Petro-SIM

Optimizing operational processes

Petro-SIM® process simulator is a proven software underpinned by a solid engineering framework combined with digital platforms, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Our technologies enable the process industries to make fast optimal decisions that result in meeting product specifications, maximizing yields and margins, while reducing energy usage and emissions. The Petro-SIM simulation models also enable the determination of optimal decarbonization strategies.

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Gulf Energy Excellence Awards for Best Modeling Technology
Hydrocarbon Processing Best Digital Twin Technology 2022
Industrial technology concept
Petroleum oil refinery complex panorama business concept

Process Simulation for Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemicals

Petro-SIM process simulator models individual units and integrates them into the supply chain-wide simulation from well-head to feedstocks to refining and petrochemical end products. This capability is due to both the software's fluid characterization and the open platform, which enables integration and collaboration such as native data historians and database connection.

Additionally, Petro-SIM goes hand-in-hand with robust business processes that support operational excellence and is the core of our award-winning process digital twin.

Learn more in our webinar Achieving Performance Improvement with a Process Digital Twin.

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Why Petro-SIM for Process Simulation

Value Chain Improved Decision Making

Technical teams require accurate process models in value chain decision-making activities to improve plant profitability. With Petro-SIM they can very easily monitor online the accuracy of the units’ simulation model and LP model predictions compared to the plant operation. The Petro-SIM digital twin enables the early detection of issues in the plant and provides confidence in decision-making across the value chain while aiming toward net zero carbon emissions.

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Digital Twin A Single Source of Truth

Different business teams in different physical locations need to work together with the common objective of maximizing facilities profit margins. Petro-SIM centralizes and validates plant data enabling automated reporting of unit key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets. Using real-time connected technology with advanced analytics, it delivers a single version of the truth across the value chain. This brings unique alignment between business teams.

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Integrated Energy and Carbon Management

Business managers are pressured to reduce their carbon footprint and keep their facilities profitable. A Petro-SIM process and utilities integrated model facilitates energy transition, meeting decarbonization goals to reach low cost and low carbon intensity, spotting opportunities across utility systems, and tracking projects to simplify capital decisions.

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Polymer Process Modeling & Simulation

The Petro-SIM simulation with advanced instrumentation and controllers creates an impressive technology stack that can be applied to tackle the challenges of running a polymer plant such as optimizing grade transition, product yield, energy integration, and emissions.

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Petrochemical Plant Wide Simulation & Optimization

The integrated Predici polymer modeling software with Petro-SIM process simulation provides an opportunity for engineers to simulate and optimize the entire refinery petrochemical polymer supply chain. Predict yield, polymer properties, minimize emissions, determine optimal decarbonization and plastic recycling strategies as part of achieving the circular economy.

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Renewables - A Pathway to Net Zero

The effective use of renewable and low-carbon intensity feedstocks to produce new generation bio-fuels can be assessed using Petro-SIM. Combined with detailed feedstock and product characterizations using Multiflash® and the CCUS capabilities of Maximus® this enables the improved technology assessment, design and management of the entire bio-fuels production and processing asset to maximize profits, reduce costs, minimize emissions and operate safely.

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Dynamic Real-Time Optimization (D-RTO)

Together, Petro-SIM and PACE create D-RTO that responds to changes in materials, demand, and operations. This valuable solution models non-linear effects with automated model maintenance while responding to operations fast.

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Operator Training Simulator

Petro-SIM is the high-fidelity dynamic simulation model that mimics reality for OTS and can be used as the basis for digital twins and other simulation applications to ensure consistency across all simulation applications.

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Petro-SIM Process Simulator Adds Value

Maximize Plant Profitability
Polymerization Modeling
Olefin Steam Cracker Simulation
Crude Compatibility
Flare Network
Integrated Production Assurance
Molecular Management
Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers Rating
Separators and Scrubbers
Crude Assay Work-Up Tools
Petro-SIM Refinery Wide

Evaluate refinery production with facility-wide modeling in Petro-SIM

An optimum LP production plan looks at monthly average operation. However, for operations and production scheduling teams to meet daily targets, it requires a more accurate representation of the facility with more actual data. Petro-SIM Refinery-wide flowsheets can demonstrate the true representation of changes in key operating variables and their associated impact on refinery operation and product blending. So that profitability of facilities can be maximized, while meeting product specifications, optimizing energy and hydrogen usage, and reducing emissions.

Refinery conversion units are modeled with Petro-SIM Reactor Suite models to predict changes in feed quality, operating conditions, catalyst, and fractionation, as it would happen in the real unit.

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polymer screenshot

In the past recent years, the petrochemical-polymer industry has experienced a growing demand for polymer products. In spite of the growth, the complexity of polymer processing makes it challenging for polymer manufacturers to develop process technologies to meet the required product quality. To remain competitive, polymer companies must resolve their current challenge with complex polymer processes. Petro-SIM introduces polymer modeling capabilities to simulate polymerization processes with Predici-SIM polymerization reactor model based on Predici models software. This integrated software solution helps users to manage challenges related to the production of desired polymer grades and simulate the entire petrochemical-polymer supply chain while optimizing the plant performance in steady-state and dynamic modes.

petrochemical screenshot

Olefins are widely applied in the manufacture of chemical and polymer products like detergents, and plastics. Steam cracking is the core leading technology for olefins production. However, due to energy transition, feedstock shift, emission reduction, a comprehensive analysis, prediction, control and integrated digital twin facility is required to optimize furnace performance and efficiency.

The integrated software solution enables users to simulate, and optimize the entire refinery-petrochemical supply chain.

Petro-SIM Crude compatibility

Crude compatibility and fuel oil stability using Multiflash® tool in Petro-SIM

A new crude compatibility tool adapts the Multiflash asphaltene precipitation model, which is fully compositional and developed based on thermodynamics to perform phase equilibrium calculations. Asphaltene precipitation is modeled by considering asphaltene-asphaltene self-association and asphaltene-resin cross-association.

The primary objective of the tool is to determine the stability of the crude oil blends related to asphaltene precipitation. Stability indicates the ability of asphaltenes to remain dispersed in the oil or blend and it is usually quantified by using onset titration data.

refinery flare

Flare system design

Flaretot is a software solution designed to seamlessly carry out all aspects of flare system design, revamp and auditing. Linking directly to Petro-SIM, Flaretot provides a rigorous approach to the modeling of flare systems within a single, user-friendly visual graphical interface. Flaretot allows users to design and rate all aspects of flare systems accurately and rapidly. Carry out noise, radiation and dispersion analysis and prediction.  Flaretot will calculate if the flare network is properly sized for all flaring scenarios. Best practice flare network design, monitoring and auditing will result in less flaring, and therefore less emissions.

Hydrate screenshot

The avoidance or mitigation of the threats to the facilities determined by the formation of solid phases (such as hydrates, wax and asphaltenes), or the presence of corrosive compounds (such as  Mercury, CO2, H2S etc.), typical in upstream oil and gas, requires a complex integration of modeling techniques involving process modeling, multiphase flows and thermodynamics. Through the native integration of Multiflash® and Maximus®, Petro-SIM is the only process simulator capable of representing the entire asset, in steady states, dynamic and life of the field, allowing engineers to evaluate the most appropriate design or operating strategy to optimize capital and operating costs, meet production targets, and minimize the risks to the facilities.

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Petro-SIM Molecules

Molecular management and carbon number simulation

To recognize the need for molecular management and carbon number level simulation, it is important to understand the nature of refining processes. The purpose of refinery naphtha processing units is to maximize octane barrels that can be blended into gasoline. Isomerization and dehydrocyclization reactions improve octane, with thermal cracking a side reaction that is minimized to prevent yield loss. A Petro-SIM site wide digital twin simulation model is an accurate representation of an asset over its full range of operation and its full lifecycle. It is a mirror of the actual plant in simulated mode, but with full knowledge of its historical performance and an accurate understanding of its future potential for profit improvement and emissions reduction.

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Petro-SIM XSimOp

Shell & tube heat exchangers rating using Petro-SIM and HTRI XSimOp

The HTRI XSimOp ShellTube module is for doing detailed simulations and rating of shell and tube heat exchangers. Linked with Petro-SIM it will enable more efficient delivery of high fidelity operational and design studies for process units heat exchange. Engineers will be able to quickly investigate and analyze the performance of heat exchanger networks in a single simulation case thereby reducing overall design time, minimizing equipment over-design and ensuring design flexibility that appropriately accounts for process variability.

Petro-SIM MySep

Design, evaluation and simulation of separators and scrubbers 

MySep process phase seperation software is integrated with Petro-SIM as a plugin for the design, evaluation and simulation of separators and scrubbers. MySep will send the carryover and pressure drop information back to Petro-SIM. In Petro-SIM, each vessel can be designed or simulated in detail. The separator performance results can be displayed directly and the effect of the carry-over calculations propagated across the flowsheet in Petro-SIM. The main advantages offered by MySep to engineering activities are:

  • Debottlenecking operations and designs
  • Screening designs and changes in operating conditions
  • Predict and assess the performance of new and existing separators
  • Reduce engineering hours and costs
  • Avoid oversizing & re-engineering
  • Mitigate risks
Petro-SIM crude assay screenshot

Petro-SIM v7.4 introduces two new assay work-up tools:

  1. Assay Reconciliation Tool: it addresses the problem of lab measurement noise and errors. Identifiable errors and inconsistencies in raw assay data are eliminated using a detailed reconciliation model and ensures the consistency in the mass and volume balance of the raw assay data.
  2. PNA Profiling Tool: it takes care of the problem of predicting accurate Paraffins, Naphthenes, and Aromatics content of Naphtha cuts by fitting detailed PNA composition profiles to the raw assay data and generating additional cuts data for the synthesis calculations to work on. The purpose of PNA Profiling is improve the representation of cuts within the Naphtha boiling range.

Petro-SIM Process Simulation Software is the Core of Our Award-Winning Process Digital Twin

Petro-SIM automates and tracks complex, facility-wide systems to generate a single version of the truth to maximize operational efficiency and cost savings.

Rodolfo Tellez-Schmill - Profile Picture

Rodolfo Tellez-Schmill

Product Champion Process
Simulation

Meet our expert on process simulation

"Rapid feedstock alignment and product optimization become critical for complex sites to respond to today's market situation. Using a site-wide model on Petro-SIM, we are not afraid to raise hypotheses for optimum molecule management as we can validate them quickly and efficiently. The ability of Petro-SIM to provide accurate input to various process units (refinery to petrochemicals) allows reliable outcomes, increasing the confidence to form winning operating strategies."

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