Quote by Ernest Bevin at the British Parliament during a heated discussion concerning the Middle East. Distillation Oil contains a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. Then the oil is heated and sent into a huge distillation column operating at atmospheric pressure . Heat is added at the reboiler, and removed at the condenser, thereby separating the oil into fractions based upon boiling point . Whereas atmospheric columns are thin at tall, vacuum columns are thick and short , to minimize pressure fluctuations along the column.
Various fractions are more important at different times of year .
During the summer driving months , the public consumes vast amounts of gasoline , whereas during the winter more fuel oil is consumed. These demands also vary depending upon whether you live in the frigid north , or the humid south . Modern refineries are able to alter the ratios of the different fractions to meet demand , and maximize profit. The Five Pillars of Refining While distillation can separate oil into fractions, chemical reactors are required to create more of the products that are in high demand . Refineries rely on four major processing steps to alter the ratios of the different fractions.