Water Pinch Analysis in Petroleum Refineries: A Review of Methods, Case Studies, and Future Trends

One of the major industrial consumers of water is petroleum refineries, which depend extensively on fresh water for purposes such as cooling, steam generation, desalting, and product separation. This substantial demand creates significant environmental and economic problems, for instance, in areas with water shortage, like the Middle East, and therefore it becomes crucial to implement systematic measures of water conservation. Water Pinch Analysis (WPA) is an efficient technique employed to achieve such goals through process integration and reuse optimization. This paper reviews the use of WPA in petroleum refineries with the focus on methodologies, industrial case studies, and future trends. The main idea behind these studies is that WPA can drastically cut the fresh water supply (even up to 56%) which is accompanied by lowering wastewater generation and their costs. Apart from the graphical and tabular methods (composite curves, water cascade analysis) presented in the review paper, this is also the interaction of decision frameworks (Life Cycle Assessment, Heat Pinch, AI/ML) and recent progress in digitalization and zero liquid discharge. By comparing data from several refineries (Kaduna, Tehran, Kermanshah, etc.), the paper looks at the accomplishments, barriers, and possibilities for research. Water Pinch Analysis (WPA) is a strategic tool that can help the refining industry reach its sustainability goals.