Gasoline blending and diesel blending are of common occurrence with respect to oil refineries. Some of the major products generated from fuel blending process includes diesel fuels, heating oils, jet fuels, and gasoline. The prime objectives of product blending is to distribute available blending components in a specific manner that ensures every product needs specifications and demands are met properly keeping costs at least point. The gasoline blending services offered by refinery operations that fuses various component streams into several gasoline grades.
Regular grades include a 83 octane, 87 octane, and lastly premium 92 octane. The 83 octane is later blended with oxygenated fuels like ethanol. Here the RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) is established according to average temperature of the place gasoline is to be used as areas with lower temperature would need higher RVP as compared to warmer climate. These two specifications are of prime importance and need to be documented with every blend that brings down the chances of octane giveaway. For instance, if octane specifications stand at 87.0, even 0.1 octane value over the normal limit would cost the target refiner. In United States this cost is calculated upto approx. $1,000, 000 per every 0.1 octane giveaway for every 100, 000 bpd crude capacity.
The RVP is little different. Most refiners plan to blend the lowest value normal-butane in the final blend without passing through specification. For instance, the n-butane cost is $7 for every barrel and can be later will be traded for $25 for every barrel just by blending a little. It clearly shows a profit of $18 per barrel for the refiner, this explains the importance of RVP economics. Distillate fuel blending is a completely different process that has few other prerequisites. Distillate blending is used for produced diesel fuels, jet fuels, No. 1 and No. 2 fuel oils, and kerosene. The diesel fuel attributes that are scaled in the process include Cetane number, lower temperature properties like cloud point, flash points, and pour point Sulfur content.
These are just a few points that you must know if you wish to get into details of gasoline blending. Even if you are planning to pursue a bunker fuel blending course it is something you will definitely need to know about. Make sure you understanding all basics before you get into the business.
