Base loading

In base loading, each candidate crude is added separately to the crudes in the base blend. This allows you to evaluate each crude within your standard refinery configuration. Base loading is usually performed relative to a parent case (that is, each candidate crude is forced into a standard refinery operating blend). As the standard refinery operating blend is often optimal, forcing in crudes may reduce the overall objective function.

In base loading, the amount of each crude in the base blend is usually left free, so forcing a candidate crude into the blend may change the amounts of base blend crudes purchased relative to the parent case. This is in contrast to the balancing crude workflow, where only a single crude is swapped out.

You can configure base loading in a number of ways. The end result depends on how the base blend and candidate amount are configured:

• If the base blend satisfies the capacity constraints of the plant, and the candidate crudes are free to be purchased in any amount, the candidate crude will only be added into the refinery slate if it benefits the economics. Economics Detail will only be meaningful for crudes actually purchased.

• If the base blend does not satisfy the minimum requirements for the plant, then the candidate crude will be purchased to meet this, and extra will be purchased if economically beneficial. The Economics Details are not meaningful, as the parent case is infeasible because it does not meet a minimum capacity.

• If the base blend satisfies the capacity constraints of the plant (but there is freedom to change the amount purchased of at least one base crude) and the candidate crudes are fixed, then the candidate crude will be forced into the base blend (thus replacing an amount of at least one of the base crudes). Economics Details show the correct information for each candidate crude.

1. Define the Base Blend

   Go to Definition > Base Blend and add the crudes for your base blend.

   

2. Choose the Candidate Crudes

   Go to Definition > Candidates, then use the check boxes in the Active column to define your candidates.

   

3. Review the Case Stack

   Review the list of cases that are going to be optimized, and make sure that this corresponds to the scenarios you want to model.

   

4. Run the Cases and Analyze the Results

   Run the optimization and review the Case Stack, Economics Detail and other pages, to understand the effect of adding each crude to the base blend.