Simulation Design of Flare Gas Recovery System for Khartoum Refining Company

Abstract

Oil refining is one of the most complex chemical industries, which involves many different aspects and complicated processes with various possible connections. The objective in refinery operations is to generate as much profit as possible by converting crude oils into valuable products such as gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and so on. (Zhang, 2000) Khartoum refinery company was founded in 1997 and began operations in 2000 Six years later, on 2006 the Expansion Project was also put into operation. the output of the refinery jumped up to (90000 bbl/d) 5 million t/a. KRC built two separate production lines that enabled to refine the Nile blends (for old refinery) and Block 6 crudes (for new refinery) respectively. It runs major operational units and other related auxiliary facilities to produce dry gas, LPG, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petroleum coke (krcsd.com, 2020). The refinery is connected with flare gas system, everyday it burns 41950(nm3/h). Gas flaring is a combustion device to burn associ`ated, unwanted or excess gases and liquids released during normal or unplanned over-pressuring operation in many refineries processes. Gas flaring is a significant source of greenhouse gases emissions. It also generates noise, heat and provided large areas uninhabitable. The World Bank reports that between 150 to 170 billion m3 of gases are flared or vented annually, an amount value about $ 30.6 billion, equivalent to one-quarter of the United States’ gas consumption or 30 % of the European Union’s gas consumption annually. (imam 2015) Gas flaring is one of the most challenging energy and environmental problems facing the world today. In recent years environmental and economic considerations have led researches to study new technologies intended to recover the gases that are burned in the flare systems in refineries, oil and gas fields. Flare gas recovery system technology use to reclaim gases from vent header systems for other uses. With the help of technological advancement in this field, now we can dramatically reduce the volume of burned gases in refineries using a gas compression and recovery system. Flare gas recovery systems eliminate emissions by recovering flare gases (Mahdi Enayati 2015). In this project flare gas recovery system will be designed and simulated by using aspen Hysys for Khartoum Refinery Company.