Refineries

Refineries are industrial facilities that convert raw materials into usable products. The term most often refers to oil refineries, which transform crude petroleum into fuels, lubricants, and chemical feedstocks. Other industries operate refineries to purify or upgrade metals, sugars, or other materials. Refining generally combines separation, chemical conversion, and blending to meet specifications.

Oil refineries deploy processing units arranged in a network. Distillation separates crude into fractions by boiling point. Heavier fractions are upgraded by cracking, reforming, hydrocracking, and hydrotreating to produce lighter products and remove impurities such as sulfur. Alkylation, isomerization, and other upgrading steps improve product quality. Supporting units provide hydrogen, heat integration, sulfur recovery, storage, and wastewater treatment.

Typical outputs include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, lubricants, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks. Product slate and refinery complexity determine flexibility and economics, affecting responses to crude quality, market demand, and regulatory requirements.

Environmental and safety considerations are central. Refineries are energy-intensive and emit greenhouse gases, sulfur oxides, and particulates. They use emissions controls, wastewater treatment, and safety systems under regulatory oversight. Trends include energy efficiency, cleaner fuels, sulfur reductions, and greater integration with petrochemical operations.

Global refineries range from small standalone plants to large integrated complexes connected to pipelines, storage, and petrochemical facilities. They occupy a critical role in energy supply, industrial chemistry, and regional economic activity.