simulation of the blends of different types of Sudanese heavy crudeoil

ABSTRACT: A detailed simulation of an atmospheric distillation column was performed using Aspen HysysV.10 software. The model was based on data from the actual plant located in El Obeid refinery in North ofKordofan. Crude oils were described using True Boiling Point (TBP) assays and a Peng-Robinson package wasused to predict thermodynamic properties. Three different types of crude oils (Nile Blend, Rawat, Thargath),and 7 blends with different proportions were selected from the previous crudes oil. The simulation results agreewell with those of the industrial plant in the case of the Nile blend and the validity of the model is confirmed.The conversion ratio to high-value light products in the Atmospheric distillation tower of the Nile Blend was31%vol, Rawat was 39.7%vol, Thargath was 24.22%vol, Mix 1 was 30.51%vol, Mix 2 was 26.62%vol, Mix 3was 31.23%vol, Mix 4 was 28.96%vol, Mix 5 was 30.47%vol, Mix 6 was 27.97%vol and Mix 7 was27.81%vol. The simulation results show that the blend (66.7%Nile Blend+13.3%Rawat+20%Thargath) willincrease product of Off-Gas and Kerosene more than pure Nile Blend, and the blend (60%NileBlend+20%Rawat+20%Thargath) will increase product of Off-Gas and Light Naphtha more than pure NileBlend, and The conversion ratio to high-value light products in the Atmospheric distillation tower wasconverged to Nile Blend in most blends.

Keyword: Heavy crude oil, Simulation, Aspen Hysys, Atmospheric distillation, El Obeid refinery.