A vertically integrated multi-national oil and gas company operating in exploration, refining, distribution and marketing, and trading engaged Trindent Consulting to reduce gasoline quality giveaway at one of North America’s largest refineries. Over 26 weeks, Trindent implemented and sustained more than 12 targeted processes that delivered $35,000,000 in annualized savings. This was achieved without capital and through process, systems, and organizational behavior improvements.
How we Made it Happen™
Planning and Optimization
- Implemented a process and real-time application that integrates component tank and unit rundown sample results, improving property estimation by 44% and reducing recipe variance by 3.7%.
- Installed MBO backcasting process and volatility class specific RVP blend laws, improving property prediction accuracy by 44% and reducing quality incidents by 75%.
- Implemented a process to review MBO and LP constraints using statistical quality control charts, robust post-ethanol models, and execution performance tracking, resulting in 0.10 psi and 4.0oF buffer reductions for RVP and T50.
- Established a process to optimize aromatics and olefins distribution through grade specific post-ethanol models and a regression tool that updates analyte coefficients, maximizing post-ethanol octane uplift and reducing E0 octane targets by 0.25.
- Enhanced processes to improve product margins by implementing methods to utilize LP incentive prices and Tank Property Control that mitigates product quality concerns and giveaway.
Execution Excellence
- Minimized Board Operator performance variability by 46% through standardized bias and limit adjustment processes, site specific blend start-up and execution checklist, and system tools to support blend adjustment decision making.
- Implemented weekly cross-functional Blend Review Meeting with Root Cause Analysis framework to holistically identify reasons for quality giveaway and develop actions to address underlying issues.
- Mitigated 0.15 psi vapor loss during sampling through sustained adherence to newly implemented ASTM D5842 standard operating procedure (SOP), resulting in improved blend predictions, backcasting, and buffer reductions
- Provided in-depth quality giveaway training, showcasing the economic impact of either removing or adding butane, alkylate, and heavy reformate to mitigate poor practices.
Measurement Accuracy
- Improved measurement accuracy of components with low octane by up to 4.0 ON and reduced stress on lab knock engines through implementation of a SOP bringing an iso-octane mixture into the knock engine linear range.
- Implemented VUV method to determine aromatics, olefins, and ethanol content, improving hand blend accuracy by 10% and post-ethanol model predictions.
- Reduced sample turnaround time by 31% through active management, improving execution performance by 18%.
- Developed NIR modeling best practices and statistics log for model refining process, while discontinuing unnecessary NIR models by33% to reprioritize lab resources.
- Implemented a site-specific blending guideline to sustain and improve on the new gasoline optimization program.
“Trindent has worked closely with our team to build the necessary cross-functional communication and cooperation. Their focus on sustainability has ensured a smooth transition of new processes and tools, enabling us to maintain the numerous improvements enabled by the engagement team and independently capture future benefits. There has been a positive change in our mindset[...]”