The overall refinery process is depicted in this Refinery Process Flow Diagram. The crude is heated by a furnace and sent to a distillation tower, where it is separated based on the boiling point. The material is then converted into finished products such as fuels such as gasoline and diesel and specialty products such as asphalt and solvents, using heat, pressure, or a catalyst. The core principles of refining processes are also depicted in this Refinery Process Flow Diagram. The primary byproducts of petroleum refining are classified into four types: light distillates, middle distillates, heavy distillates, and others. Three major operations are carried out to refine the oil into finished products: separation, conversion, and treating.
