Technical Manual - Section 3 (Safety Hazards)

SECTION III: CHAPTER 2
PETROLEUM REFINING PROCESSES
A. INTRODUCTION
The petroleum industry began with the successful drilling of
the first commercial oil well in 1859, and the opening of the
first refinery two years later to process the crude into
kerosene. The evolution of petroleum refining from simple
distillation to today's sophisticated processes has created a
need for health and safety management procedures and safe
work practices. To those unfamiliar with the industry,
petroleum refineries may appear to be complex and confusing
places. Refining is the processing of one complex mixture of
hydrocarbons into a number of other complex mixtures of
hydrocarbons. The safe and orderly processing of crude oil
into flammable gases and liquids at high temperatures and
pressures using vessels, equipment, and piping subjected to
stress and corrosion requires considerable knowledge,
control, and expertise.
Safety and health professionals, working with process,
chemical, instrumentation, and metallurgical engineers, assure
that potential physical, mechanical, chemical, and health
hazards are recognized and provisions are made for safe
operating practices and appropriate protective measures.
These
A. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III:2-1
B. Overview of the Petroleum Industry. . . . . III:2-2
C. Petroleum Refining Operations . . . . . . . III:2-11
D. Description of Petroleum Refining
Processes and Related Health and
Safety Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . III:2-15
E. Other Refinery Operations. . . . . . . . . . . III:2-49
F. Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III:2-58
Appendix III:2-1. Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . .III:2-59
measures may include hard hats, safety glasses and goggles,
safety shoes, hearing protection, respiratory protection, and
protective clothing such as fire resistant clothing where
required. In addition, procedures should be established to
assure compliance with applicable regulations and standards
such as hazard communications, confined space entry, and
process safety management.
This chapter of the technical manual covers the history of
refinery processing, characteristics of crude oil, hydrocarbon
types and chemistry, and major refinery products and
by-products. It presents information on technology as
normally practiced in present operations. It describes the
more common refinery processes and includes relevant safety
and health information. Additional information covers
refinery utilities and miscellaneous supporting activities
related to hydrocarbon processing. Field personnel will learn
what to expect in various facilities regarding typical materials
and process methods, equipment, potential hazards, and
exposures.
The information presented refers to fire prevention, industrial
hygiene, and safe work practices, and is not intended to
provide comprehensive guidelines for protective measures
and/or compliance with regulatory requirements. As some of
the terminology is industry-specific, a glossary is provided as
an appendix. This chapter does not cover petrochemical
processing.
III:2-1