Dangote Refinery Takes Delivery of Largest Crude Distillation

• Dangote Refinery Takes Delivery of Largest Crude Distillation

Dangote Refinery has received the world’s largest crude distillation equipment for crude oil processing.

The equipment manufactured by China’s Sinopec is the largest in terms of distilling capacity, 650,000 barrels per stream day.

It weighs “2,250 metric tonnes; length, 112.5 metres; width, 14.036 metres; and height, 13.752 metres. The above-mentioned weight does not include the weight of the internal trays which is about 536 MT,” the company’ statement stated.

According to Rajen Sachar, Head, Maritime and Ports Infrastructure of Dangote, “Crude oil enters the top of the column, where the inlet temperature is 165 degrees Centigrade gradually increasing to 357 degree Centigrade at the bottom of the column.

“During this passage, the crude and its vapours pass through a complex web of internal trays to increase the contact time and surface area within the column with the hot vapours travelling upwards through bubble caps, which allow the vapour to pass through the tray with the cooler liquid flowing down the column.

“When the vapour reaches the height within the column where its boiling point is equal to the temperature of the column at that height it condenses to form a liquid.

“The liquid then collects on various trays in the column at differing heights from where it is extracted out of the column.

“It is therefore critical to control the heat load of the column to optimise the crude crack.

“These separated fractions are mainly middle distillates namely, naphtha, jet fuel, kerosene, gasoline and gas oil.”

Sachar said when completed the refinery would produce Euro-V quality gasoline and diesel, as well as jet fuel and polypropylene.

It took Sinopec 14 months to construct the distillation equipment and another eight weeks to deliver it to Nigeria.