Levels and experience are guidelines based on topic-specific experience. All courses support foundational and advanced learning.

About:

This course connects crude and vacuum unit fundamentals with practical strategies to improve product quality, throughput, energy efficiency, reliability, and safety. Topics include fractionation, crude quality, fouling and corrosion, controls, monitoring, and key equipment such as desalters, fired heaters, and vacuum ejectors. Startup, shutdown, and emergency considerations support stronger troubleshooting and operational judgment, with opportunities to discuss participants’ operating challenges.

• Explain the function and configuration of crude and vacuum units within the refinery.
• Connect fractionation principles and operating conditions with product quality and unit performance.
• Recognize how crude properties, fouling, and corrosion influence operating constraints and reliability.
• Use operating variables, controls, and monitoring information to assess performance and support troubleshooting.
• Describe how desalters, fired heaters, and vacuum ejectors affect overall unit operation.
• Identify key preparation, safety, and response considerations during startup, shutdown, and unit upsets.

This program is ideal for refinery process engineers, operations engineers, unit supervisors, and operating personnel who support crude and vacuum distillation units. Engineers involved in troubleshooting, optimization, equipment reliability, or process design will also benefit. The course is suitable for personnel developing their knowledge of crude and vacuum operations, as well as experienced practitioners seeking an industry perspective on how these units are managed.

Introduction: Unit Configuration and Function

• Crude and vacuum unit arrangements, major process flows, product streams, and their roles within the refinery.

Fractionation: Theory and Practice

• Distillation fundamentals, reflux, pumparounds, stripping, pressure effects, and product cut quality.

Feed Effects: Fouling and Corrosion

• How crude properties and contaminants influence operation, equipment reliability, and processing constraints.

Optimization: Controls and Unit Monitoring

• Key operating variables, control strategies, performance indicators, and troubleshooting approaches.

Key Equipment Fundamentals

• Desalter, fired heater, and vacuum ejector operation, performance limitations, and common operating problems.

Taking Off and Landing the Plane: Startups and Shutdowns

• Operating sequences, preparation, coordination, and safety considerations during unit transitions.

Know Your Risks: Equipment-Specific Safety

• Hazards associated with major equipment, operating limits, and safeguards.

When It Hits the Fan: Emergency Procedures

• Common upset scenarios, response priorities, and considerations for bringing the unit to a safe condition.

TBD

TBD

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.