Pilot Plants > Crude Oil Assays and Fractionation

Distillation and Fractionation Services

Distillation or fractionation is a process that separates a petroleum feedstock into fractions according to boiling point.  For example, fractions typically recovered from crude oil include naphtha (C5-350degF) , diesel (350-650degF), vacuum gas oil (650-1000degF) and vacuum resid (1000degF to FBP).  To distill temperature-sensitive materials at elevated temperatures (>650degF) still pot temperatures for petroleum feedstocks), the distillation is conducted under vacuum.  Intertek PARC tailors your fractionation to meet your program needs.  Customized fractionations and handling are offered to meet our customer's diverse needs.

Intertek PARC's capabilities include:

• Batch Stills (14)
  • Operating pressures ranging from <1 mm Hg to 40 psig
  • Still pot capacities ranging from one liter to over 200 gallons
  • Number of theoretical plates ranging from 1 to 75+.

• Continuous stills, including:
  • Short-residence-time flash vaporizer with a capacity of up to 3 liters/hr at 2-3 mm Hg vacuum to cut up to 1100degF.
  • Continuous one-column still P-13 with a capacity of up to 25 gallons per hour at atmospheric pressure and 15 gallons per hour at 2-3 mm Hg vacuum, with or without steam assistance, to cut up to 975degF.  This still has only top and bottom draws.
  • Continuous still train with a capacity of up to 1 gallon per hour, consisting of four stills, including a pressurized debutanizer, two atmospheric towers and one vacuum tower.

• Wide-range of feedstock processing:
  • Conventional petroleum feedstocks, such as crude oils.
  • Unconventional feedstocks, such as bitumen.
  • Petrochemical feedstocks
  • High sulfur feedstocks
  • Low sulfur (<2 ppm) feedstocks, such as Gas-To-Liquids products

In addition, crude assay studies can be done.  Go to Petroleum Assay homepage to learn more about Intertek's global crude oil assay capabilities.