Hydroskimming
Encyclopedia
Hydroskimming is one of the simplest types of refinery
used in the petroleum
industry. A hydroskimming refinery is defined as a refinery equipped with atmospheric distillation
, naphtha reforming
and necessary treating processes. A hydroskimming refinery is therefore more complex than a topping refinery (which just separates the crude into its constituent petroleum products by distillation, known as atmospheric distillation, and produces naphtha but no gasoline) and it produces gasoline. However a hydroskimming refinery produces a surplus of fuel with a relatively unattractive price and demand.
Most refineries therefore add vacuum distillation and catalytic cracking, which adds one more level of complexity by reducing fuel oil by conversion to light distillates and middle distillates. A coking refinery adds further complexity to the cracking refinery by high conversion of fuel oil into distillates and petroleum coke.
Catalytic cracking, coking and other such conversion units are referred to as secondary processing units. The Nelson Complexity Index
, captures the proportion of the secondary conversion unit capacities relative to the primary distillation or topping capacity. The Nelson Complexity Index typically varies from about 2 for hydroskimming refineries, to about 5 for the Cracking refineries and over 9 for the Coking refineries.
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
used in the petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
industry. A hydroskimming refinery is defined as a refinery equipped with atmospheric distillation
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, naphtha reforming
Catalytic reforming
Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates which are components of high-octane gasoline...
and necessary treating processes. A hydroskimming refinery is therefore more complex than a topping refinery (which just separates the crude into its constituent petroleum products by distillation, known as atmospheric distillation, and produces naphtha but no gasoline) and it produces gasoline. However a hydroskimming refinery produces a surplus of fuel with a relatively unattractive price and demand.
Most refineries therefore add vacuum distillation and catalytic cracking, which adds one more level of complexity by reducing fuel oil by conversion to light distillates and middle distillates. A coking refinery adds further complexity to the cracking refinery by high conversion of fuel oil into distillates and petroleum coke.
Catalytic cracking, coking and other such conversion units are referred to as secondary processing units. The Nelson Complexity Index
Nelson complexity index
The Nelson complexity index was developed by Wilbur L. Nelson in a series of articles in Oil & Gas Journal in 1960-61 . In 1976, he elaborated on the concept in another series of articles, again in Oil & Gas Journal...
, captures the proportion of the secondary conversion unit capacities relative to the primary distillation or topping capacity. The Nelson Complexity Index typically varies from about 2 for hydroskimming refineries, to about 5 for the Cracking refineries and over 9 for the Coking refineries.