Carbon dioxide (CO2) estimation from Kuwait's petroleum refineries

Abstract

a b s t r a c t A detailed study of carbon dioxide (CO2) sources from petroleum refineries in Kuwait was conducted. The aim was to estimate the amount of CO2 being emitted and determine the influencing factors on physical and chemical process in refineries. Three refineries were considered in this work, processing around 900 Mbpd of crude oil. Process heaters stacks constituted 62–75% of the CO2 emissions, ranking at the top of the sources. Hydrogen production (HP) units via steam-methane reforming ranked seconded in the final assessment, ranging from 12% to 25% in the studied refineries. The configuration of the refinery was determined to be a critical factor in such work. The properties of the processed oil, in terms of density, sulfur content and API were essential in comparing results obtained in this work to other refineries specific rates. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) presents itself as a viable solution for the reduction of the carbon footprint of Kuwait downstream sector, especially when considering the purity of the HP units product gas. The work presented in this paper can be considered as the cornerstone of future carbon mitigation plans in the country.