The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-07-21
REFINERY MAN TELLS HOW CRUDE
OIL IS MADE INTO GASOLINE AND
HE DEMONSTR ATEs WITH A TINY

Principles of bringing crude petro-
leum to the surface CT the ground diff
fer so slightly that the process of pro-
6ucing oil is generally understood.
Despite the fact that 1t is as simpl e
as boiling water over kitchen range
a certain amount of mystery is attach
ed to- the refining process IN the mind
Of the layman Descriptions Of refin-
ing processes are generally so heiged
about by technical terms. the process
of refining is this:
When the crude petroleum comes
from the wells it is run into t elnpc-
rary storage tanks, the larger Cnes
holding $1,000 barrels or more A con-
siderable number of these tanks group
ed closely together, is called tank
farm
From these storage tanks the oil is
pumped through pipe lines to the re-
fneries. usually nearby. but sometimes
hundreds, and in some instances
thousands of miles away from where
1t Is produced, for these refineries are
generally located at some deep-Water
port CIR other point having superior
transportation facilities. This is done
for the purpose of securing as large
ar area of commercial life as posi-
BILE.
When the crude petroleum reaches
the refinery 1t undergoes many pre-
cesses, the chief one being what is
called basical refining, where some
thing more pleasing to the eye and far
more valuable is made from some dirty
looking material. But before anything
lie done. the Gil Is allowed to "rest" or
settle in storage tanks SO as to scpa-
rate all water ad earthly matter from
these to sink to the bottom of the
tank. Then the oil is pumped into
what are commonly called stills or
Gistillatfon apparatus. These stills us
ually have a capacity of from 100 bar
rels to 1900 barrels. They resemble
huge boilers. which indeed they are,
except instead of boiling water and
producing steam they boil oil and pro-
duce vapors. These vapcrs escape
through the tops Of the stills into a
large pipe line which leads to the con-
denser.
Now. everybody knows tina water Is
composed CT two atoms Of hydrogen
and one atom Of oxygen: that at 212
degrees Fahrenheit water bills and be-
gins to change its form and becomes
steam. and that when 1t comes in con-
tact with a lower temperature than
212 degrees 1t again changes its fern
and becomes water. With crude Pc
troleum 1t il different. for 1t 10 COM
posed Of q number of chemical com.
pounds, each affected by heat in diff
ferent way and each having Its own
particular boiling point. 1t 10 ewing
to these various boiling points that
the different petroleum products are
separated from the crude petroleum.
This 10 the governing principle Of
crude petroleum distillation by which
the constituent parts Of the oil are
separated one from the other.
AZ already stated. the vapor 10 pass
ed through the large pipe at the top Of
the still and 1t then goes to the cen.
densor, which 10 large. square box
FILED with small pipes through which
cold water II constantly flowing which
causes the vapor to condense. After
being condensed It flows into another
pipe leading into the manifold" or re-
ceiving house. This manifold may DO
compared to . railway freight yard
having many tracks and switches.