STUDY FOR IMPROVING HEAT EFFICIENCY OF CRUDE OIL HEATER OPERATIONS

Abstract

Crude oil heater operations are an essential part of petroleum refining, providing inputs to virtually every economic sector, including the transport and chemical industries. Refineries typically spend 50% of the cash operating costs (e.g., excluding capital costs and depreciation) on energy, making energy a significant cost factor and a vital cost reduction opportunity. [1] Typically, refineries can economically improve energy efficiency by 5% to 20%, according to competitive benchmarking data. This potential for savings amounts to annual costs savings of millions to tens of millions of dollars for a refinery, depending on current efficiency and size. [2] This project aims to find and target energy-intensive crude oil heater operations to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in the petroleum refining industry while maintaining the products' quality. Crude stabilizers and heat exchangers are the two most energy-intensive operations in any oil refinery. By optimizing these operations, we improve their heat efficiency and lower the overall energy required to run the plan