Oil refinery how does it work

Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Environmental Science. Why is fracking for natural gas important? What Chemicals are Used in Fracking?

Is that True? Does Hydraulic Fracturing Cause Earthquakes? What are Fracking Myths? Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids. Natural gas. Also in Hydrocarbon gas liquids explained Hydrocarbon gas liquids Where do hydrocarbon gas liquids come from?

Transporting and storing Uses of hydrocarbon gas liquids Imports and exports Prices. Also in Natural gas explained Natural gas Delivery and storage Natural gas pipelines Liquefied natural gas Where our natural gas comes from Imports and exports How much gas is left Use of natural gas Prices Factors affecting natural gas prices Natural gas and the environment Customer choice programs. Also in Coal explained Coal Mining and transportation Where our coal comes from Imports and exports How much coal is left Use of coal Prices and outlook Coal and the environment.

Renewable sources. Renewable energy. Biofuels: Ethanol and Biomass-based diesel. Also in Hydropower explained Hydropower Where hydropower is generated Hydropower and the environment Tidal power Wave power Ocean thermal energy conversion.

Also in Biofuels explained Biofuels Ethanol Use and supply of ethanol Ethanol and the environment Biomass-based diesel fuels Use of biomass-based diesel fuel Biomass-based diesel and the environment.

Also in Wind explained Wind Electricity generation from wind Where wind power is harnessed Types of wind turbines History of wind power Wind energy and the environment. Also in Geothermal explained Geothermal Where geothermal energy is found Use of geothermal energy Geothermal power plants Geothermal heat pumps Geothermal energy and the environment.

Also in Solar explained Solar Photovoltaics and electricity Where solar is found and used Solar thermal power plants Solar thermal collectors Solar energy and the environment.

Secondary sources. Also in Electricity explained Electricity The science of electricity Magnets and electricity Batteries, circuits, and transformers Measuring electricity How electricity is generated Electricity in the United States Generation, capacity, and sales Delivery to consumers Use of electricity Prices and factors affecting prices Electricity and the environment.

Crude oil naturally contains contaminants such as sulfur, nitrogen, and heavy metals, which are undesirable in motor fuels. The treating process, primarily hydrotreating, removes these chemicals by binding them with hydrogen, absorbing them in separate columns, or adding acids to remove them. The recovered molecules are then sold to other industries. Refineries that process sour crudes produce more sulfur than refineries that process sweet crudes.

The last major step of the refining process is blending various streams into finished petroleum products. Refineries blend compound s obtained either from their internal refining process operations as noted above, or externally, to make gasoline that meets specifications for acceptable motor vehicle performance. A typical refinery may produce as many as 8 to 15 different streams of hydrocarbons that they then must mix into motor fuels. Refiners might also mix in additives like octane enhancers, metal deactivators, anti-oxidants, anti-knock agents, rust inhibitors, or detergents into their hydrocarbon streams.

Blending can take place at the refinery along the pipelines and tanks that house processed fuel or even at off-site locations or on ships or terminals once the fuel has left the refinery gate.