For gasoline focused refineries the Catalytic Reformer unit plays a critical role in meeting gasoline pool octane requirements.  Down time or poor reformer performance will result in substantial revenue losses.

We understand that such critical services require quality, reliable products based on years of operational experience to deliver the performance required.

Catalytic reforming process

Catalytic reforming is a process to reform hydrotreated naphtha feed into high octane gasoline to meet today’s requirement for high efficiency, high compression engines.

Reforming is the result of several simultaneous reactions.  The most important products are aromatics which can be used as high-octane blending components or petrochemicals.

Naphtha feed is mixed with hydrogen and heated before entering the reactor section. The reactor effluent is cooled and sent to a low-pressure flash drum to separate the hydrogen-rich gas for reuse in the process.

The separator bottoms product still contains a significant fraction of light gases and lighter hydrocarbons, so the liquid is sent to a fractionator called a stabilizer (or debutanizer).  The stabilizer bottoms stream is reformate product.  The overhead butanes and lighter fractions are sent to the saturated gas plant.

With an extraction step (either advance GT-BTX Extractive Distillation or old liquid-liquid extraction), the reformate can also be a source of bulk aromatic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylenes used in the manufacture of plastics.

Fully compliant API 610 reformer feed and reflux pumps designed for 3 years uninterrupted operation deliver long term reliable performance for such key processing units.