Refining

The Refining Process

Crude oils are mixtures of thousands of different compounds called hydrocarbons. For oils to become products people user every day, refinery operations are needed.  When converting crude oil, refineries use heat and pressure to separate out the final products. Here is the three-step process all refineries utilize:

• Separation
• Conversion
• Treatment

Here is a look at each one of these processes:

1. Separation

Involves piping crude oil through hot furnaces. Fractionation is the separation process of oil into different portions, according to the boiling point, called fractions. The below distillation unit images highlight crude oil being separated out at different boiling ranges.

2. Conversion

Hydrocracking Conversion Process

Cracking is the most common conversion refining process for breaking down larger and heavier hydrocarbon molecules into simpler and lighter ones.

3. Treatment

Treatment Facilities

Finishing touches occur during final treatment and any unwanted contaminants are removed from the product.

Refinery End-Products

Petroleum refineries transform crude oil into various petroleum products, from fuels for transportation, to heating oils and plastics. Here is a quick look at the many products refineries create:

Light Products

A barrel of crude oil produces roughly 20 gallons of gasoline, 12 gallons of distillate fuel, and 4 gallons of jet fuel.

Liquid Petroleum Gas, Gasoline, Naphtha

Medium Products

Kerosene. Jet Fuel, Diesel Fuel

Heavy Products

Fuel Oils. Lubricating Oils. Asphalt and Tar, Petroleum Coke.

Oil Storage and Market Transportation

Once a refinery has transformed the final product, the final job is not complete. The final product must still arrive at its final destination. Here is a look at the flow of oil and gasoline after it has been refined:

Companies

Key companies within this industry:

Major US Independent Refiners

These refiners are unique because they have no upstream facilities, only service stations.

Largest US Refineries

As of January 2018, the below represents the 10 largest US refineries.

Occupations

Here is a look at the top occupations found across this industry and the above top 10 US refineries: (Click an occupation to expand and learn more.)

• Assemblers and Fabricators 

  Assemble finished products and parts. There are around 1,300 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find this worker assembling bolts, using many different types of tools, and moving heavy parts. They construct finished products and the parts that go into them. These workers use alot of tools, machines, and most importanly need their hands protected. Common job titles for this occupation are Assembler and Fabricator.

• Chemical Equipment Operators  

  Operate equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial products. There are around 2,000 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find this worker adding treating agents to products, cleaning production equipment and draining pump water. Common job titles are Operator and Technicians.

• Chemical Plant and System Operators 

  Operate entire chemical processes or system of machines. Around of 1,400 of these workers are in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers operating chemical processing equipment, collecting samples and testing chemicals. Common job titles for this position are Chemical Operator, Process Operator, and Vessel Operator.

  

  Employment of Chemical Plant and System Operators

• Chemists 

  Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality and process control. There are around 1,000 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers analyzing chemical compounds, conducting quality control tests and maintaining technical equipment. Common job titles for this position are Scientist and QC Chemist.

• Construction and Extraction Occupations 

  Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. There are roughly around 8,600 of these workers found in the Oil Refining Industry. You will find these workers using hand tools, repairing drilling equipment, and transporting materials. Common job titles for this occupation are helper, Laborer, Post Framer, and Construction Worker.

• Crushing, Grinding, Polishing and Mixing Operators 

  Operate machines to crush, grind, and polish materials. There are roughly around 4,800 of these workers found in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers mixing chemicals, collecting materials and using picks. Common Job titles for this position are Batch Mixer, Fabricator, and Miller.

• Electricians 

  Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment and fixtures. There are around 1,400 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers connecting wires to breakers and transformers, making dielectric and FR safety gear important. Common Job titles for this position are Industrial Electrician, Journeyman Electrician and Wireman, and Maintenance Electrician.

  

  Employment of Electricians

• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders 

  Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal or plastic processing equipment. There are around 500 of these workers in Oil Refining. You will find these workers handling, moving objects and clearing equipment jams. Common Job titles for this position are Dry Kiln Operator, Dryer Feeder, and Overn Operator.

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics 

  Worker activities include repairing, installing, and adjusting industrial machinery. There are around 4,600 of this occupation working in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers cutting and welding metal to repair broken metal parts. Job titles for this position are Fixer, Industrial and Master Mechanic.

  

  Employment of Industrial Machinery Mechanics

• Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers 

  Lubricates machines, changes parts, and performs machinery maintenance. Oil Refining operatoins employ a little over 10,000 of these workers. You will find these workers cleaning machine and machine parts. Cleaning solvents, oil and metalworking fluids are a definite concern for these workers. Common Job titles for this position are Lubricator, Maintenance Man, and Oiler.

• Machinists 

  Machinists are the workers who utilize the machine and cutting tools.  This occupation is highly skilled at operating machinery. There are around 1,200 of this occupation working in the Oil Refining industry. You will find this worker operating machine tools to produce precision parts. Job titles for this position Gear Machinist, Machine Operator and Maintenance Machinist.

• Metal Workers and Plastic Workers 

  Operate machines designed to cut, shape and form metal. There are roughly 2,800 of these workers in Oil Refining operations. You will find these workers fabricating metal products, lifting heavy materials and working with their hands. Common job titles are Sheet Metal worker and Welder. Be sure to check out our Metal Fabrication industry educational page.

• Mixing and Blending Machine Operators 

  Operate machines to mix or blend materials. There are around 4,600 of these workers in OIl Refining operations. You will find these workers mixing substances to create chemical solutions, measuring ingredients and moving objects. Common job titles are Blender, Machiner Operator, and Mixer.

• Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians 

  Collect data on work environments for analysis . Implement programs designed to limit chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic risks to workers. There are 880 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers testing workplaces for chemical hazards, maintaining personal protective equipment and monitoring use of safety equipment. Common job titles for this position are Safety Professional, Safety Specialist, and Safety EHS leader.

• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators  

  Operate machines preparing products for storage or shipment. There are around 1,400 of this occupation working in the Oil Refining Industry. You will find these workers inspecting products and removing packaged items. Job titles for this position are Machine Operator, Packaging Operator, and Fabrication Technician.

  

  Employment of Packaging and Filling Machine Operators

• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 

  Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, and other materials. There are around 1,100 of these workers in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers operating machines, cleaning machines, and spreading concrete or other aggregate mixtures. Common job titles are Operator, Paver Operator, and Roller Operator.

• Petroleum Pump System Operators 

  Operate petroleum refining or processing units. There are around 20,000 of these workers in the Oil Refining Industry. You will find these workers monitoring gauges, opening valves to regualte the flow of oil, and operating manifold/pumping systems. Common Job titles for this position are Gauger, Head Operator, Pumper, and Refinery Operator

  

  Employment of Petroleum Pump System Operators

• Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 

  Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines. There around 700 of these workers in Oil Refining. You will find these workers hammering pipes, securing pipes, and cutting piples. Common job titles for this position are Pipe Fitter, Pipe Welder, and Steamfitter.

  

  Employment of Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 

  Operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas. They also remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration. There are around 540 of these workers in Oil Refining. You will find this worker connecting sections of dril pipe, operating drilling equipment, and raising drill pipes. Common job titles for this occupation are Drill Operator, Driller, and Oil Rig Operator

  

  Employment of Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 

  Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, and brazing equipment to weld/join metal components, fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products. There are around 1,100 of these workers are employed in the Oil Refining industry. You will find these workers welding components in flat, vertical or overhead positions. Common Job titles for this position are Maintenance Welder, Mig Welder, and Welder/Fabricator

  

  Employment of Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Workers 

  Operate welding, soldering or brazing machines that weld, braze, or heat treat metal products. Oil Refining Operations employ around 1,100 of these workers. You will find these workers adding material to work pieces, joining metal components, and annealing finished work pieces. Common Job titles for this position are Fabricator, Mig Welder, Spot Welder, Fitter-Welder, and Braze Operators.

Turnarounds

A peak period for refineries occurs during planned maintenance schedules. Fall, winter, and spring seasons bring weather changes, along with heightened employment and work activities across many US refineries. Planned shutdowns are required for routine maintenance, such as furnace and tank cleaning, abrasive blasting, catalyst removal, insulation removal, draining pipes, and a lot of cutting/welding.

Plant turnarounds require careful planning, scheduling, and may present rippling effects across supply chains. Most importantly, extra safety precautions need adhered to because of deviated routine operations.

For all those working in or supporting refineries, we thought it would be helpful highlighting peak shutdown periods, specifically for Crude distillation. An entire turnaround schedule is shown below for refineries across US regions.

• Gulf Coast Turnarounds

  January to April are the most active months for turnarounds on the gulf coast, with February being the most active. Due to the refinery output of this region, there is a high number of outages.

  	Thousand Barrels Per Day			As Percentage of Capacity
  Month	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages	2008-17 average planned outages	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages
  December	8	31	61	0%	0%
  January	238	756	445	2%	7%
  February	646	785	673	6%	8%
  March	569	567	543	6%	5%
  April	293	379	310	3%	4%

• East Coast Turnarounds

  April is the most active time for shutdowns on the east coast.

  	Thousand Barrels Per Day			As Percentage of Capacity
  Month	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages	2008-17 average planned outages	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages
  December	0	41	73	0%	3%
  January	0	41	80	0%	3%
  February	0	218	119	0%	16%
  March	68	311	186	5%	23%
  April	193	95	90	14%	7%
  May	90	4	46	7%	0%
  June	0	0	38	0%	0%

• Midwest Turnarounds

  March and April are peak months for turnarounds.

  	Thousand Barrels Per Day			As Percentage of Capacity
  Month	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages	2008-17 average planned outages	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages
  December	0	0	60	0%	0%
  January	0	0	54	0%	0%
  February	82	0	100	2%	0%
  March	500	187	315	12%	4%
  April	294	141	306	7%	3%
  May	61	116	173	1%	3%
  June	8	26	91	0%	1%

• Rock Mountain Turnarounds

  March and April are peak months for refineries located across the Rocky Mountain States.

  	Thousand Barrels Per Day			As Percentage of Capacity
  Month	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages	2008-17 average planned outages	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages
  December	0	0	3	0%	0%
  January	0	0	3	0%	0%
  February	0	0	8	0%	0%
  March	74	0	42	10%	0%
  April	118	18	58	16%	2%
  May	47	55	25	6%	8%
  June	48	20	21	6%	3%

• West Coast Turnarounds

  January and February are peak months for refinery turnarounds.

  	Thousand Barrels Per Day			As Percentage of Capacity
  Month	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages	2008-17 average planned outages	Dec-17 to Jun-18 planned outages	Dec-16 to Jun-17 planned outages
  December	0	147	27	0%	5%
  January	278	163	92	9%	5%
  February	226	259	129	7%	8%
  March	0	107	98	0%	3%
  April	195	0	149	6%	0%
  May	38	120	156	1%	4%
  June	40	195	88	1%	6%

Refining Safety

Refining oil and gas often involves multifaceted equipment, extreme temperatures and the need for handling hazardous materials. Inherent hazards ranging from chemicals, to explosions, and fires are constant concerns for those working at a refinery.

Thankfully, refineries are the least ranked Oil and Gas sub-industry for experiencing injuries.  For every 100 employees, there are only .5 incidents, validation that safety managers are hard at work keeping workers safe.

"Nothing is of greater importance that the conservation of human life."

Nothing is greater than conserving life, especially for those who choose to make a living working across US refineries. As Rockefeller was quoted above, every man is owed that opportunity. When one is making a living, it should be done safely.

At MCR Safety, We Protect People! Let us keep you safe from the many hazards encountered at a refinery.