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Familiarize yourself with the oil refining companies

Find out how US oil refining companies integrate their people and best practices, their processes and systems to build the businesses and become successful at what they do.

I recommend: Learn how Marathon Oil Corporation’s refining is operated by Marathon Petroleum Company, the fifth largest petroleum refiner in the United States and the largest in the Midwest. They have a seven-plant refining network that handles 1,016,000 barrels per day crude oil refining capacity. Their network stretches across 21 states. See how Valero Refineries create premium, environmentally clean products. Their refineries stretch from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast and West Coast to the Caribbean.

Find out what products are offered by oil refinery companies

Check out the variety of end products put out by oil and gas refineries.

I recommend: Look at doing business with companies like U.S Oil & Refining, who can offer you products such as asphalt, diesel, gas, jet-A or stove oil. Kern Oil & Refining offers aliphatic solvents, diesel fuel and gasoline, aviation turbine fuel as well as fuel oil.

Discover even more from oil refining companies

Find out even more from gas refining businesses. See what the latest fuels are being offered and find out more about the refining process.

I recommend: Western Refining has four refineries that produce fuel for diesel, gasoline, military and commercial jet fuel, propane as well as asphalt. Shell Refining Company produces Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), gasoline, jet fuel (Avtur) gasoil (diesel) and sulphur. Their site offers a comprehensive description of the many processes used to make these processes as well as an animation of their refining process.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Larger oil refinery companies may require bigger contracts, but there are over 100 oil and gas refinery companies in the U.S. Find the right size company to fit your need, and don't be afraid to put your request to bid between 2-4 companies if you are in a densely populated crude oil refinery area.

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Look at builders of oil and gas refining plants

These companies represent the front line of oil and gas refineries. After all, they are the ones that design and build the oil and gas refining plants for the oil refinery company. Oil and gas refineries rely on these builders to make sure the plants comply with governmental laws and meet environmental protection agency standards. In addition, builders of gas refining plants must perform routine maintenance and emergency repairs.

I recommend: Shamrock Gulf specializes in building plants for oil refinery companies, in addition to providing regular maintenance and emergency repairs; it also provides tank and vessel services. You’ll also want to check into Strongwell Corp. This company constructs plants for oil and refinery companies located offshore. One type of material that Strongwell uses is fiberglass; fiberglass combats salt water and salt air.

Check into oil refining companies that specialize in crude oil refinery processes

Look for companies that use processes such as catalytic cracking or delayed coking. These processes take crude oil that's somewhat heavy and develop transportation products, invest insuch as gasoline, propane, and diesel fuels. You'll also want to watch the companies that can perform other processes, including producting jet fuel and gas to liquids.

I recommend: CVR Energy specializes in catalytic cracking as well as delayed coking; it has been in business for more than 100 years. CVR Energy is an independent petroleum company that provides high quality transportation fuels. Intertek Group, a global company, provides various petroleum refinery processes, such as crude oil desalting and high efficiency batch fractionation.

Look into the oil refinery companies that refine natural gas and gasoline

There's no doubt, both gas refining and natural gas refining are highly specialized processes. It's best to stick with companies that have been involved in the gas refining business for a long time. Visit the company's website, and become familiar with its history as well as its management.

I recommend: A proven leader in petroleum refining, UOP has been in business for more than 90 years. UOP, a Honeywell company, develops new technologies, such as ISAL and InAlk. General Electric is also heavily involved in oil and gas refining. As one of the leading equipment suppliers to global oil refining companies, General Electric offers various services, such as gas turbine packages for power generation.

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Learn oil and gas refining basics from the US government

Uncle Sam keeps an amazing portal of millions of web pages of information, including resources on oil and gas refining. You can learn more about how it is done, and how the US production affects the global economy.

I recommend: Look at the rankings of top U.S. oil refineries through the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Discover the process of refining. Learn from the EIA also how gasoline is created, and how the U.S. plays a part in the global market. The EIA also has a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and educators for children as well.

Look at both sides to the coin when it comes to oil and gas refineries

Industry and public opinion can vary greatly when it comes to oil and gas refineries. Look at both sides of the issue when it comes to working professionally with people in the oil and gas refining industry.

I recommend: Refining Online is a service of Astron International and is a web portal for the petroleum refining industry. There you can find information including market prices, services, events, directories and more. Public Citizen, on the other hand, is a public organization that does not take private funds to host it's website. It discusses a number of US issues including oil refining in this country.

Keep up with the latest oil and gas refining news

Stay up to date with the latest oil and gas refining news and information with industry trackers.

I recommend: Keep up on the latest oil and gas refinery news from Oil.com. Take advantage of the latest information from the ThomasNet Industrial Newsroom.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may wonder if and when you may ever come into contact with anyone in the oil and gas refining industry, but the possibility is there. As natural resources are used up, more digging must take place, or there is always the potential that an oil or gas line may be ran through your personal or business property. Your business might be approached to do business with a refinery, or people in the industry may be in your social circle. Keep abreast of the topic and the latest information to stay informed and knowledgeable.

Guide to Oil and Gas Refining Key Terms

Understanding stages and results of the oil and gas refining process

By Michelle Cramer

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Refining

Refining is the term used to explain the process of creating different grades of oil for consumer and industry uses, such as gasoline, from crude oil.

I recommend: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides a detailed explanation of the oil refining process.

Fractional distillation

Fractional distillation, also known as separation, is the process of separating the many different compounds in crude oil to obtain a specific result, called a fraction. The chemical components of oil have various boiling points. The distillation process turns the oil into gas and, as the gas rises in the still, each component cools separately, turning into a liquid and new form of oil.

I recommend: Elmhurst College provides a detailed breakdown of fractional distillation.

Conversion

Conversion is the next step in the refining process in which a refinery alters the chemical makeup of fractions that result from the distillation process. Cracking, where heat causes heavy hydrogen molecules within the oil fractions to crack into lighter molecules, is the most common conversion method.

I recommend: Read about other conversion processes from the San Joaquin Geological Society.

Treatment

Refineries must treat the various oil fractions after the conversion process in order to meet government standards and consumer specifications. Technicians add more than 200 dyes and additives in order to obtain specification and distinguish fuel grade levels.

I recommend: Learn more about the treatment of oil fractions from Consumer Energy Report's information on the refinery process.

Light sweet crude oil

Light, sweet crude oil is oil that has a sulfur content of less than 0.5%, acknowledged as sweet. Also, the percentage of wax is very low known as light, resulting in less thickness or stickiness.

I recommend: Obtain more information on light, sweet crude oil from Wisegeek.

Heavy sour crude oil

Heavy, sour crude oil is the opposite of light and sweet. It is heavy due to the large percentage of wax content, making it thick and viscous. The term sour means that the sulfur content higher than 0.5%.

I recommend: Read more about heavy, sour crude oil from Commodity Trading Today. For more oil and gas refining key terms, visit Alken-Murray's fuel glossary.