A Handbook Of The Petroleum Industry

Those connected with the petroleum industry will need no introduction to The Petroleum Handbook. It is a technically-oriented manual whose aim is to provide explanations of the processes of today's petroleum industry, from crude oil exploration to product end use, with some historical background and explanation of the economic context in which the oil, gas and petrochemical businesses operation. Much of the material in this sixth edition is completely new and includes the latest information on world oil and gas reserves, future prospects, transportation, storage, refining, marketing, research, and environmental conservation.

The world as we have known it for the past century would have been very different without petroleum. Petroleum, particularly in the form of crude oil and its refined products, has been central to all aspects of modern industrial society and has been a major strategic geopolitical objective for nations. The 20th century was the age of oil, and at least part of the 21st century will be as well. Petroleum is used as an energy source and as a raw material for the production of an immense variety of chemicals and synthetic materials. Almost all the world's food relies on petroleum for fertilizer, pesticides, cultivation, or transport. Petroleum has been particularly dominant as a source of transportation fuels, an application for which cost-effective substitutes will be especially difficult to find. The A to Z of the Petroleum Industry presents a concise but complete one-volume reference on the history of the petroleum industry from pre-modern times to the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on companies, people, places, events, technologies, and phenomena related to the history of the world's petroleum industry. Anyone interested in the history, status, and outlook for the petroleum industry will find this book a uniquely valuable source.

This extensively updated second edition of the already valuable reference targets research chemists and engineers who have chosen a career in the complex and essential petroleum industry, as well as other professionals just entering the industry who seek a comprehensive and accessible resource on petroleum processing. The handbook describes and discusses the key components and processes that make up the petroleum refining industry. Beginning with the basics of crude oils and their nature, it continues with the commercial products derived from refining and with related issues concerning their environmental impact. More in depth coverage of many topics previously covered in the first edition, such as hydraulic fracturing or fracking as it is often termed, help ensure this reference remains a relevant and up-to- date resource. At its core is a complete overview of the processes that make up a modern refinery, plus a brief history of the development of processes. Also described in detail are design techniques, operations and in the case of catalytic units, the chemistry of the reaction routes. These discussions are supported by calculation procedures and examples, which enable readers to use today’s simulation-software packages. The handbook also covers off-sites and utilities, as well as environmental and safety aspects relevant to the industry. The chapter on refinery planning covers both operational planning and the decision making procedures for new or revamped processes. Major equipment used in the industry is reviewed along with details and examples of the process specifications for each. An extensive glossary and dictionary of the terms and expressions used in petroleum refining, plus appendices supplying data such as converging factors and selected crude oil assays, as well as an example of optimizing a refinery configuration using linear programming are all included to aid the reader. The 2nd edition of the Handbook of Petroleum Processing is an indispensable desk reference for chemists and engineers as well as an essential part of the libraries of universities with a chemical engineering faculty and oil refineries and engineering firms performing support functions or construction.