Installation of Kerosene Hydro Treater (KHT) integrated with existing DHT Unit (Capacity: 1.5 MMPTA) at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai Refinery, Maharashtra.
ꞏ KHT REACTOR: Installation of new internals & loading of catalyst by dense loading method in normal atmosphere for Kero Hydro-Treater (KHT) Reactor at BPCL, Mumbai Refinery.
ꞏ DHT REACTOR: Unloading of existing catalyst in inert atmosphere & loading of new catalyst by dense loading method in normal atmosphere for Diesel Hydro-Treater Reactor Deisel Hydro-Treater (DHT) Reactor at BPCL, Mumbai Refinery.
ꞏ DHT REACTOR: Unloading of existing catalyst in inert atmosphere & loading of new catalyst by dense loading method in normal atmosphere for Diesel Hydro-Treater Reactor Deisel Hydro-Treater (DHT) Reactor at BPCL, Mumbai Refinery.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a India’s ‘best performing’ Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking, and its journey from being an Oil and Gas Company in India to a Fortune 500 oil refining, exploration and marketing conglomerate.
Installation of Kerosene Hydro Treater (KHT) integrated with existing DHT Unit (Capacity: 1.5 MMPTA) at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai Refinery, Maharashtra.
Objectives & Benefits:
- Upgrades Kerosene:The primary goal is to upgrade raw kerosene distillate to produce superior quality kerosene.
- Produces High-Quality Fuel:It enables the production of better-quality, ultra-low sulphur aviation jet fuel (ATF).
- Environmentally Friendly:The ultra-low sulphur content in the products makes them more environmentally friendly.
- Meets Future Fuel Standards:It produces products with sulphur content as low as <10 ppm, which is essential for blending with HSD to meet future ultra-low sulphur fuel standards.
- Supports Other Products:It also produces mineral turpentine oil.
- Future-Ready:The unit is designed to upgrade middle distillates to meet future demands, including those for BS-VI HSD.
Challenge / Problem Statement:
- Unloading of Spent catalyst from the Diesel Hydro-Treater (DHT) Reactor in an inert atmosphere, presence of catalyst lumps, ensuring safety and controlled handling.
- Catalyst dense loading during monsoon season.
- Other challenges of High winds along with heavy rainfall.
- Stipulated time frame.
Our Approach / Solution:
To ensure safe and efficient catalyst loading during the monsoon season, we implemented the following measures:
- Unloading by gravity and vacuuming: Unloading of spent catalyst from Diesel Hydro-Treater (DHT) Reactor in inert atmosphere parallelly from two locations of each bed by the method of breaking the lumps of catalyst, high efficiency vacuuming & gravity.
- Proper Storage Arrangement: Catalyst bags/drums were segregated & stored near the reactor in a temporary shed of corrugated sheet to minimize handling time and exposure to weather.
- Rain Protection: Catalyst loading was carried out using the dense loading method during the monsoon season. To mitigate weather risks: A monsoon shed was erected both at the top of the reactor and on the ground for temporary catalyst storage. A large umbrella structure was created using 3–4 tarpaulins to cover catalyst bags during lifting operations, protecting them from rainwater.
- Wind Safety Handling: Ropes were used to securely handle catalyst bags during erection, ensuring stability against sudden wind turbulence.
- Safety Compliance: All necessary safety measures were followed to enable safe working conditions during rain and strong winds.
Results / Outcome:
- Successfully Completed Catalyst loading using the dense loading method of
- DHT Reactor: Loaded 369 MT of catalyst within 4 days
- KHT Reactor: Loaded 215 MT of catalyst within 2 days
- Zero safety violations throughout the operation.
- Timely completion of the job as per schedule
Client Feedback:
- Appreciation Letter from client.
Photos / Diagrams:
No photo available as photography is not allowed in the refinery, but client have made drone shooting which is posted on U-Tube.
Conclusion
The successful execution of catalyst loading during the monsoon season demonstrates our team’s operational excellence, adaptability, and commitment to safety. Despite challenging weather conditions, we completed the dense loading of 369 MT in the DHT Reactor and 215 MT in the KHT Reactor within the scheduled time frame, without any safety violations.
This performance reflects our robust planning, skilled workforce, and ability to maintain high standards under adverse conditions — reinforcing our reliability in critical refinery operations.