Have you ever wondered how you get from a barrel of crude oil to the gasoline that runs your vehicle’s engine or to the power that generates the electricity to your homes?
Well, the process that takes crude oil to electricity or gasoline is called refining. The refining process consists of three steps: separation, conversion, and treatment.
In the first stage, the crude is heated and vaporised to be fed into a distillation column. Lighter products like gasoline and naphtha rise to the top of the column while heavier products like asphalt and residual fuel oil settle at the bottom.
Conversion is the next process, where heavier fractions are processed further to break down those long hydrogen molecules into smaller, more useful ones. At this stage, high-octane gasoline, also referred to as premium gas is produced.
At the treatment stage, products are blended and treated to meet specific quality standards and pipeline specifications. Impurities such as sulphur, water, and salt are removed. Finally, the refined products are stored and prepared for distribution.
Trinidad and Tobago has its own unique crude oils, namely Molo and Sweet Galeota. The Galeota is a relatively low-sulphur product, which is the characteristic that leads to the sweet reference. This means it is easier and cheaper to refine into gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.