There has been a trend in some parts of the world to feed distillate residues through to bitumen blowers, which produce bitumen for the manufacture of asphalt. This allows those refiners, not keen on handling heavy fuel products, to turn their residues into less environmentally sensitive products. The introduction of cokers into the refining process, particularly in the US, is evidence of this. Cokers are an extreme form of bitumen blower. In essence, the feed material is treated as harshly as possible to produce elemental carbon known as petroleum coke, which is used as fuel in blast furnaces to manufacture steel.
Oil refining is one of the most efficient processes ever developed.
The next Fuel Facts will deal with the problems comsumers often have with the bunker fuels that are delivered to them.