- Overview
- Schedule
TRAINING DAYS: | 2 Days | PDH: | 16 Hours |
DISCIPLINE: | Strategic Planning and Process Solutions | LEVEL: | Specialty Path |
CATEGORY: | Process Technology | SUGGESTED EXPERIENCE: | 3–5 years |
TRAINING MAP: | Process Engineer | ||
Levels and experience are guidelines based on topic-specific experience. All courses support foundational and advanced learning.
About:
Achieving optimum FCCU performance requires effective process monitoring, systematic troubleshooting, and continuous optimization. This course provides practical methods for evaluating FCC unit operations, interpreting process data, identifying performance constraints, and applying optimization strategies to maximize refinery profitability. Participants will also learn how advanced process control systems, process models, and monitoring programs support both daily and long-term operational improvements.
What You’ll learn:
Apply effective monitoring techniques to evaluate FCCU performance and identify operational constraints.
Use structured troubleshooting methods to diagnose common FCCU process issues and implement corrective actions.
Develop optimization strategies that improve unit utilization, profitability, and long-term reliability.
Evaluate process models, advanced process control systems, and refinery planning tools to support continuous FCCU optimization.
Who Should Attend:
FCCU Troubleshooting & Optimization is designed for refinery process engineers, planners, unit operations personnel, process modeling specialists, catalyst technical service professionals, and supervisors responsible for FCC unit performance and optimization.
Course Outline:
Process Monitoring
Monitoring objectives and goals
Types of monitoring
Feed and yield analysis
Catalyst performance
Material balance
Heat balance
Constraint giveaway
Catalyst circulation
Pressure balance
Reaction mix tests
Corrosion monitoring
Building a Monitoring Program
Key process indicators (KPIs)
Data collection methods
Reporting and information sharing
Key Process Variables
Adjustments to maximize unit utilization
FCCU Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting methodology
Function of key process systems
Common operating problems
Corrective solutions
Optimization Strategies
Strategic operating goals
Minimizing costs versus maximizing profits
Unit optimization
Refinery-wide optimization
Daily Optimization
Operating goals and targets
Maximizing utilization
Advanced Process Control (APC)
Monitoring APC performance
Longer-Term Optimization
Unit degradation
Catalyst performance
Feed and catalyst selection
Optimization meetings
Strategy evaluation
Capital investment evaluation
Using and Maintaining Process Models
Reactor/regenerator yield models
Distillation models
Linear programming (LP) models
Heat exchanger train models
Practical Applications
Troubleshooting exercises
Optimization case studies
Taught By:
Al English
Meet The Instructor:
Al English is the principal of ARE Refining Consulting LLC and an FCC expert with over 40 years of petroleum refining experience, including 19 years with KBC. He has provided troubleshooting, optimization, design, and training to more than 40 refineries worldwide, supporting over 50 FCC units and other major refining processes. His work has helped clients achieve benefits typically exceeding $2 million annually. Al is a licensed Chemical Engineer with a master’s degree in Technology Management. He has authored or co-authored 13 publications, holds three US patents, and has served twice on the NPRA (now AFPM) FCC Q&A panel.
Venue:
The training will be held in Houston, TX. The exact location will be announced by mid-November. Please check back for updates. If you purchase the class, you can find the hotel booking link under My Courses → (your course) → Resources once available.