Petroleum Refinery Production Planning and Scheduling | 6th – 10th October 2025

Course Overview

This comprehensive 5-day course explores the intricate processes of production planning and scheduling in petroleum refineries. It covers key aspects such as refinery complexity, crude oil selection, yield optimisation, blending techniques, and refinery flow-sheets. Through practical exercises, participants will learn to utilise modern tools like Excel and linear programming to enhance efficiency, optimise product yields, and meet market demands while addressing environmental and economic constraints.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the complexities of planning and scheduling in refinery operations.
2. Evaluate crude oil characteristics and optimise crude selection to maximise efficiency.
3. Implement effective product blending and yield optimisation techniques.
4. Analyse refinery flow-sheets and material balances for effective inventory and quality control.
5. Develop planning and scheduling strategies incorporating linear programming and supply chain management principles.

Target Audience

• Refinery planners and schedulers.
• Operations and production managers.
• Process engineers involved in refining operations.
• Supply chain and logistics professionals in the petroleum sector.
• Technical staff seeking to enhance their skills in refinery planning and scheduling

Daily Agenda

Day One: Application of Planning and Scheduling

• Overview of planning and scheduling in oil refineries.
• Refinery complexity and configuration.
• Integrated refineries and crude oil selection.
• Scheduling crude oil and optimising capacity utilisation.
• Operational efficiency in crude processing.
• Workshop: Cut-point optimisation.

Day Two: Improving Product Movements and Releasing Tankages

• Crude assay and intermediate feed characteristics.
• Yield and property analysis for different process units.
• Optimising storage tank utilisation and product movements.
• Custody transfer and measurement techniques.
• Class Exercise: Yield optimisation using Excel.

Day Three: Product Blending Rules

• Key product specifications and blending rules.
• Emerging trends in fuel production and environmental considerations.
• Crude oil pricing regimes and product netback calculations.
• Class Workshop: Product blending exercises.

Day Four: Refinery Flow Sheets

• Refinery flow-sheets and simplified material balance analysis.
• Product inventory and quality control.
• Managing capacity constraints and feedstock availability.
• Case Study: Gasoline blending and its operational impacts.

Day Five: Refinery Planning and Scheduling

• Petroleum product movement and exchange strategies.
• Marginal depot supply and product movements.
• Crude selection strategies to enhance refinery output.
• Fundamentals of supply chain management and linear programming in refining.
• Planning and scheduling strategies for refinery operations.
• Discussion and Summary.

Why Choose this Course?

This training provides a balanced mix of theoretical insights and practical applications. Participants will gain a deep understanding of refinery operations, equipping them with tools to manage complexities in production planning and scheduling effectively. The course leverages real-world examples, case studies, and hands-on exercises to prepare participants for operational challenges.

Learning Outcome

Upon completing this course, participants will:

1. Develop comprehensive plans and schedules for refining operations.
2. Optimise crude oil selection and product blending strategies.
3. Apply linear programming techniques to enhance refinery efficiency.
4. Monitor and control product inventory and quality effectively.
5. Navigate challenges in refining supply chain management with improved decision-making skills.