Variations in crude quality and composition can affect the side-stream cut point, product quality control, feed rate maximization, and energy consumption, while also violating process equipment constraints. In addition, to achieve optimal operation and profitability, compositional information must be available more frequently than the traditional offline analytical laboratory can provide. For example, a typical NMR analysis requires only 2 minutes per stream, which can be done continuously.
Process NMR bridges this measurement gap and brings laboratory information online. It enables the analysis of a wide range of physical and chemical properties, including dark and opaque liquid streams such as crude or AGO. The non-invasive procedure ensures a simple sampling design. Values for multiple control parameters are readily available from a single measurement. High spectral resolution and linear response yield robust models that allow immediate adjustment of production variables, generating significant increases in output and profitability.
Since NMR technology can also monitor the product streams as well as the crude feed streams, the cost benefits are substantial. A single device can examine multiple streams and replaces complex traditional laboratory analyzers. Optimization and APC software that uses NMR real time compositional data is capable of increasing overall performance, achieving the following benchmark improvements:
