Delayed Coking Unit Operations
Advanced Coker Furnace Optimisation, Drum Cycles, Yields & Troubleshooting
Course Schedules
Training Course Overview
Delayed Coking Unit Operations Training Course participants gain in-depth insight into upgrading heavy refinery residues into valuable, lighter hydrocarbons and marketable petroleum coke. A delayed coking unit serves as a critical asset in modern refining, directly driving total refinery conversion while systematically minimising low-value fuel oil yields to enhance profitability.
This Delayed Coking Unit Operations Training Course addresses the intricate operational relationships across coker furnaces, coke-drum cycles, fractionator conditions, and feed quality. By navigating key challenges like furnace tube coking, liquid carryover, drum foaming, and fractionator fouling, attendees learn to safeguard throughput and operational integrity.
Through this comprehensive training course, industry professionals master essential coking process fundamentals, operating procedures, advanced process control, and systematic troubleshooting. Delegates will discover proven techniques to optimise unit performance, increase liquid yields, maintain coke quality, and ensure safe coke-drum switching, decoking, and unit start-up protocols.
Training Course Objectives
This Delayed Coking Unit Operations Training Course equips attendees with actionable technical expertise to master heavy oil conversion and refinery integration. Delegates learn to execute best-in-class operating strategies across all primary unit components.
- Master delayed coking chemistry, thermal cracking reaction mechanisms, and residue feedstock evaluations.
- Manage furnace operations, minimise tube coking, and optimise furnace outlet temperatures effectively.
- Control coke-drum cycles, including filling, steam stripping, water quenching, and hydraulic decoking.
- Regulate coke-drum pressure, temperature, foam formation, and antifoam injection parameters.
- Maximise liquid yield recovery, enhance petroleum coke quality, and elevate unit throughput.
- Resolve fractionator, wash-zone, sour-water, and gas-recovery process operational bottlenecks.
- Implement robust troubleshooting and safety protocols during drum switching and steam-air decoking.
- Identify key operational improvements to lengthen run lengths and elevate overall plant reliability.
Designed for
This Delayed Coking Unit Operations Training Course is specifically structured for technical professionals and operational leadership aiming to maximize delayed coker profitability and uptime. Attendees gain practical methods to enhance asset reliability, safely shorten drum cycle times, and resolve daily unit challenges.
- Delayed coking unit operators, shift supervisors, and production shift engineers.
- Refinery process engineers, operations engineers, and technical services specialists.
- Process control engineers, instrumentation personnel, and automation specialists.
- Maintenance professionals, reliability engineers, and mechanical-integrity inspectors.
- Laboratory chemists, product-quality controllers, and refinery optimisation analysts.
- Health, safety, and environmental (HSE) officers working in heavy-oil refining units.
Learning Methods
Delayed Coking Unit Operations Training Course participants engage in a balance of technical lectures, equipment schematics, and hands-on operational calculations. Interactive analysis of real-world refinery operating data allows delegates to evaluate variable feedstocks and thermal cracking severity. Group discussions and real-time troubleshooting scenarios reinforce key engineering concepts. Through targeted refinery case studies, attendees examine complex coker performance issues, developing practical preventive strategies and effective corrective action plans for immediate workplace implementation.
Course Content
Delayed Coking Process Fundamentals
- Role of delayed coking within the refinery configuration
- Thermal cracking chemistry and reaction mechanisms
- Vacuum residue and other delayed coker feedstocks
- Effects of asphaltenes, sulphur, metals and Conradson carbon
- Delayed coking process flow and major equipment
- Operating pressure, temperature and recycle ratio
- Coker material balance and product-yield distribution
- Types, properties and commercial uses of petroleum coke
Coker Furnace Operations and Optimisation
- Coker furnace design and operating principles
- Feed preheating and furnace charge preparation
- Furnace outlet temperature and cracking severity
- Burner operation, combustion control and heat distribution
- Steam injection, tube velocity and residence-time control
- Causes and indicators of furnace tube coking
- Monitoring tube-skin temperature and furnace pressure drop
- Online spalling, steam-air decoking and furnace optimisation
Coke-Drum Cycle Management
- Coke-drum filling and vapour-flow management
- Drum switching and feed-transfer procedures
- Steam stripping and hydrocarbon-vapour removal
- Water quenching and drum-cooling requirements
- Drum draining, opening and preparation for decoking
- Hydraulic coke cutting and coke removal
- Foam formation, antifoam injection and foam-level control
- Preventing coke carryover into downstream equipment
Fractionation, Product Recovery and Coke Handling
- Main fractionator configuration and operating principles
- Vapour quenching and fractionator heat balance
- Recovery of gas, naphtha, light gas oil and heavy gas oil
- Pump-around circuits, reflux and product-quality control
- Wash-zone operation and coke-deposition prevention
- Wet gas, sour-water and gas-recovery systems
- Coke cutting, crushing, dewatering and transportation
- Controlling coke properties and product specifications
Troubleshooting, Safety and Performance Improvement
- Troubleshooting low liquid yields and excessive coke production
- Diagnosing furnace fouling and high tube-skin temperatures
- Managing coke-drum hot spots, foaming and vibration
- Resolving fractionator fouling and separation problems
- Troubleshooting unstable pressure and temperature conditions
- Preventing water hammer, thermal shock and steam explosions
- Improving cycle time, energy efficiency and unit availability
- Integrated delayed coker troubleshooting case study
The Certificate
- Anderson Certificate of Completion for delegates who attend and complete the training course
In Partnership With
Learn more about this course
The course is suitable for mechanical maintenance engineers, reliability engineers, maintenance technicians, field service engineers, plant operators, production supervisors, condition monitoring specialists, and technical personnel responsible for industrial hydraulic machinery and fluid power equipment.
Yes. Participants who successfully complete the Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course will receive a Anderson Certificate of Completion, demonstrating their commitment to professional development and continuous learning. This certificate provides formal recognition of the knowledge and skills gained during the course and can support professional growth and career progression.
Yes. The Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course can be customised and delivered exclusively for organisations seeking a tailored learning solution. Course content can be adapted to address specific business objectives, operational challenges, industry requirements, and organisational priorities. Customised training allows teams to focus on the topics most relevant to their roles while supporting wider organisational development goals.
Participants attending the Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course gain access to valuable industry insights, practical techniques, and internationally recognised best practices. The course helps professionals improve performance, strengthen confidence, broaden their perspective, and develop skills that contribute to both personal and organisational success. It also provides an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with professionals from diverse sectors and backgrounds.
No. The Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course is open to professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels. The course content is structured to provide value to both those who are new to the subject and experienced practitioners seeking to deepen their expertise. While some prior knowledge may enhance understanding of certain concepts, it is not a requirement for participation
The Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course combines practical knowledge, current industry practices, and expert guidance to create a highly relevant learning experience. Rather than focusing solely on theory, the course emphasises practical application, enabling participants to develop skills and approaches that can be implemented directly within their organisations. This balance of knowledge and practical relevance helps participants achieve meaningful and lasting professional impact.
The Delayed Coking Unit Operations training course uses a variety of learning approaches to maximise participant engagement and knowledge retention. These may include expert-led presentations, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, scenario-based activities, and collaborative learning opportunities. This approach encourages active participation and helps participants translate learning into practical workplace results.
Yes. Industrial hydraulic systems are widely used across manufacturing plants, process facilities, heavy machinery, marine operations, utilities, and other industrial environments. The principles covered are relevant to professionals responsible for operating, maintaining, inspecting, or troubleshooting hydraulic equipment across a broad range of applications.
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