Submitted by:

Akhilesh Pathak
B.Tech(CH)
(0906451006)

Mathura Refinery, the sixth refinery of Indian Oil

was commissioned in 1982 with a capacity of 6.0

MMTPA to meet the demand of petroleum products
in north western region of the country, which
includes National Capital Region.
Only company placed at 83rd position among

fortune 500 companies.

Mathura Refinery is the first in Asia and third in

the world to receive the coveted ISO-14001

certification for Environment Management System
in 1996. It is also the first in the World to get
OHSMS certification for Safety Management in
1998.

The major secondary processing units provided

were Fluidised Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), Visbreaker Unit (VBU) and Bitumen Blowing Unit (BBU).
The original technology for these units was sourced
from erstwhile USSR, UOP etc.
Soaker drum technology of EIL was implemented in
VBU in the year 1993.
For production of unleaded Gasoline, Continuous
Catalytic Reforming Unit (CCRU) was commissioned in
1998 with technology from Axens, France.
A DHDS licensed from Axens, France was
commissioned in 1999 for production of HSD with low
Sulphur content of 0.25% wt (max).
With the commissioning of Once Through
Hydrocracker Unit (licensed from Chevron, USA) in
July 2000, capacity of Mathura Refinery was increased
to 8.0 MMTPA.

An oil refinery separates the crude oil in to

different fractions and converts them into usable

products .
Maximize Higher value distillates like LPG, , ATF,

Kerosene and Diesel.

Produce cleaner products.

Crude oil is a complex mixture of thousands of

hydrocarbons. (i.e paraffin, Napthenes & Aromatics)

Brownish black in Color and colloidal in nature
Contains small amounts of non hydrocarbon

impurities in the form of organic compounds of

sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen, metals, water and salts.

Hydro Carbons > 95%

S.no.

Element

Percentage(%)

Carbon

83-87

Hydrogen

11-15

Sulphur

0-3

Oxygen

0-2

Nitrogen

0-0.6

Metals

0-0.1

1.

SulphurCompound H2S, Mercaptans, Thiophenes,

s:
Benzothiophenes

2.

Nitrogen
Compounds :

Pyrrole, Pyridine, Quinoline, etc.

3.

Oxygen
Compounds :

Naphthenic Acid,Phenol etc.

4.

Metallic Derivatives:

Derivatives of Organic acids with

metals
Like Ni, Cu, V, Pb, As.

5.

Water and Salt :

Along with water, Soluble inorganic

compounds like Chlorides, Sulphates of
Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium

s.no.

Product

Key Quality parameters

LPG

Evaporation Temperature at 95 %
Volume =2 deg C, Max
Cu Corrosion =not worse than No.1

Motor Spirit

Density =720-775 Kg/M3

Sulphur=150 ppm, Max
Benzene =1 Vol. %, Max

ATF

Density =775-84 Kg/M3

Flash Point = 38 deg c, Min
Sulphur=0.25 wt %,Max
Smoke Point =20 mm, Min

s.no.

Product

Key Quality parameters

Diesel

Density =820-845 Kg/M3

Sulphur= 50 ppm
CetaneNumber = 51 Min

Fuel Oil

Sulphur= 4 wt %, Max
Ash = 0.1 wt %, Max
KV@ 50 deg c =125 , Max
(Winter)
=180 , Max (Summer)

Bitumen

Flash Point =175 deg C,Min

Viscosity at 60 Deg C = 2400
(min) CP
Softening Point =45-55 deg C

Physical

Thermal

Catalytic

Distillation

Visbreaking

Hydrotreating

Solvent extraction

Delayed coking

Catalytic reforming

Propane
deasphalting

Flexicoking

Catalytic cracking

Solvent dewaxing

Hydrocracking,
Isomerization

Blending

Catalytic dewaxing

PRIMARY PROCESSING UNITS

SECONDARY PROCESSING UNITS

The purpose of Primary unit is to

separate the crude in to different
fractions by distillation.
Known as mother unit of the refinery,
consist of
CRUDE DISTILLATION UNIT (CDU)
VACUUM DISTILLATION UNIT (VDU)

Commonly referred as Atmospheric and

Vacuum Distillation unit (AVU)

1.The hydrolysis of salts in crude oil at high temperature

produces HCL and corrodes the Column Internals and
overhead system.
2.The sediments in crude oil fouls the heat exchanger,
furnace tubes and erodes the pipelines by abrasive action.
3.Desalting approaches
-To reduce soluble salt content
-To reduce suspended solids.
-To reduce residual water
4.Desalting of crude oil is carried out in a vessel provided
with electrodes under High potential field(15000-18000
Volts)
5.DesalterOperating condition:
-Temperature range :130-140 deg C
-System pressure :12-14 kg/cm2g

6. The desalted crude is Preheated to about 180-200

deg C and fed to Prefractionator column
7. The purpose of prefractionator is to separate the
lighter hydrocarbons at relatively lower temperature
so as to reduce heat energy requirement across
furnace and to reduce the main fractionator overhead
vapour load
8. Prefractinator are typically used in revamps for
energy conservation and unit capacity enhancement
Prefractionator Operating condition
Top Temperature range= 120-130 deg c
Pressure= 1.5-3.0 kg/cm2g
9. The Pre-fractionator column bottom is fed to
Fractionator column after
heating to 360 370 Deg C in Heat Exchanger train &

The main fractionator separates the pre-

topped crude in to different fractions like

Naphtha, Heavy Naphtha, Aviation Turbine
Fuel, Kerosene, Light Gas Oil, Heavy Gas Oil
and Reduced Crude Oil.
Column Operating Condition

Top Temperature Range =120-135 deg C

Pressure=1.0-2.5 Kg/cm2g

1.VDU objective is to recover valuable product from

RCO relatively at lower temperature.
2.Feed preparation unit for FCC/HCU/VBU/BBU
3.The Operating temp. is about 410-420 Deg C
4. Vacuum is created by steam ejectors.
Column Operating Condition:
Top Temperature range : 50-65 deg C
Pressure: 25-60 mm Hg (a)

RCO from CDU is "heavy", and the separation of this

stream into various fractions would normally require

more energy and higher temperatures.
Higher hydrocarbons promotes coking reactions at

more than 380 deg c at atmospheric pressure fouls

the furnace tubes.
To reduce the amount of energy input required, and

to recover the valuable products from RCO without

cracking, it is distilled under vacuum.
The vacuum condition reduces the boiling point of

the RCO and the fractions are separated relatively at

lower temperature led to energy saving and reduces
fouling of the furnace tubes

s.no

VDU Product

Quality

Processing

LVGO

High S, Low Cetane

no.

Hydrotreatment
(DHDS) for
Sulphur and
Cetane No.,

LDO

High S,Heavy
Hydrocarbons

Fluid catalytic
unit /
Hydrocracker unit

HVGO

High S,Heavy
Hydrocarbons

Fluid catalytic
unit /
Hydrocracker unit

Vacuum Slop

Heavy Hydrocarbons ,
Fuel oil Product

Visbreaker unit /
Coker

Vacuum Residue

Residue

Bitumen Blowing
Unit / VBU / Coker

Objective : To meet the Euro III/IV diesel

quality requirement ( 350/50 ppm S and Min. 51

Cetane No.)
Feed : Straight run diesel / FCC diesel

component/ Coker and Visbreaker diesel

components.
Catalyst : Ni-Mo oxides
Chemical reactions: Desulphurisation and

Denitrification
C5H10SH+H2

C6H12+H2S

Aromatic compound + H2 -->

1.Typical Product Yields

S.no Products
.

Wt%

End Users

1.

Off Gas

2.65

Refinery Fuel gas system after

Amine Wash

2.

Wild Naphtha

2.8

To Naphtha Pool after

stabilisation

3.

Diesel

96.1

To Diesel Pool

2. Operating Conditions :
Temperature range : 320-380 C
System Pressure : 100-105 kg/cm2(g)

S.no.

Characteri BS III
stics

BS-IV

1.

CetaneNo. 51
, min

51

2.

Sulphur,
PPM max

350

50

3.

Flash
point

66 deg C

66 deg C