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Course Level
Introduction
Delivery Method
Live Instructor-Led Virtual Course
Professional Development Credit Hours
17.5
Pre-requisites
There is no pre-requisite for this course.

"The course was informative and very interactive. I enjoyed the group activities the most. The features of AdobeConnect for our learning and breakout session was very good." Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam

Faculty

Mary Jackson has over twenty-five years' experience in the energy industry. After university she began her career at BP, working in the information management group, before joining the Manufacturing, Supply and Trading department. She subsequently worked at Saladin as a consultant, working closely with clients throughout the world and providing consultancy advice on energy market analysis, trading and risk management. In several senior roles at Saladin, she managed the energy consulting team, ran the energy market information service and directed strategy for new software and information product development.

Since 2000, Mary has worked as an independent energy market consultant and she formed Kingston Energy Consulting with Nigel Harris in 2002. Kingston Energy provides consultancy services to companies involved in energy markets and trading. A key area of work has been the European natural gas market - Kingston Energy has researched and authored a well-respected report on European natural gas trading which has been published annually since 2004.

Mary has lectured regularly for Mennta Energy Solutions on energy markets, trading and risk management and is also a regular speaker and panel member at public conferences. She has written articles for industry publications including Harts Energy Markets, Energy Risk, Global Energy Business and Petroleum Review.

Accreditations

NASBA: Mennta Energy Solutions is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org


CPD Certification Services: The CPD Certification Service works with Mennta Energy Solutions to ensure valuable knowledge is structured to complement the universal guidelines of Continuing Professional Development. Mennta Energy Solutions courses are approved by CPD at one credit per training hour.

The Business of Petroleum Refining: Processes, Blending & Economics (VIRTUAL) - BPRV

Course Schedule

Date Time Location Price* Registration Deadline**
10-14 May 2027
Register 		8am - 11.30am (London) / 3pm - 6.30pm (Singapore)
 Zoom: Europe to Asia-Pacific
 USD 2,915 (BPRV-VILTAP27-05)
 2 Apr 2026
9-13 Aug 2027
Register 		10am - 1.30pm (New York) / 3pm - 6.30pm (London)
 Zoom: Americas to Europe
 USD 2,915 (BPRV-VILTNA27-08)
 2 Jul 2027

*Prices do not include VAT, GST, or any other local taxes. All applicable taxes will be added to the invoice.
**Please register by the deadline to help us ensure sufficient attendance and avoid postponing the course.

Course Summary

This comprehensive course provides a practical introduction to the petroleum refining industry, explaining how crude oil is transformed into petroleum products, and how refiners make decisions that influence profitability.

Participants will explore the key quality characteristics of crude oil, the major refinery processes, blending and quality of finished products, and refinery economics. They will learn how different refinery units work, how product quality and specifications influence blending, and how refineries plan and optimize their operations.  The course also examines crude oil selection, product valuation and refinery configuration. Participants will gain insight into how refiners maximize value from their feedstocks, manage market exposure, and respond to changing product demand, trade flows and environmental regulations.

Practical exercises, including the development of a refinery flowchart, gasoline blending optimization, and netback analysis, reinforce key concepts and demonstrate how refining decisions affect product yields, quality and overall refinery economics.

By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of how refineries operate, and what drives profitability across the refining value chain.

Who Should Attend?

Class delegates include anyone who needs to understand the fundamentals of oil refining, for example those who are new to refining, as well as non-technical staff who wish to learn more about oil refining, including support staff, analysts and management in the areas of supply, operations, trading, marketing, risk management, finance, contracts, and IT.

Course Content

  • Introduction to petroleum refining
  • Fundamentals of crude oil quality
    • Hydrocarbon chemistry
    • Major contaminants
    • Key quality parameters including API gravity, sulfur content, pour point, viscosity, total acid number (TAN), and metals content
  • The major stages of refining: separation, conversion, treatment
  • Key refining processes including:
    • Atmospheric and vacuum distillation
    • Catalytic cracking
    • Hydrocracking
    • Thermal cracking: visbreaking and coking
    • Catalytic reforming
    • Gas plants
    • Isomerization
    • Alkylation
    • Solvent deasphalting
    • Hydrotreating
  • Blending
    • Blending issues, including stability, minimizing giveaway, specification margins
    • Linear and non-linear properties
    • Blending calculation methods, including the use of blending indices and numbers
    • Blending optimization and value
  • Product quality and specifications
    • Fuel quality requirements
    • Key quality test methods for petroleum products
    • For major liquid fuels (motor gasoline, jet fuel/kerosene, diesel/gasoil and residual fuel oil):
      • Qualities of blendstocks from different refinery units and how they blend together
      • Key specifications 
      • Blending considerations and issues, including the use of additives and biofuels
  • Planning and optimization
    • Refinery planning cycle
    • Use of linear programming models
  • Refinery economics
    • Maximizing value
      • Crude oil selection: crude quality, purchase options, pricing considerations and other costs
      • Product output and determinants of product value
      • Refining costs
  • Refinery configuration and flexibility
    • Configuration, capacity and complexity and its impact on feedstocks, product yield configuration and margins
    • Process flexibility
  • Managing risk
    • Sources of risk for refiners
    • Managing risk and hedging strategies
  • Refining outlook
    • Refinery trends, including the impact of environmental regulations
    • Changes in consumption and trade flows of petroleum products


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