Sand Filters
and Activated Carbon Filters. Treated water is then taken into a
polishing pond from where it is then passed to the refinery.
The Capacity of the ETP is 270m3 per hr.
78 | P a g e
B. PROCESS DESCRIPTION
API SEPARATOR:
 The API separator is a gravity separation device designed by
using Stokes Law to define the rise velocity of oil droplets based
on their density and size. The design of the separator is based
on the specific gravity difference between the oil and the
wastewater because that difference is much smaller than the
specific gravity difference between the suspended solids and
water.
 Based on that design criterion, most of the suspended solids
will settle to the bottom of the separator as a sediment layer,
the oil will rise to top of the separator, and the wastewater will
be the middle layer between the oil on top and the solids on
the bottom.
 Typically, the oil layer is skimmed off and subsequently re-
processed or disposed of, and the bottom sediment layer is
removed by a chain and flight scraper (or similar device) and a
sludge pump. The water layer is sent to further treatment
consisting usually of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit for
further removal of any residual oil and then to some type of
biological treatment unit for removal of undesirable dissolved
chemical compounds.
TPI SEPARATOR:
 Parallel plate separator are similar to API separators but they
include tilted parallel plate assemblies (also known as parallel
packs). The underside of each parallel plate provides more
surface for suspended oil droplets to coalesce into larger
globules.
 Any sediment slides down the topside of each parallel plate.
Such separators still depend upon the specific gravity between
79 | P a g e
the suspended oil and the water. However, the parallel plates
enhance the degree of oil-water separation. The result is that
a parallel plate separator requires significantly less space than
a conventional API separator to achieve the same degree of
separation.
EQUILIZATION TANK:
 To receive the effluent from the refinery and hold it and skim
the free oil by skimmer and transfer the effluent to the
downstream unit (DAF) by gravity flow.
DISSOLVED AIR FLOATATION UNIT (DAF):

 Separates solid (particulate) matter or liquid particles from
liquid phase. Separation is brought by introducing fine air
bubbles into liquid phase, the bubbles attach to the particulate
matter and the buoyant force of the combined particulate and
sir bubbles is great enough to cause the particles to rise to the
surface. Particles that have a higher density than the liquid can
thus be made to rise the rising particles with lower density and
the liquid can also be facilitated i.e. emulsified oil globules.
 The treated water effluent from industrial waste water trickling
filters is very often subsequently processed in a Clarifier Settler
to remove the sludge that sloughs off the microbial slime layer
attached to the trickling filter media.
TRICKLING FILTER:
 A trickling filter is a type of water pollution treatment system.
It consists of a fixed bed of rocks, lava, coke, gravel, slag,
polyurethane foam, sphagnum peat moss, ceramic, or plastic
media over which sewage or other wastewater flows
downward and causes a layer of microbial slime (biofilm) to
80 | P a g e
grow, covering the bed of media. Aerobic conditions are
maintained by splashing, diffusion, and either by forced air
flowing through the bed or natural convection of air if the filter
medium is porous.
 The terms trickle filter, trickling bio filter, bio filter, biological
filter and biological trickling filter are often used to refer to
trickling filter. These system have also been described as
roughing filters, intermittent filters, packed media bed filters,
alternative septic systems, percolating filters, attached growth
processes, and fixed film processes.
 The removal of pollutants from the wastewater stream
involves both absorption and adsorption of organic
compounds by the layer of microbial biofilm. The filter media
is typically chosen to provide a very high surface area to
volume.
 Typical materials are often porous and have considerable
internal surface area in addition to the external surface of the
medium. Passage of the wastewater over the media furnishes
dissolved air, the oxygen which the slime layer requires for the
biochemical oxidation of the organic compounds and releases
carbon dioxide gas, water and other oxidized end products.
 As the biofilm layer thickens, it eventually sloughs off into the
treated effluent and subsequently forms part of the secondary
sludge. Typically, a trickling filter is followed by a clarifier or
sedimentation tank for the separation and removal of the
sloughing.
AERATION TANK:
 Biological Treatment Unit – The trickling filter outlet comes to
the inlet of the aeration tank. The aeration tank is divided into
4 compartments with common inlet and outlet. Diffused
aeration is provided and air supply is done by the process of
81 | P a g e
natural draft, here the phenol is removed. The biomass growth
helps in reduction of BOD/COD
 The overflow from aeration tank goes to secondary clarifier
where provision is made to divert the effluent from aeration
tank to oxidation pond also as and when oil is required. As far
as possible oil carry over to aeration tank should be avoided as
this disturb the MISS growth and phenol removal and also BOD
& COD reduction.
SECONDARY CLARIFIER:
 Receives the effluent with bacteria and starts settled at the
bottom whereas the clear effluent overflows through weir and
flows to the guard pond. Bio sludge settled in the clarifier to be
re-circulated otherwise it becomes inactive and die.
SLUDGE DRYING BED:

 A digested sludge slurry is spread on an open bed of sand.
Drying takes place by a combination of evaporation and gravity
drainage through the sand. Water is collected through pumps
and back to head.
 Disposal of sludge, takes place by burying the dewatered
sludge underground in a sanitary landfill.
DUAL MEDIA FILTER (DMF):

 Outlet from the secondary clarifier carries suspended solids,
residual organic matter in the form of BOD, COD is passed to
DMF and Activated Carbon Filters for further filtration.
DMF contains of a pressure vessel filled with layers of various grades of

sand and anthracite as filtering media. Water at high pressure is made to
flow downwards, the fine suspended solids gets entrapped in the
anthracite and sand media.
82 | P a g e
83 | P a g e
LPG DISPATCH UNIT (LDU)
INTRODUCTION:
LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas is the lightest product produced by
Digboi refinery, which is recovered from coker off-gas. LPG constituents
are mainly Propane, Butane and unsaturated Propylene and Butylenes.
LPG produced in Digboi refinery falls in the category of commercial
Butane-Propane mixture. It is obtained from crude oil and other
hydrocarbons and remains in liquid form under pressure. LPG is used as
domestic fuel for cooking. It is also being increasingly used for industrial
purposes and as a fuel for automobiles.
LPG Dispatch Unit (LDU) of Digboi refinery is located near National
Highway and is about half a kilometre away from the refinery premises.
LPG SPECIFICATION:
SL Characteristics Requirement for commercial Methods
NO. production of Test
Butane Butane Propane
mixture
1. Vapour pressure @ 520 1050 1550 D1267
400C kPa, g
2. Volatility: 2.0 2.0 -38.0 D1837
Evaporation
temperature (0C)
for 95% by volume
@760 mm Hg
pressure (max)
3. Total volatile 150 150 150 D2784
sulphur, ppm (max)
4. Copper strip Not worse Not worse Not worse D1838
corrosion @380C than 1 than 1 than 1
for 1 hour
5. Hydrogen Sulphide Pass Pass Pass D2420
84 | P a g e
6. Free Water None None None Visual
content
STORAGE FACILITY:
LDU receives LPG from LPG Recovery U nit (LRU) of Delayed Coker Unit
located inside the refinery, where bulk dispatch of LPG made through tank
truck. Presently LPG is routed through 6” Cross country LPG line and 6” LPG
receipt branch line to 3 nos. of bullets.
a) LPG in Digboi refinery is produced by stabilising Straight Run (SR) Light
Naphtha in Delayed Coker Unit (DCU). The heavier components of off-
gases produced from DCU, CDU and CRU form the part of LPG feed stock
along with SR light naphtha
b) LPG is recovered from the above gas mix in LPG Recovery Unit (LRU), which
is a part of DCU. The recovered LPG is caustic and water washed to remove
H2S and mercaptan prior to rundown LDU.
c) One LPG transfer line from LRU to LDU is laid for transferring of LPG. Line
pressure at LRU end is generally maintained at 15-16 kg/cm2 and at LDU
end 4.5-9.0 kg/cm2
d) There are 3 nos. LPG storage bullets at LDU. The washed LPG is routed
through the transfer line to these storage vessels and as product level
rises, the vapour space in the vessels reduces resulting in condensation of
vapour. The latent heat of vaporisation (obtained from condensation)
increases temperature of the vessels content. The vessel pressure
gradually increases till it continues to receive LPG. At times, accumulation
of non-condensable also contributes to high pressure causing back
pressure in LRU. This situation can be overcome by lowering down the
level to the standby vessels.
e) Once filling is complete to the desired level of the vessels, isolate the
receiving valve in co-ordination with LRU end. Now the vessels are ready
for transferring to the tank truck.
f) Before starting transferring operation of LPG vessels, proper draining to
be done to separate water and other condensable from LPG.
85 | P a g e
g) Once the desired quantity is filled in the tank truck, which is monitored
through the online mass flow meters as well weighing the tank truck later,
filling operation is suspended. One compressor is available to evacuate the
excess gas filled in the tank truck to the vessels.
PRECAUTIONS FOR WATER DRAINING OPERATION
a) It is important not to attempt removal of entire water of considerable
liquid LPG may escape in the process.
b) The draining operation should be monitored by observation of water and
LPG interface at the drain outlet.
c) At the first sign of appearance of LPG, operation must be stopped.
d) During draining, the valve nearer to the vessel should be opened first and
draining is controlled by gradually opening the valve farthest from the
vessel. On completion of the draining operation, the valve farthest from
the vessel should be closed first and then open the valve nearer to the
vessel.
e) The draining operation should be continuously supervised by field
operator. As soon as draining is over, the drain valves should be closed
tight in sequence as explained above.
f) When not in use on regular basis, the drain valves should be locked and
sealed to prevent tempering.
g) Draining operation should be performed during daylight hours only.
h) If there is no fresh receipt of LPG to the vessel after draining, subsequent
checking and draining should be avoided till receipt of fresh stock.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION:
After water draining, LPG sample is collected for testing at the refinery
laboratory and after certifying it, LPG is ready for bulk dispatch.
LPG STORAGE:
LPG is stored above ground vessels (bullets) designed to withstand the vapour
pressure at specific maximum temperature. There are 3 storage vessels on
service: bullet no.1, bullet no.2 and bullet no.3.
86 | P a g e
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. OPERATING MANUAL
2. SHIFT IN-CHARGE
3. FIELD OPERATOR
4. ALLOTED GUIDES
87 | P a g e
CONCLUSION
In this modern world of technology, every theory is relevant to the
extent it is practically viable and realised. In this industrial age of ours
amongst the beginning of many, the knowledge about the instruments
in its whole serves to be of prime importance followed by its different
and reliable uses. The smooth functioning of an industry depends to a
large extent to the mutual corporation of its many wings. Coming to
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) was a huge step forward opening
doors to many facts, figures and operation involved in each and every
step in its various processes. Now I am aware and informed about the
working, maintenance, production, safety measures of Asia’s oldest oil
refinery and indeed it was a breath of pure knowledge which I was
unaware of moments before entering the refinery premises. But during
my training period at the refinery I not only learned about the heart of
machinery in an industry but also the primary importance of human
beings in each and every step from controlling to making the required
changes for continuity of processes and keeping constant check on the
safety of machinery and human lives above all.as the most precious gift
one can gift themselves is the peace of service before self. Concluding
we would like to throw light on the importance of practical knowledge
and first-hand experience of learning in all aspects of engineering. And
this training proved just as helpful as no other. And I believe this
knowledge will only grow more in the future as I am taking with me a
new attitude towards many more learning advents and the fun which
comes along with it is a newly discovered treasure which I am grateful of
and will always be.
88 | P a g e
89 | P a g e

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What is the history of Digboi Refinery?

What is the history of Digboi Refinery?

What are the different units in the refinery?

What are the different units in the refinery?

INDUSTRIAL

SUBMITTED BY: GUIDE:

Signature of Training in-charge

INTRODUCTION: The crude and vacuum distillation unit of Digboi

OBJECTIVE: To produce Gas, Naphtha (Raw Material), Light Kerosene

FEED: Crude Oil

PRODUCTS: Gas, Naphtha (Raw Material), Light Kerosene (LK), Heavy

1. Crude pre-heat train:

Naphtha Stabiliser Unit (NSU):

Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU)

UNIT DESIGN CAPACITY:

Unit Feed Case TBP cut MT/hr

FEED AND PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

NORMAL AND SPECIAL CUTS:

Characteri Napht Lt. Hy. LG HGO MTO ATF Sola

10% 151 203 282 320 161 194 311

30% 90 160 224 293 331 168 204 319

50% 101 167 237 300 340 173 213 325

70% 114 174 249 308 350 179 222 332

90% 132 187 268 321 372 188 236 344

FBP 150 213 293 343 403 210 258 370

Flash Point 32.7 61.7 40.4 148.5

@ 210oF 0.478 0.7 1.275 2.4 3.9 0.74 1.07 3.35

ESTIMATED PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS- VACUUM

Characteristics HSD PWD HWD Vacuum

ASTM D86 (oC)

IBP 297 355 450 494

10% 300 381 472 519

30% 307 401 486 547

50% 317 415 495 569

70% 325 433 500 582

90% 350 460 527 597

FBP 363 475 531 605

@210oF 3.0 5.5 13.5 650

Vacuum Distillation column, Product cooling and run

INTRODUCTION: Catalytic Reforming is a major conversion process

OBJECTIVE: The objective of CRU is to produce high octane number

PRODUCTS: Light naphtha, Stabilised Reformate or Gasoline,

The essential operating variables of Naphtha Splitter Unit are:

g. A high temperature (480-5300C) is read to promote the chemical reactions

Elimination by fixation of catalyst

Role of the catalyst:

NAPTHA SPLITTER UNIT:

Overheads from the columns at 920 C are fully condensed while

The Sulphur compounds of straight run naphtha, like mercaptans,

Nitrogen is removed in catalytic hydro treating by the breaking of the

In the de-oxygenation reactions, the C-O bond is broken and the

CH3 – CH2 – CH = CH – CH3 + H2  CH3 – CH2 – CH2—CH2—CH3

This mixture is then preheated in the reactor feed/effluent

Hydro treating is performed in two steps: the first step consists

The reactor effluent is then cooled down and partially

This separated liquid hydrocarbon phase is routed under flow

Column overheads are partially condensed in the HDT stripper air

A. ISOMERISATION REACTION SECTION: