REF 200
Refining Technology
COURSE SCHEDULE
| Code | Date | Location | price (€)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| REF 200 | 14-18 Dec 2026 | Online | 3300 |
| REF 200 | 17-20 Nov 2026 | Istanbul | 4400 |
* Prices are subject to VAT and local terms. Ph.D. students, groups (≥ 3 persons) and early bird registrants (8 weeks in advance) are entitled to a DISCOUNT!
COURSE OVERVIEW
This is a 5-day course designed to provide participants with a complete understanding of crude oil refining technology, from feedstocks to finished products, including key process units, terminology, impurities, and economic drivers.
The course begins with crude oil composition, properties, non-hydrocarbon components (sulfur, nitrogen, metals, acids), and petroleum product specifications that drive refinery operations. It then explores physical separation processes (atmospheric and vacuum distillation, gas plant fractionation, solvent extraction) that split crude into initial fractions.
This is followed by conversion processes (FCC, hydrocracking, coking, reforming, alkylation, isomerization), which rearrange or break hydrocarbon molecules to increase value. Treating methods (hydrodesulfurization, amine scrubbing, Merox sweetening, sulfur recovery) are then presented to remove contaminants and meet environmental regulations.
The final day concentrates on refinery utilities and economics, including hydrogen production via steam methane reforming, cooling water and boiler feedwater systems, sour water treatment, refinery profitability metrics (complex margin vs. crack spread), netback pricing, breakeven utilization, and blending strategies for improved margins. Additionally, daily discussions will include the circular economy, refinery petrochemical integration and the energy transition.
COURSE OUTLINE
5 days
Day 1: Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
Composition, properties, assays, and product specifications.
o Crude Oil Origins & Families
o Crude Assay & Distillation Curves
o Petroleum Product Specifications
o Non-Hydrocarbon Components & Their Impact
o Crude Selection & Blending for Refinery
o Laboratory Analysis & Property Testing Methods
Day 2: Physical Separation Processes
Distillation, absorption, stripping, extraction without chemical reaction.
o Atmospheric Distillation (CDU) – Process & Equipment
o Vacuum Distillation (VDU) – Maximizing Residue Conversion
o CDU/VDU Troubleshooting & Optimization
o Gas Plant Fractionation (Deethanizer, Depropanizer, Debutanizer)
o Absorption, Stripping & Scrubbing
o Solvent Extraction (Aromatics, Lube Oil) Residue Upgrading Pretreating (Deasphalting, Demetallization
Day 3: Conversion Processes
Chemical reactions to break large molecules (cracking) or reshape (reforming, alkylation).
o Thermal Cracking – Visbreaking & Coking
o Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) – Reactor & Regenerator
o Hydrocracking (Single & Two-Stage)
o Catalytic Reforming (CCR, Semi-Reg, Cyclic)
o Alkylation, Isomerization & Polymerization
o Catalyst Troubleshooting and common problems/ solutions
Day 4: Treating
Removal of contaminants (S, N, metals, aromatics, color, stability) via chemical reaction or adsorption.
o Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) – Naphtha, Kerosene, Diesel
o Hydrotreating of VGO & Residue (Resid HDS)
o Amine Treating & Claus Sulfur Recovery
o Sweetening (Merox, Caustic Treating) & Final Product Treating
o Adsorption & Molecular Sieves
o Troubleshooting Treating Operations
Day 5: Refinery Utilities
Energy, hydrogen, steam, water and Refinery Economics
o Hydrogen Production
o Water, cooling water & Sour water treatment
o Refinery Profitability & Margin Analysis
• Complex margin vs crack spread
• Netback pricing, breakeven utilization
o Blending for improved profitability
o Circular Economy and Energy Transition
INSTRUCTOR
Petro Teach Instructor
The Instructor holds BSc and PhD degrees from the UK and has over 30 years of experience in refinery technology, operations, and management with major oil companies. He currently works as a Senior Consultant at PetroTeach, specializing in oil and gas, process technology, safety, and environmental management.
He is a Chartered Chemist and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), as well as a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (USA). He previously served as an Approved Safety Inspector at Cyprus Petroleum Refinery Ltd.
He holds honorary academic appointments at several European universities and is involved in research in vacuum distillation, gas recovery, and pyrolysis. He is a team member of the Energy Integration Lab at Huddersfield University and heads the Waste to Plastics effort at a major recycling facility in Cyprus. Since 1996, he has delivered more than 250 professional training courses.
DESIGNED FOR
The course is designed for entry-level process and production engineers, technical support staff, and experienced professionals from finance, planning, procurement, and HSE. Some prior exposure to refinery operations is ideal but not a prerequisite. The course will benefit those who seek a broader and deeper understanding of refining technology beyond basic terminology.
The objective is to establish a solid foundation enabling participants to interpret crude assays, recognize key terminology and major units (CDU, FCC, hydrotreater, reformer, coker), understand the impact of sulfur, metals, and acids on equipment and catalysts, distinguish core conversion processes, and communicate effectively with technical and operational colleagues on refinery performance and participate in day-to-day operations and troubleshooting.
COURSE LEVEL
o Intermediate to Advance
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
o Explain the refining value chain—from crude oil receipt to finished products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG)—including key terminology and unit abbreviations
o Identify major refining processes—distinguishing between separation (CDU/VDU), conversion (FCC, hydrocracking, coking, reforming), and treating (hydrodesulfurization, amine scrubbing)
o Recognize the impact of impurities—describing how sulfur, nitrogen, metals, naphthenic acids, and chlorides affect catalyst life, equipment corrosion, and product quality
o Understand refinery utilities—explaining hydrogen production via steam methane reforming, cooling water and boiler feedwater systems, and sour water treatment
o Apply refinery economics—calculating crack spreads (3:2:1), interpreting complex margin vs. netback pricing, determining breakeven utilization, and optimizing blending for improved profitability
o Communicate effectively across departments—using correct refining terminology when collaborating with operations, engineering, finance, procurement, and planning teams
REGISTER
Registration is now OPEN!
* Prices are subject to VAT and local terms. Ph.D. students, groups (≥ 3 persons) and early bird registrants (8 weeks in advance) are entitled to a DISCOUNT!
For more details and registration please send email to: register@petro-teach.com
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