Fundamentals of Refining

MBA ( OIL &

GAS )
A

Presentation

On

‘VISBREAKING ’

By :
Akanksha Kamboj ( 6 )
Submitted To : Anirban Bhandhra ( 15 )
Prof S . K . Mohit Arora ( 25 )
Pokhriyal

University Of Petroleum & Energy Studies,

Dehradun
 PROCESSES IN THE PETROLEUM REFINING

SEPARATION CONVERSION TREATING

ASSOCIATED OPERATIONS

CONVERSION PROCESSES •
•Cracking (thermal and
catalytic)
Include processes used to break • Reforming
down large longer chain molecules • Alkylation
into smaller ones by heating • Polymerization
• Isomerization
• Coking
•Visbreaking

:: Program for north american Mobility A & M University texas

 REFINERY FLOW DIAGRAM

LPH and Gas

Refinery fuel gas

Gasoline Sweetening Sweet Gasoline

Unit LPG
Stabilizer
Naphta
Gasoline

Middle Distillates Hydrotreati Middle Distillates

ng Solvents

Treating and Blending

Gas Aviation fuels
Atmospheric
Distillation

Washed Crude Gasoline

Diesels
Gas Oil Catalytic
Cracking Light Gas Oil

Heating oils

Lube oils
Lube-Base Lube Oil
Solvent
Stocks Extraction
and Waxes Greases
Dewaxing

Gasoline, Naphtha and Asphalts

Middle distillates
Vacuum Visbreake Fuel Oil
Distillation Industrial fuels
r
Asphalt

Refinery fuel oil

:: Program for north american Mobility A & M University texas

 PROCESS OBJECTIVES
ü Reduce the viscosity of the feed stream: Typically
this is the residue from either the refinery's
atmospheric or vacuum distillation of crude Oil.
ü
ü Reduce the amount of end product residual fuel
oil produced by a refinery: Residual fuel oil is
generally regarded as a low value product.


ü Increase the proportion of middle distillates in

the refinery output: Middle distillate is used as a
diluent with residual oils to bring their viscosity
down to a marketable level. By reducing the
viscosity of the residual stream in a visbreaker, a
fuel oil can be made using less diluent and the
middle distillate saved can be diverted to higher
03/24/11 Source: John De Elliot (foster & Wheeler -Cost effective residue upgrading:dela
value diesel or heating oil manufacture.
•VISBREAKING
ØVisbreaking – an abbreviation
for viscosity breaking or
viscosity lowering – is a
liquid phase thermal conversion
process to reduce the viscosity
of Atmospheric ( long reduce ) and
Vacuum ( short residue ) to
produce specification fuel oil .
Small quantities of LPG and a
fair amount of naphtha are also
produced .
Ø
Ø Visbreakingis a mild thermal
cracking process and help in
reducing the viscosities and
pour point of long and short
residues . Refinery production of
heavy oils can be reduced by
30 % using visbreaking .
Visbreaking also produces gas , Visbreaking Unit at Mathura
gas oil stock and gasoline Refinery
which go for further processing .

Petroleum Ref./Upes//GCT/July-05/Mod-6/07
 PROCESS VARIABLES
ü Furnace Outlet Temperature:
 At constant feed rate , the extent of cracking
increases with increase in the temperature.
ü
ü Furnace Outlet Pressure:
 High pressure suppresses vaporization and
tends to produce liquid phase i.e. yield of gas oil
is more. At low pressure there is higher yield of
gas and naptha.


ü Feed Rate:
 Severity of the operation decreases with
increase in the Source-
03/24/11
feedPetroleum
rate Refining
for same furnace outlet
Technology- Dr. Ram Prasad
temperature.
Source : Thermal Processes At panipat Refinery : IOCL
 Coil Visbreaker
Gas

Heater

Gasoline
Reduced
Crude Steam
Charge
Gas Oil

Tar

Petroleum Ref./Upes//GCT/July-05/Mod-6/09
 OPERATING CONDITIONS
FURNACE

Inlet temp. ‘C 340

Outlet temp.’ C 470-490

Inlet pressure Kg/cm2 22

Outlet pressure Kg/ cm2 15

Residence time ‘C 600

Quench temp ‘ C 260

03/24/11 Source- Petroleum Refining Technology- Dr. Ram Prasad

 YIELD PATTERN
FURNACE Yield - wt% on feed

Gas & loss 3

Naptha 4

Fuel Oil ( Visbroken Residue) 93

03/24/11 Source- Petroleum Refining Technology- Dr. Ram Prasad

 BENEFITS & DRAWBACKS
ü High Sulphur fuel Oil Reduction


ü Low Cost Upgrading (Product Upgradation)



ü More useful products are available(Low & Middle

distillates)


ü High Maintenance Cost



ü Decoking Required
ü

Source: John De Elliot (foster & Wheeler -Cost effective residue upgrading:delayed coking, visbreaking &solvent deasphalting
SO IN & ALL
Visbreaking is an

üEffective and cost – effective way to produce

more valuable products from heavy residues.

üIt used to reduce the viscosity or pour point

of a fuel oil Cracker feed and to reduce fuel
oil production .