A mathematical model of refinery operations characterised by complete horizontal integration of subsystems from purchase to product distribution

Abstract

Refinery economics are extremely complex and involve massive amounts of operational data and decision-making processes; therefore, most refinery planners model and solve each sub-problem sequentially and independently. Obviously, this does not guarantee the globally optimal operation of the refinery because several features in a single and integrated model are not considered. Each sub-problem of integrated refinery planning (IRP) has been modelled, solved and well-published in the literature. Currently, research efforts are directed towards integrating the sub-problems and solving the resulting problem. In this article, the IRP problem is introduced and the solution methods with results are then outlined.