Maximising refinery profits using portfolio optimisation

Petroleum refining is a complicated, multi-dimensional task that involves many tricky operating decisions. In this article, Carlos Blanco and Christopher Mammarelli explain how a portfolio-based optimisation framework can maximise the profitability of a refining system

Petroleum refining provides managers with many degrees of freedom in making operating decisions

The day-to-day operation of physical energy assets such as power plants, natural gas pipelines and physical storage facilities presents managers with a wide range of potentially profitable optimisation opportunities. These flexibilities – often referred to as ‘real options’ – have received considerable focus from trading organisations and research groups in recent years.

However, one asset class