Petroleum and Petrochemicals - Practice Flashcards

80 practice flashcards (Question and Answer) covering key concepts from the petroleum and petrochemicals lecture notes.

What is the origin and meaning of the word petroleum?

Derived from Latin petra (rock) and oleum (oil).

How is crude oil classified in the oil industry?

By origin location and by viscosity (light, intermediate, heavy).

What does 'sweet' crude mean?

Crude with relatively little sulfur.

What does 'sour' crude mean?

Crude with substantial sulfur.

Name some fractions petroleum can be separated into.

Natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, fuel and lubricating oils, paraffin wax, asphalt.

When and by whom was the first successful oil well drilled?

1859 by Colonel Edwin Drake in Titusville, Pennsylvania.

What transformation occurred regarding gasoline in the 19th to early 20th century?

Gasoline became a major product as mobility increased; it was initially a byproduct of kerosene.

What event reduced the oil industry's primary market in the late 19th century?

Electric lighting and the rise of electrical generation (Edison).

By 1920, approximately how many cars were in the U.S.?

About 23 million.

Why did gasoline engines become practically advantageous for vehicles?

Because battery-powered engines did not have sufficient range.

What infrastructure supported a steady fuel supply for vehicles?

A network of gasoline filling stations.

By the end of WWI, how many trucks and cars did Britain have?

56,000 trucks and 36,000 cars.

When were airplanes and tanks first used in warfare?

1918.

What change did Britain make to ships during WWI?

Converted coal-burning ships to oil-powered for speed and mobility.

What impact did German submarine attacks have on Britain’s oil supply?

They cut off oil shipments and nearly brought defeat.

In the 1940s, what percent of world oil did the U.S. produce?

65 percent.

What share of world oil production did the Middle East account for in the 1940s?

Less than 5 percent.

When were 'supergiant' oil fields discovered in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia?

1930s and 1940s.

What happened in the 1973 oil shock?

Egypt and Syria attacked Israel; oil embargo on the U.S., causing long lines at gas stations.

What was Project Independence?

Ford's ten-year plan to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil by domestic energy development (150 coal-fired plants, 200 nuclear plants, synfuel plants).

What happened to synfuels in the 1980s?

Oil glut led to abandonment of synfuels and some alternative energy initiatives.

What are the two basic raw materials for petrochemicals?

Natural gas and crude oil.

What are intermediates in refining?

Light hydrocarbons like methane and ethane, or heavier like naphtha or gas oil.

Which other resources could be future energy sources?

Coal, oil shale, tar sands; substitute natural gas (SNG) and synthetic crudes.

A naturally occurring mixture of light hydrocarbons, main component is methane.

natural gas

What is the difference between non-associated and associated natural gas?

Non-associated is in reservoirs with no oil; associated gas is present with oil or dissolved in crude oil.

What is the typical methane content in natural gas at the source?

About 80%.

Which gases are typically removed from natural gas before sale?

C3, C4, C5 hydrocarbons; LPG (propane and butanes) is liquefied and sold.

Where is natural gas found?

In deep underground rock formations, coal beds, and methane clathrates.

How are natural gas formed?

Biogenic (methanogenic organisms) and thermogenic (buried organic material) formation.

methanogenic organisms)

Biogenic

buried organic material formation of natural gas

thermogenic

What is crude oil?

A composite mixture of hydrocarbons (50-95% by weight) occurring naturally.

What colors can crude oil be?

From black to yellow, depending on hydrocarbon composition.

How is crude oil typically obtained?

Drilling; often found with natural gas above it and saline water below it.

What elements besides hydrocarbons may crude oil contain?

Nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and trace metals like iron, nickel, copper, vanadium.

What are the main hydrocarbon classes in crude oil?

Linear/branched alkanes (paraffins), cycloalkanes (naphthenes), aromatics, and asphaltenes.

What is the generally accepted theory of crude oil origin?

Derived from ancient biomass; heating of organic material over geological time.

What are the three conditions for oil reservoirs to form?

Existence of hydrocarbon material; porous, permeable reservoir rock; non-porous cap rock to seal.

What are the three core manufacturing processes of petroleum refining?

Separation, Conversion, Purification.

Removal of salt from crude oil via water-in-oil emulsion and electrostatic separation; aided by demulsifiers and heating.

crude oil desalting

Front-end refinery unit that distills crude into fractions; largest in size and cost.

Crude Distillation Unit (CDU)

Distills residual oil under reduced pressure to keep temperatures below 350°C, increasing volatility.

vacuum distillation

Propane dissolves whole oil; asphaltenes precipitate; deasphalted oil (DAO) is used, bright stock as feed for lubes.

solvent deasphalting

Use solvents (e.g., phenol, furfural) to separate aromatics; raffinate dewaxed; solvent removed.

solvent extraction in lubrication oil processing

Dewaxing with MEK freezes high molecular weight paraffins, yielding dewaxed oil (lubricant).

solvent dewaxing

The dewaxed, extracted oil used as lubricants.

lube oil stock

Reforms(naphtha C6–C10) into aromatics and isoparaffins using Pt on silica/alumina; reformate has high octane and BTX use.

catalytic reforming

Cleaning of petroleum fractions with hydrogen to remove sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, aromatics, etc.; catalysts like Co-Mo on alumina.

hydrotreating

Cracking of heavy fractions (AR, VGOs) with hydrogen; dual-function catalyst yields kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, fuel oil.

catalytic hydrocracking

Fluid catalytic cracking; main gasoline production; feed is VGO; product is gasoline; catalyst is zeolite.

catalytic cracking (FCC)

Isobutene reacts with olefins to form gasoline-range alkylate; catalysts include sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid.

alkylation

Isomerizes light naphtha (C4–C6) to branched products for higher octane; helps separate hexane to avoid benzene.

isomerization

What catalyst is used in isomerization?

Pt-zeolite based catalyst.

Thermal cracking of vacuum residue producing coke; drums collect coke and lighter products are separated.

delayed coking

Coke is gasified with steam and air to provide heat; products include gases, gasoline, and gas oils with little coke.

flexicoking

Mild thermal cracking of vacuum residue; coil visbreaking or soaker visbreaker; products include gases, gasoline, gas oil, and unconverted resid.

visbreaking

How is petroleum linked to ammonia production?

Ammonia fertilizers are produced by the Haber process, typically using hydrogen from natural gas (a petroleum feedstock).

What olefins form the basis for plastics from petroleum?

Ethylene and propylene (derivatives of petroleum) used to make plastics.

Which petroleum by-products are used in cosmetics and topicals?

Mineral oil and petrolatum.

Why was synthetic rubber developed in relation to petroleum?

Embargoes on natural rubber spurred development of synthetic rubber from petroleum.

Name some products derived from petroleum distillates used in dyes, detergents, and fabrics.

Dyes, synthetic detergents, and fabrics containing benzene, toluene, and xylene.

What are lubricants and greases derived from?

From petroleum derivatives.

A solid derivable from petroleum; a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules.

paraffin wax

Used in preserving wooden vessels against rot.

tar

Used primary use in road construction.

asphalt/bitumen

List the six main uses of petroleum.

Transportation; industrial power; heating and lighting; lubricants; petrochemical industry; use of by-products.

Why is petroleum important in daily life?

Used directly as fuels and indirectly for plastics, fibers, and other products.

What are the environmental impacts of petroleum refineries?

Air pollutants (BTEX, PM, NOx, CO, H2S, SO2); water and soil contamination; oil spills; acid rain.

What does BTEX stand for?

Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene.

What wastewater and water contamination risks do refineries pose?

Groundwater and surface water contamination from process wastewater.

What soil pollution hazards can arise from refinery operations?

Spent catalysts, coke dust, tank bottoms, sludges, and other hazardous wastes.

What are the potential impacts of oil spills on the environment?

Lethal to fish; benzene and other components can be carcinogenic.

What causes acid rain in relation to petroleum combustion?

High-temperature emissions react with atmospheric water to form acids, leading to acid rain.

Name one advantageous characteristic of petroleum (extraction).

It can be extracted easily.

Name another advantageous characteristic of petroleum (density).

It has high density.

Name another advantageous characteristic of petroleum (transport cost).

It can be transported at a low cost.

Name another advantageous characteristic of petroleum (infrastructure).

It is widely available with good infrastructure for transport and use.

Name another advantageous characteristic of petroleum (industrial importance).

It is a crucial element in industries.

Name another advantageous characteristic of petroleum (vehicle power).

It can power almost all types of vehicles.