The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional fossil fuels are steadily losing favour as society becomes more environmentally conscious and the effects of climate change intensify. Once-coveted gas-guzzling vehicles are now relics of the past, replaced by the rapid rise of electric cars. Many countries have already announced that by 2030 no new gasoline or diesel cars will be produced. Even natural gas, once hailed as the transition fuel, is being displaced by renewable energy. Global crude oil demand is projected to fall from pre-pandemic highs of nearly 100 million barrels per day to around 80 million barrels per day.
This shift has a profound impact on one critical segment of the oil sector: refineries.
Traditional refinery models are heavily dependent on transportation fuels — the very products facing the steepest decline in demand. While many industry leaders see integration with petrochemical plants as a logical pathway forward, this approach carries risks. Large-scale investments in petrochemical complexes are capital intensive, and given the volatility of petrochemical markets, not all regions may find such integration profitable.
Refineries in the Middle East and Europe are already vulnerable, with closures and mergers becoming more frequent. This trend may accelerate in the years to come.
This Energy Training Centre Refinery Integration and Adaptation training course offers an in-depth analysis of these market dynamics and explores how refiners can adapt to improve margins, mitigate risks, and secure their place in a rapidly changing global energy system.
This training course will address:
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The current structure and functioning of refineries
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Key changes and disruptions on the horizon
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Economic analysis, cost scenarios, and real-world case studies
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Practical strategies for improving refinery economics
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Regional outlooks to help minimize disruption and identify opportunities
By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:
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Recognize the scale and urgency of the challenges facing refineries
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Understand the technical and operational aspects of refinery integration and adaptation
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Analyse global models successfully adopted by refiners to remain competitive
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Enhance their skills to build upon existing refinery capabilities
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Develop robust economic frameworks for improving refinery performance
This highly interactive course combines expert-led presentations with:
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Professional schematics and visual models
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Case studies from around the world
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Group discussions and practical exercises
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Videos illustrating technical and operational challenges
The methodology ensures participants not only gain deep theoretical knowledge but also practical skills to implement strategies in real-world scenarios.
Organisations that invest in this course will benefit by:
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Equipping staff with the knowledge to strengthen and future-proof refinery operations
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Improving awareness of challenges facing current refining models
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Enhancing decision-making and project planning capabilities
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Strengthening technical and financial planning for refinery integration/adaptation
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Supporting effective implementation of forward-looking strategies
By completing this Energy Training Centre Refinery Integration and Adaptation training course, participants will:
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Gain a clear understanding of the evolving dynamics of the refining sector
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Improve decision-making and strategic evaluation skills
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Build expertise in assessing corporate opportunities and risks
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Understand the critical importance of economic resilience in a changing energy world
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Learn how to enhance profitability and extend the life of existing refinery assets
This Refinery Integration and Adaptation training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:
- Planners
- Business Development Managers
- Corporate Planning Professionals
- Transportation and Urban Planners
- Energy Professionals
- Government Regulators
- Sales and Business Development Professionals
- Equity Analyst and Bankers
- Joint Venture Officers
Day One: Reinventing the Refinery: The Old Model
- The fundamental working of a typical refinery
- Processes and fuels
- Scale of the sector
- Why it became such a big sector
- Some of the biggest complexes and their working
- Market capacity and demand centres
- Crude spreads and margins
- Traditional markets and their working dynamics
Day Two: Fuel Economics and the Petrochemical Paradigm
- Refinery schedules
- Economy of fuels
- Capacities of refineries (Fuels)
- Future demand and consumption in various markets
- Economics of petrochemicals
- Pros and cons of the petrochemical market
- Complexities and logistics of integration vs non-integrations
Day Three: Commercial Strategies and Business Development
- Fluidised catalytic cracker
- Refinery flexibilites
- Advantage of feedstock and location
- Cost of integration
- CAPEX estimates
- Financial/Debt structure assumptions
- Forecasts in the market
- NPV / IRR / Valuation
- Polymers and their chemistry
- Poly ethylene and poly propylene
Day Four: Chemicals, Polymers, and Strategic Risk Management
- Economic drivers for base chemicals and polymers
- Risks of diversification
- Strategy development
- Forecasts and planning
- Regional optimization of capacity and utilization
- Sensitivity analysis of
- Oil cost
- Gas cost
- Catalyst cost
- Capacity utilization
- Economy of scale
Day Five: Environment and Sustainability
- Refinery and the changed model of green economy
- Green credentials
- Carbon auditing of refinery processes
- Carbon pricing and trading
- Carbon capture and utilization
- Blending
- Creation of sustainable fuels and chemicals
- Competition and strategy
