Process design and optimization
$5500.00
Process Design & Optimization: Advanced 5-Day Training Course
Course Overview
This comprehensive Process Design and Optimization training program delivers advanced technical expertise for engineering professionals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, GCC countries (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain), and Africa. The course covers process engineering fundamentals, equipment design, process simulation, heat integration, optimization techniques, and engineering economics essential for designing efficient, safe, and profitable industrial facilities in oil & gas, petrochemical, refining, and chemical processing sectors.
With the Middle East and Africa investing over $500 billion in new industrial projects, this training addresses critical competencies for professionals at Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Ma’aden, PDO (Petroleum Development Oman), ADNOC, OQ, Qatar Energy, and major operators designing mega-projects including NEOM industrial complex, Duqm Refinery expansion, Dangote petrochemical, and supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and Oman Vision 2040 industrialization goals.
Target Audience
Process Engineers designing new facilities in Saudi Arabia, Oman, GCC, Africa
Design Engineers in EPC companies (Bechtel, Fluor, Technip, Samsung Engineering)
Project Engineers managing FEED and detailed engineering
Operations Engineers optimizing existing plants for efficiency
Technical Managers evaluating process alternatives and technologies
Process Simulation Engineers using Aspen, HYSYS, PRO/II
Plant Engineers implementing debottlenecking projects
R&D Engineers developing new processes and technologies
Day 1: Process Design Fundamentals & Material Balance
Morning Session: Process Engineering Principles
Process design hierarchy: conceptual, FEED (Front-End Engineering Design), detailed engineering
Design basis development: feed specifications, product requirements, capacity
Process flow diagrams (PFD): symbols, conventions, information content
Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID): detailed equipment and controls
Design codes and standards: ASME, API, TEMA, ISA applicable in GCC region
Process safety considerations: inherently safer design principles
Equipment selection criteria: technical, economic, operational factors
Regional considerations: high ambient temperatures (50°C+ in Saudi Arabia, UAE), corrosive environments
Case studies: SATORP design philosophy, Sohar Refinery engineering, NEOM process concepts
Afternoon Session: Material & Energy Balance
Material balance fundamentals: conservation of mass, recycle streams, purge calculations
Component balances for reactive and non-reactive systems
Degree of freedom analysis: solving complex flowsheets
Energy balance principles: enthalpy calculations, heat of reaction, sensible heat
Combined material and energy balances for integrated processes
Process simulation introduction: sequential modular vs. equation-oriented approaches
Software tools: Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, PRO/II, UniSim widely used in GCC
Thermodynamic property packages: equation of state selection (Peng-Robinson, SRK, NRTL)
Hands-on workshop: Material balance calculations for typical refinery/petrochemical units
Setting up simulation models: component definition, thermodynamics, flowsheet configuration
Day 2: Process Equipment Design & Sizing
Morning Session: Reactor & Separation Equipment Design
Reactor types: batch, CSTR, PFR, packed bed, fluidized bed reactors
Reactor design fundamentals: reaction kinetics, conversion, selectivity, yield
Residence time calculations and volume determination
Heat transfer in reactors: isothermal, adiabatic, non-isothermal operations
Distillation column design: stages calculation, reflux ratio, feed location
Shortcut methods: Fenske-Underwood-Gilliland for preliminary design
Tray design: sieve trays, valve trays, bubble cap trays, efficiency factors
Packed column design: random packing vs. structured packing selection
Column diameter: flooding calculations, downcomer design, pressure drop
Applications in Saudi refineries, Omani gas processing, UAE petrochemical complexes
Afternoon Session: Heat Exchangers & Equipment Sizing
Heat exchanger types: shell-and-tube, plate, air-cooled, fired heaters
TEMA standards for shell-and-tube exchangers
Heat transfer calculations: LMTD, F-factor correction, overall heat transfer coefficient
Tube-side and shell-side design: velocity, pressure drop, fouling factors
Air-cooled heat exchangers: critical for water-scarce GCC region
Design considerations for high ambient temperatures (45-50°C)
Fired heaters: process heaters, reformer furnaces design
Pumps and compressors: centrifugal, reciprocating, rotary selection criteria
Pressure vessel design: ASME Section VIII, thickness calculations, stress analysis
Storage tanks: API 650, API 620 for atmospheric and low-pressure storage
Workshop: Heat exchanger sizing calculations using simulation software
Day 3: Energy Integration & Process Optimization
Morning Session: Heat Integration & Pinch Analysis
Energy efficiency importance: reducing operating costs, carbon footprint in GCC facilities
Heat integration principles: maximum energy recovery (MER) targets
Pinch technology: composite curves, grand composite curve, pinch point identification
Heat exchanger network (HEN) design: minimum utilities, area targeting
Stream matching: above pinch, below pinch design rules
Network optimization: minimizing number of exchangers, capital-energy tradeoffs
Applications: refinery preheat trains, petrochemical complexes, LNG facilities
Software tools: Aspen Energy Analyzer, SPRINT for HEN design
Case studies: Energy optimization at YASREF, SATORP heat integration, Sohar efficiency projects
Hot climate considerations: cooling water temperature impact on integration
Afternoon Session: Process Optimization Techniques
Optimization fundamentals: objective function, constraints, decision variables
Linear programming (LP): refinery planning, blending optimization
Non-linear programming (NLP): reactor optimization, column design
Multi-objective optimization: balancing cost, efficiency, safety, environmental impact
Sensitivity analysis: identifying critical parameters and operating windows
Degrees of freedom for optimization: manipulated vs. controlled variables
Economic optimization: maximizing net present value, minimizing total annual cost
Operating cost vs. capital cost tradeoffs in design
Process intensification: compact equipment, multifunctional reactors, modular design
Debottlenecking strategies for existing Saudi Aramco, ADNOC facilities
Hands-on exercises: Optimization using Aspen Plus optimization tools
Day 4: Process Simulation & Advanced Design
Morning Session: Advanced Process Simulation
Aspen HYSYS/Plus deep dive: advanced features, convergence strategies
Handling recycle streams: tear streams, convergence algorithms
Reactive distillation: simultaneous reaction and separation modeling
Three-phase systems: water-hydrocarbon-vapor equilibrium
Electrolyte systems: acid gas treating, amine systems simulation
Solid handling: slurry reactors, crystallization processes
Dynamic simulation: transient behavior, control system design, startup/shutdown
Pressure relief system sizing: API 521 methodology using simulation
Flare network analysis: backpressure, thermal radiation calculations
User models and spreadsheet integration for proprietary processes
Regional applications: Sour gas processing (high H2S), heavy crude upgrading, high-temperature operations
Afternoon Session: Process Safety & Reliability Design
Inherently safer design (ISD): minimize, substitute, moderate, simplify principles
HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) studies: systematic design review
Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA): quantitative risk assessment
Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS): SIL determination, SIS design
Pressure relief systems: relief valve sizing, rupture disk selection
Flare and blowdown system design for emergency scenarios
Equipment reliability: MTBF, MTTR, availability calculations
Redundancy strategies: standby equipment, N+1 design philosophy
Process control design: basic control loops, advanced control strategies
Control valve sizing and selection for stable operations
Saudi Aramco SAEP standards, ADNOC design specifications compliance
Day 5: Engineering Economics & Project Execution
Morning Session: Capital & Operating Cost Estimation
Capital cost estimation: factored estimates, detailed estimates, cost indices (CEPCI)
Equipment cost estimation: vendor quotes, cost correlations, scaling factors
Installation factors: piping, instrumentation, electrical, civil works
Regional cost considerations: construction costs in Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Africa
Operating cost components: raw materials, utilities, labor, maintenance, overhead
Utility costs: steam, power, cooling water, fuel in GCC context
Total annual cost (TAC): annualized capital plus operating costs
Cost optimization: finding economic optimum for design parameters
Profitability analysis: NPV, IRR, payback period for project evaluation
Sensitivity analysis: impact of crude prices, product values, capacity on economics
Workshop: Economic evaluation of process alternatives using spreadsheet models
Afternoon Session: Process Design Best Practices & Future Trends
Design for operability: startup/shutdown, turndown capability, flexibility
Design for maintenance: access, spare equipment, online maintenance
Modular design: prefabrication, skid-mounted units for fast-track projects
Standardization: equipment rationalization, design reuse across projects
Digitalization in design: 3D modeling, digital twins, virtual commissioning
BIM (Building Information Modeling) for process plants
AI and machine learning: optimization, predictive design, data-driven engineering
Process intensification technologies: compact reactors, membrane separations
Sustainability integration: circular economy, waste minimization, renewable feedstocks
Carbon capture integration in new designs (CCUS-ready facilities)
Green hydrogen production: electrolysis, integration with renewables
Crude-to-chemicals (CTC): direct conversion processes (COTC in Jubail)
Future mega-projects: NEOM hydrogen hub, Duqm petrochemical expansion, African gas-to-liquids
Alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, Oman Vision 2040 industrial diversification
Final project: Design optimization case study presentation and discussion
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Develop process flow diagrams and material/energy balances for industrial facilities
Design and size major equipment: reactors, columns, heat exchangers, vessels
Apply heat integration techniques reducing energy consumption by 20-40%
Perform process optimization using linear and non-linear programming
Use simulation software (Aspen HYSYS/Plus) for complex process modeling
Conduct engineering economic analysis evaluating design alternatives
Apply process safety principles ensuring inherently safer designs
Optimize existing facilities through debottlenecking and efficiency improvements
Evaluate emerging technologies for next-generation process designs
Course Delivery & Certification
Format: Technical lectures, simulation workshops, design exercises, case studies, group projects
Software: Hands-on training with Aspen HYSYS/Plus (educational licenses provided)
Materials: Comprehensive manual, design correlations, equipment vendor data, economic templates
Certification: Professional certificate recognized by major operators and EPC contractors across KSA, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Africa
Language: English (Arabic support available)
CPD Credits: Continuing professional development for engineering professionals
Computer lab: Required for simulation exercises (participants may bring laptops)
Locations: Riyadh, Dhahran, Jubail, Yanbu (KSA), Muscat, Sohar (Oman), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Lagos, Cairo
Why This Course is Critical for the Region
The GCC petrochemical capacity is expanding by 40% by 2030 with mega-projects like NEOM, Ras Al-Khair mining complex, Duqm integrated refinery-petrochemical, and Dangote fertilizer. These projects demand engineers skilled in modern process design, simulation, and optimization.
This training delivers practical engineering knowledge incorporating international best practices, Saudi Aramco design standards, ADNOC specifications, addressing specific GCC challenges: extreme temperatures, water scarcity, sour crude/gas processing, heavy feedstock upgrading, and energy efficiency critical for competitiveness and sustainability under Saudi Vision 2030 industrialization goals.
Design smarter. Optimize better. Engineer the future.
