PRODUCTS OF THE REFINERY

Petrojam’s hydroskimming refinery was designed to operate with a high level of heat integration between process streams, and with high temperature streams providing heat to process at lower temperatures. Crude oil is processed through a single-stage atmospheric pipestill producing an overhead naphtha cut, kerosene and gas oil sidestream cuts and bottoms at 650 degrees F. All products are line blended into finished product tankage.
                                                                               

Liquefied Petroleum Gases 

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the generic name for commercial propane and commercial butane.  Petrojam supplies both grades to the domestic market. These are hydrocarbon products derived from the processing of crude oil. The process of light end fractionization splits the naphtha cut (from the crude oil) into propane and butane (LPG) for gasoline blending.

Commercial Propane predominantly consists of hydrocarbons containing three carbon atoms; however propane (C3H8) is the main component. Commercial Butane predominantly consists of hydrocarbons containing four carbon atoms mainly n- and iso – butanes (C4H10).  Both have the special property of becoming liquid at atmospheric temperature if moderately compressed, and reverting to gases when the pressure is sufficiently reduced. This liquid state is an advantage in transporting and storing these products. In the liquid state they are roughly 250 times as dense as they are when they are gases.  Butane is usually supplied to customers in cylinders.  Propane can be supplied in cylinders or in bulk for storage in tanks at the customers’ premises.

Individual LPG products have distinct uses.  For example, propane is widely used as a fuel in the commercial and industrial sectors, while Butane is mainly used as cooking gas for residential users.

Motor Gasoline

To produce motor gasoline the naphtha cut is de-ethanized, de-butanized and split with light and heavy virgin naphthas to produce motor gasoline. Petrojam has eliminated lead from its gasoline since 2000, and currently supplies two grades of unleaded gasoline: regular (87R) and premium (90R).

Motor gasoline is chiefly used to fuel automobiles and light trucks for road use.  Smaller quantities are used for off- highway driving, boats, recreational vehicles, and various farm and other equipment. 

Kerosene

Kerosene falls within the light distillate range of refinery output that includes some diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other light fuel oils. The kerosene sidestream is hydrofined and run down to tankage as dual purpose kero/turbo fuel.

Kerosene is used for in Jamaica mainly as a cooking fuel and in lamps.

Jet Fuel

The Jet Fuel sold at our airports is a kerosene-based fuel produced in the same way as Kerosene under stricter quality requirements for use in aircrafts. 

Automotive Diesel Oil

Auto Diesel Oil is produced by blending a part or all of the kerosene sidestream with the gas oil sidestream.   Diesel fuel is used to power diesel engines in buses, trucks, automobiles, and other machinery.  It is also used to fire industrial and electric utility boilers.

Heavy Fuel Oil

Heavy fuel oil otherwise called residual fuel oil is comprised mainly of atmospheric pipestill bottoms blended with heavy virgin naphtha and vacuum gas oil to produce the final heavy fuel oil product.

The primary market for this product is the electric utility companies who use residual fuel oil to generate electricity. Much of the capacity for electricity generation is oil-fired, so petroleum use by utilities is expected to increase along with electricity demand. Presently, this sector depends on petroleum for about 98% percent of its total energy requirements.

 Residual fuel oil is also used as bunker fuel (fuel for ships) and industrial boiler fuel.

Asphalt 

The vacuum pipestill produces two grades of penetration asphalt from the atmospheric pipestill bottoms. Petrojam manufactures two grades of Penetration asphalt – 60/70 and 85/100.  We also manufacture RS-1 and CRS-1 Emulsion asphalts which are byproducts of the penetration asphalt.

Asphalt is used in the construction of roads; on roofs as a sealant and to water proof surfaces.

SERVICES OF THE REFINERY

 
Laboratory Services

Petrojam's laboratory is organized to monitor product quality on a continuing basis. As required, the laboratory carries out analyses on a 24-hour basis for all process unit streams; blended products; product transfers by tank truck, boat, barge; crude and LPG imports.

Internationally recognized test methods (American Society for Testing and Materials, Institute of Petroleum, Standard Test Methods for wastewater analyses) are used for the testing of butane, propane, motor gasoline, kero-turbo fuel, diesel oils, residual fuel oil, asphalt, asphalt emulsions (CRS1 and RS1),  lubricating oils, ethanol, water and waste water.

The Lab is now undertaking the ISO 17025 accreditation programme. This is a programme for Testing and Calibration labs that is more advanced than the standard ISO 9000 Quality Assurance system.

Petrojam has the only fully equipped Petroleum laboratory on the island with specialized equipment for the following:

Octane Testing

These tests are carried out with two ASTM-CFR (American Society for Testing and Materials Cooperative Fuels Research) engines which rate motor gasoline to determine Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON) respectively. The Road Octane at the gas pump is the average of the RON and MON derived above.

Precision and repeatability of data are maintained at high levels by good maintenance and regular standardization of our engine. The engine is used to facilitate gasoline blending and the determination of the sensitivity to the octane enhancing additive that is used.

Chromatography

The lab is equipped with seven gas chromatographs which are used  for the analysis of liquefied petroleum gases, propane and butane process streams, Hydrogen in process streams, Benzene in Gasoline, MTBE in Gasoline, Olefins in LPG, Ethanol composition, and Simulated Distillation of product streams.

Elemental Analysis

Instrumentation used for analyses includes a Rotating Disc Electrode emission spectrophotometer for trace metal analyses in fuel oil, X-ray fluorescence analyzer for sulphur in fuel oil, Ultra Violet Spectrophotometer, and ppm level trace sulfur, nitrogen, and chloride analyzer.

Water Analyses

The laboratory is equipped to perform tests on wastewater and process water used in the plant.

Industrial Hygiene

The laboratory is equipped to perform monitoring studies of health hazards in the work environment. The instrumentation used consists of noise-level meters, hydrogen sulphide detectors, hydrocarbon measuring devices, oxygen analyzers and illumination meters.

For further information contact our Chief Chemist at gwi@petrojam.com.                     

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