Oil, Gas and PetrochemicalsRefinery Planning, Crude Selection and Yield Optimisation
Buying the wrong crude cargo can cost a refinery more in a month than a unit outage, yet the choice is still often made on headline price. This programme is about the planning economics behind that choice. It begins with crude assays and how to value a crude from its yield pattern, sulphur, acidity and metals. Linear programming models are then built and interrogated: unit submodels, pooling, blending constraints and shadow prices. Planners use them to calculate breakeven values against a marker crude, test unit capacity limits, plan around turnarounds and compare product slates against market crack spreads. The monthly cycle from crude purchase through to backcasting closes the course. Planners and traders leave able to run a refinery LP, challenge its answers and turn them into a feasible operating plan.
Course objectives
- Interpret crude assay data for yields, quality and processing constraints
- Explain the structure of a refinery linear programming model
- Use shadow prices and marginal values to guide decisions
- Calculate crude breakeven values against a reference crude
- Evaluate the effect of unit capacity limits on margin
- Plan production around turnarounds and seasonal product demand
- Compare actual results with plan through backcasting
- Translate model output into an executable monthly operating plan
Who should attend
- Refinery planners and schedulers
- Crude traders and supply analysts
- Economists and commercial staff in refining
- Process engineers supporting planning models
- Refinery managers who approve monthly plans
Course outline
- 01Refining margins and crack spreads
- 02Crude assays and valuation
- 03Linear programming fundamentals
- 04Building unit and blending submodels
- 05Crude selection and breakeven analysis
- 06Capacity constraints and debottlenecking
- 07Turnaround and seasonal planning
- 08Backcasting and plan versus actual
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 November to 4 December 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 22 to 26 February 2027 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 22 to 26 March 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate |
Refinery Planning, Crude Selection and Yield Optimisation
From R8,500