MathPro Inc. participated in a study commissioned by the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI) to estimate the total life cycle (“well-to-wheels”) emissions of CO2 associated with a number of refined product supply pathways (where each pathway involves the production of a particular crude oil, transport to a particular U.S. refining region, refining of the crude oil to produce a slate of refined products, and delivery to end-use locations. The study covered thirteen crude oils, including representative domestic, imported, and Canadian crudes.
MathPro’s contribution to the project consisted of developing estimates – for each of twenty-six (26) crude oil/refining region combinations – of
These estimates supported “well-to-wheels” analysis of the various refined product supply pathways by means of GREET 1.7, a widely used model for life cycle analysis.
MathPro developed the estimates of refinery energy use by means of detailed, process-oriented modeling of regional refining operations, using linear programming (LP) implemented in MathPro’s proprietary refinery modeling system. The refining analysis involved development and operation of a national U.S. refining model and three regional refining models. Each model represents regional aggregate refining capacity, processing a mixed crude oil slate and producing a slate of refined products meeting all major U.S. specifications and regulatory requirements.
MathPro made presentations on the refining analysis to a project stake-holders group assembled by AERI. In light of the diverse backgrounds of the various stake-holders, the project report not only addresses the technical approach and results of the analysis but also provides tutorial material on crude oils, crude oil assays, and refining operations.