Oil and Petrochemical Refineries

Oil and petrochemical refineries are highly complex environments that require the use of numerous gases and chemicals to carry out various processes safely and efficiently. Nitrogen is one such gas that finds wide application in these facilities. Here are some of the ways in which nitrogen is used in oil and petrochemical refineries:

• Tank blanketing: Nitrogen is used to create an inert atmosphere inside storage tanks to prevent the formation of combustible mixtures. This is important for maintaining safe conditions during tank filling, liquid transfer, and storage.
• Pipeline purging: Before introducing a new product into a pipeline, it is necessary to ensure that the pipeline is free of any residual product or contaminants that could cause contamination or an unsafe reaction. Nitrogen is used for pipeline purging to remove air, moisture, and other impurities.
• Sparging: Refineries often use nitrogen for sparging operations, where nitrogen is introduced into liquids to displace oxygen and other gases. This helps to minimize the risk of oxidation and maintain product quality.
• Process cooling: Nitrogen is used as a coolant in a variety of refinery processes, such as cryogenic condensation and liquefaction, and cooling reactors and vessels.

NOVAIR’s in-house modular nitrogen generators are a reliable and cost-effective solution for producing nitrogen gas in-house in oil and petrochemical refineries. With their advanced technology and flexibility, these generators offer a constant supply of nitrogen gas at the required purity and flow rate, thus ensuring the safety and efficiency of refinery operations.