PrintRefinery Evolution
The configuration and complexity of a petroleum refinery has evolved from one-pot batch distillation to produce kerosene as the major product (1850s) to the complex refinery of the day [1] that produces a multitude of fuels and petrochemical feedstocks from a wide range of crude oils, as discussed in Lessons 1 and 2. Different stages of this evolution, in tune with the changing demand for petroleum products as well as the changing crude oil base over time, are presented in the following sections listed below and in your menu.
[1.] Petroleum Refining, by J. H. Gary, G. E. Handwerk, M. J. Kaiser, 5th Edition, CRC Press NY, 2007, Chapter 1.