A Canadian facility known for its substantial daily crude oil processing capacity of 75,000 barrels, produces a wide array of products ranging from Low Sulphur Gasoline and various distillates to Diesel, Furnace Oils, Jet Fuel, Heavy Oils, LPG, Propane, Butane, and specialized chemicals like Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene.
Their journey toward operational excellence took a significant turn in early 2019 with plans to rejuvenate the FT-NIR Blending project. Challenges including the facility’s potential sale and the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic initially stalled progress. However, by November 2022, momentum was renewed with a firm belief in the transformative potential of the ABB FT-NIR system for the facility’s operational efficiency and profitability. This confidence was further bolstered by successful implementations at a sister site and another facility in close proximity.
The introduction of the ABB FT-NIR system marked a transformative step for the facility. This cutting-edge technology, renowned for its exceptional accuracy (<0.01 RON) and precision (<0.25 RON between lab and on-line analyzer), has overcome the limitations of traditional on-line detonation engine methods, which were not only slower, taking 10-15 minutes for results, but also required ongoing maintenance. The ABB FT-NIR system, with its fast cycle time of less than a minute, expertly analyzes essential gasoline metrics – such as octane numbers, aromatics, olefins, benzene, saturates, RVP and distillation profiles – enabling efficient and reliable market distribution.