Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery and the Chemists‘ Club host tours to educate attendees about midstream oil and gas operations. Thousands of people drive over the refinery every day on the New Jersey Turnpike, wondering what the huge, steam-spewing structures could be. This tour is one of the only chances for students, industry professionals, and the public to approach this city within a city and learn of the processes, devices, and people that refine many of the raw materials we all use for energy and everyday life.
Attendees are welcome to drive to Bayway in Linden, New Jersey, or take the chartered bus from the train station. Tours typically begin in the administrative building off the refinery grounds with lunch and a presentation by Phillips 66‘s talented engineers. Different people present and lead the tour each time, always providing new viewpoints. It is best to know, before going in, that Phillips 66 Does Not Drill for Oil. Bayway Refinery receives shipments of crude oil by internal railroad or ship (1 out of 20 ships in NYC harbor are bound for Bayway!) Crude oil then undergoes distillation, catalytic cracking, and various purification processes at the refinery.
After the presentation, attendees and the tour guide take a bus around the refinery. Bayway coexists with a marsh and maintains strict protocol to protect the environment. Ducks swim in the ponds, a herd of deer sometimes makes an appearance, and ask somebody if they know about the manatee! Wildlife aside, Phillips 66 boasts plenty of fascinating technologies. The tour bus frequently stops by the polypropylene plant, the control room (where, besides a million other processes, cameras monitor the four flares), and the wet gas scrubber. This tour provides a unique opportunity to connect with Phillips 66 professionals as well as learn about the dynamics between supply and demand and the engineering challenges of maintaining such a colossal enterprise as Bayway Refinery.