1. Automatic Crude Switching: myth or reality?
Filippo Trivella – Alpha Process Control srl

2. Agenda About Motor Oil Hellas About Alpha Process Control
Crude switching Methodology
Case Study APC implementation at MOH
Overview
Results
Lessons learned

3. About Alpha Process Control
Engineering Consulting Company specialised in Process Performance Optimization
Experts in the implementation of APC strategies to the Refining and Petrochemical Industry
And now Filippo will give you a short overview of the methodology used for crude switching
Technology Independent to maximize
flexibility of implementation
AS Channel Partner in EMEA

4. About Motor Oil Hellas
MOH was founded in 1970 by Vardinoyiannis Group.
Located near the city of Corinth in Greece
One of the largest and most flexible Refineries in the Eastern Mediterranean
In full operation since 1972 and gradually expanded to an industrial complex of
over 30 licensed processes; the major unit blocks are as follows:
2 CDU, 2 VDU, FCC, CCR, LUBES PLANT, MHC, HPU, 3 HDT, VISBREAKER, MTBE, HF ALKYLATION, TIP, 4 SRU, DIMERSOL
Nominal capacity of 173,000 barrels/day
But only after 1972 full operation, production of base lubes, 1975 CDU,1978 reformer, 1980 FCC, 2005 MHC along with HPU, 2010 new CDU

5. About the Opportunity Implementation of Advanced Process Control (APC)
Advanced Solution APC portfolio (Profit Suite)
Profit Controller: multivariable predictive control technology
Profit Sensor Pro: online estimation of product qualities
Profit Expert: monitoring of APC performances
Competitive Bid with other technologies
Price was a differentiator

6. The Process – Crude Distillation
Crude separated in valuable products:
LPG
Gasoline
Kerosene
Diesel
Kero
LGO
HGO
FEED HN
Reid

7. The Customer Requirements
Refinery frequently changing crude type
Every 3-4 days
More than 150 switches a year (2 Crude Units)
Crude quality not known
Mixture of crudes
In Manual crude switch was taking 8-16 hours
High frequency of off-spec product of significant give-away
Automatic Crude switch
Reduce 50% time to complete switch
Improve quality control
Significant potential benefits (ROI of 3-4 months)

8. Benefits of APC
Traditional
APC
NO APC
MPC

9. The myth about crude switching
Quality predictions are not accurate during switches
Disturbances are too fast for APC
Only operators know what to do!
There are not enough details about the crude
Metti foto dell’acropoli???

10. Project History Project executed in 2013
Completed on schedule
From March to September
Two crude units and one gas plant
Project was extremely succesful
Conducted rigorous post-audit with performance guarantees
MOH selected Alpha as single source provider of APC
MOH now has a Site License for Profit Suite
Vacuum
FCC
Hydrocracker
CCR
HDS ……

11. U1100 – Ural to Kirkuk No APC OFF SPEC
© 2012 Alpha Process Control srl. Confidential information.
The change in crude quality form Ural to Kirkuk is significant. Without APC and inferentials the operators adjusted the yields several times until it got back on specification. For more than 24 h the disel distillation was of spec
With APC the products are always on specification even during the switch itself
With APC
ON SPEC

12. U7100 – Basrah to Arabian Light
No APC
This is another very interesting example on the new crude unit with a change from Basrah to Arabian light. The controller identifies from the changes on the column temperature profile that the yield on products in order to keep the same quality should be reduced and that is what is happening.
With APC

13. Reduction of more than 70% - products always on SPEC
U1100 – Ural to Kirkuk
PRODUCT ARE ALWAYS
ON SPEC
This graph illustrates the prevous ones togethsr .With automated crude switch the products are always on spec
TIME (min)
Reduction of more than 70% - products always on SPEC

14. Quality control: Diesel specification
NO APC: standard deviation 6degC
WITH APC: standard deviation 4.3 degC
This figure shows the distance from the operating target before and after the implmenetaion of APC.
The implementation of APC resulted in a signficant reduction of the variability of the quality spefification
Diesel 95%ASTM: distance from target
6 months of operation
More than 50 crude switches

15. Exceeded Performance Guarantees values: ROI <2 monhts
Audited Results
APC is meeting expected results
Better control of product quality (reduction of variability of more than 40%)
Yield maximization of most valuable products (e.g. naphtha reduced by more than 1%)
Crude switch time reduction: product are now ALWAYS on spec
The results are audited regularly and show that the quality variaiblity has been reduced by more than 40% and products yields have been optimized
With APC product qualities are now always on specification also during the switches
Exceeded Performance Guarantees values: ROI <2 monhts

16. Summary Build a long-lasting relationship with customer
DELIVER the benefits and PROVE the results
Use best in class technologies
Honeywell key player in APC market
Critical domain knowledge
Alpha has a significant expertise in the O&G sector