Refining oil at Kwinana:

Above - The main distillation column on crude distillation unit 1 at the BP Oil Refinery, Kwinana.
Source: BP Oil Refinery, Kwinana

Google Earth - Kwinana Refinery

Once extracted, crude oil must be refined into usable products, a process known as “oil refining”. There is only one oil refinery in Western Australia: the BP refinery in Kwinana. It pumps out most of the fuels used for Western Australian cars, trucks, farm machinery and aircraft that refuel here, as well as ships. The rest of our petrol and diesel (less than a tenth) is imported.

At the Kwinana refinery, the different types of crude oils are blended and then refined into petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), bitumen and a few chemicals. This can take a month and may need ten stages. The main refinery processes involve distillation, separation, conversion, purification and blending or upgrading.

These are the main products of the BP Oil Refinery in Kwinana:

• LPG:
  Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is made up primarily of C3 and C4 hydrocarbons, which can be liquefied under relatively low pressure and at an ambient temperature. It can be used directly as a fuel in Western Australian vehicles with the appropriate fuel tank – the state’s commercial taxi fleet mainly uses LPG, as it is economical for vehicles travelling long distances. LPG can also be used as a feedstock for making petrochemicals.
  
  
• Naptha:
  Naptha produced during the refining of crude oil can be converted into petrol for Western Australia. It is also a major feedstock for the state’s petrochemical industry.
  
  
• Petrol:
  Petrol is available at Western Australian service stations in a number of forms: regular unleaded, premium unleaded and BP Ultimate. More than 60 per cent of fuel sold in Australia is unleaded. Leaded petrol is no longer made or sold in Australia.
  
  
• Kerosene:
  This can be used to produce aviation fuel (jet fuel) and kerosene is also used for lighting in Western Australia. Aviation fuel requires rigorous testing to ensure it meets the exact specifications of the national airlines.
  
  
• Gas oil:
  There is a range of middle distillate products produced during the refining process. Gas oil is used as a light heating oil, similar to kerosene, and can be used as a blend component for Automotive Diesel Fuel (ADF). Diesel is used predominantly in buses, trucks and interstate trains in Australia.
  
  
• Fuel oil:
  Fuel oil is used as fuel for ships, in factories, and for heating in homes in Western Australia.
  
  
• Bitumen:
  Bitumen is used in road building in Western Australia. It is also used to produce roofing and waterproof materials for the state’s construction industry, as well as waterproofing dams, tunnels and reservoirs.

Above -The catalytic reformer at BP Oil Refinery, Kwinana.
Source: BP Oil Refinery, Kwinana.

For more information about the BP Kwinana Refinery, go to:
http://www.bp.com.au

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