Technical Services

Purpose of Technology

The basic responsibility of technology is to provide the services in solving problems and to make technical and economic improvements of the Refinery.

To do this one needs comprehensive information of refinery different from ‘normal’ operation. Although some of the can be calculated, or deduced from the behavior of other plants, much of this information can be obtained by special test-runs under off normal conditions. On the basis of these test runs/experiments an improved scheme can be worked out and agreed upon. At the time technology’s role is to convince those concerned that innovative improvements are worth putting into practices, even if this means changing existing conditions.

Areas of Technology are:

  • Process Engineering
  • Technical Audit /Energy Conservation and HSE audits
  • Process and techno-commercial Studies
  • Plant Expansion and De-bottlenecking
  • Quality Control (Laboratory)
  • Benchmarking Studies
  • Pilot plant studies

Types of Technological Work at Refinery

Broadly speaking, Technological work consists of four main types, which are:

It relates to the remedial measures essentially required to solve a problem arising or expected to arise from the operation of the refinery, although it is obvious that the operating personnel should normally resolve the difficulties themselves as far as these fall within the scope of their work. The trouble-shooting role also includes certain activities (e.g. regular plant visits, periodic review of process performance etc) designed to detect incipient trouble or anticipated possible future difficulties. In other words, an important part of troubleshooting is trouble prevention and therefore technological personnel do not wait the trouble to occur but indicate possible corrective actions before hand.

It also includes the operation strategies to optimize the operation in such a way to achieve the production and quality targets as per planned. This has been done as day to day monitoring or periodic test run of the units, Technology keeps closed watch on catalytic processes in refinery and maintains parameters to achieve the target cycle lengths in these processes. To maintain the quality as product per specification is an important task of the refinery in which technology play an important role.

Project Development

Project development is one of the major tasks as the ownership of all the plant changes in the refinery, the plant changes are completed with in the coordination with different disciplines is the core responsibility of technology. For a new project entails the technological work associated with capital budget items i.e. preliminary evaluation, process study with alternatives, preparation of budget items, process design for smaller items, and coordination with Consultants. Its role is to in liaison with process licensors to develop basic engineering part of new project.

For project realization i.e. EPC part, technology plays an active part in cooperation EPC contractor and with the departments concerned, in the activities, which remain to be performed in the detailed implementation of the project. Irrespective of organizational structure, however technology always has the task of contributing sound and profitable ideas.

Profit Enhancement

This is keeping up the continuous search for ways of increasing the profitability of the refinery. These embrace a variety of techniques ranging from traditional good house keeping activities, aimed at cost reduction to the new sophisticated optimization studies, aimed at increasing net profits. Technology continuously searches for appropriate new ideas, techniques, procedures etc. and their profitable application. At the same time, efficiency in process, new blending techniques, technical and economical feed stock, these are some of technological efforts to be used for increasing profitability.

Environmental Technology

PRL maintains a HSE management system. Technological work is essential to achieve the objective and targets and to maintain the system effectively. The work entails:

  • Monitoring of all parameters pertain to emissions, effluents and solid waste.
  • Test runs on all emissions and wastewater treatment plant to suggest any corrective measure if arrives for rectifications.
  • Keep abreast with any new technological breakthroughs in process improvements or end pipe technology for their assessments in refinery configuration.
  • Modifications in process side for environmental friendly technology.
  • Adopt process/ chemical change to lessen or alleviate the hazards.
  • Work closely with HSE departments in external and internal HSE audits.