Refining and Petrochemicals
Refining and petrochemical operations convert crude oil into fuels and chemical feedstocks through high-temperature, high-pressure processes. SIL-rated instrumentation ensures process safety while maximizing product yield and energy efficiency.
Overview
Refining and petrochemical operations convert crude oil into fuels, lubricants, and chemical feedstocks through complex high-temperature, high-pressure processes. From atmospheric and vacuum distillation through cracking, reforming, and product blending, precise level and pressure measurement is essential for process efficiency and safety. Instrumentation must withstand aggressive media, extreme temperatures, and corrosive conditions while meeting SIL functional safety requirements. Reliable measurement in separators, distillation columns, reactors, and storage tanks helps operators maximize product yield, reduce energy consumption, and maintain compliance with strict environmental and safety regulations throughout the refining value chain.
Industry Challenges
Key challenges we help address
Operating instruments in extreme heat above 400°C in cracking units
Measuring interface levels in desalters and separators
Preventing overfill in atmospheric and pressurized storage tanks
Detecting coking and fouling buildup in heat exchangers
Meeting SIL 2/3 safety requirements for critical processes
Managing LPG and propane storage under high pressure
Monitoring catalyst activity and regeneration efficiency
Process Categories
Atmospheric & Vacuum Distillation
Catalytic Conversion
Fractionation & Separation
Coking & Sulphur Recovery
Tank Storage & Loading
Utilities & Safety Systems
Solutions for This Industry
Industrial IoT
Use Cases
Explore specific scenarios and challenges in this industry
Acid slurry tanks
Refining and Petrochemicals
Acid slurries in the alkylation unit create an aggressive environment that requires robust, highly resistant level measurement instrumentation to withstand the conditions. Accurately reporting the pro...
Alky settler
Refining and Petrochemicals
In an alkylation unit the acid settler is fed from the reactor vessel which is used to remove acid for recycling back into the reactor. The layers created in the separation process form interfaces tha...
Amine contactor
Refining and Petrochemicals
Amine contactors introduce amine solutions to the incoming natural gas from the inlet separator to remove acidic components, such as H2S and CO2, from the process stream. The operator must accurately...
Anhydrous ammonia storage tank
Refining and Petrochemicals
During the sulfur removal process, nitrogen is converted into ammonia through a water wash process to be sold for fertilizer production. Stringent environmental restrictions and the high hazard potent...
BTX separators
Refining and Petrochemicals
Precise interface monitoring in refinery separators is critical to product quality because it confirms there is complete separation. For liquid-liquid interface in a BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene) sep...
Blowdown drums
Refining and Petrochemicals
The blowdown drum is designed to allow the refinery to release any process or byproduct liquids including hydrocarbons, in a safe and controlled way that protects plant equipment and personnel. The bl...
Coke drums
Refining and Petrochemicals
Delayed coking units are a critical step in the refining process - this is where downtime, inefficiency, and overfill are not an option. They generate extreme heat during operation and are very large...
Coke silo
Refining and Petrochemicals
Coke is often stored in very tall silos. Coke product is also susceptible to plugging the chute as the vessel empties. To accurately measure and monitor the level in these silos, especially during fil...
Coke stacker
Refining and Petrochemicals
After the coke is extracted from the drums it is stored in silos or stockpiles. Reliable level measurement is an absolute must for automating the stockpiling process and ensuring optimal levels.
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