Reformate — High-Octane Gasoline Blendstock & BTX Feed | Royal Global Energy
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ReformateHigh-octane blendstock & BTX feed

A gasoline blending stock produced by catalytic reforming — a refining process in which mixed catalysts and hydrogen rearrange lower-octane naphthenes into higher-octane compounds without a significant reduction in carbon number.

Reformate is also the primary source of aromatic bulk chemicals — benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene — used across the plastics and chemicals value chain, and it's the stream we extract xylol (xylenes) from for the solvent trade.

Research Octane Number (RON) — axis 70–105
Full-range Reformate95–100
Light Reformate80–85

Octane climbs sharply with aromatics content — full-range and heavy cuts do the octane-boosting work, while the lighter paraffinic cut trails well behind.

Reformate Benzene Toluene Xylene Ethylbenzene High-Octane Blendstock Catalytic Reforming Middle East Reformate Benzene Toluene Xylene Ethylbenzene High-Octane Blendstock Catalytic Reforming Middle East
Reforming Streams

Full-range, heavy
or light

Royal Global Energy supplies reformate across the streams a catalytic reformer produces — full-range reformate for gasoline blending, heavy reformate as a concentrated aromatics cut for BTX extraction, and light reformate for markets that need a lower-octane, paraffin-rich fraction.

Aromatics content is what separates the streams: heavy reformate runs highly concentrated for benzene, toluene and xylene recovery, full-range sits in the middle as an all-purpose octane booster, and light reformate stays paraffinic with only a modest aromatics fraction.

FR

Full-range reformate

The standard high-octane gasoline blendstock, balancing RON with yield across the whole reformer cut.

HR

Heavy reformate

Aromatics-rich BTX feedstock for benzene, toluene and xylene extraction and downstream petrochemicals.

LR

Light reformate

A lighter, paraffinic C5–C6 cut with lower octane and aromatics, often isomerised separately.

Aromatics content by stream

Typical fraction Spec range
Heavy Reformate (BTX)
85–95%
Full-range Reformate
55–65%
Light Reformate
10–20%
Benzene (in heavy cut)
8–15%
Toluene + Xylenes
55–70%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Aromatics content by liquid volume, %, FIA method. Ranges vary with reformer severity and feed naphtha composition, and are confirmed on the certificate of quality for each cargo.

Reference

Trading specification

Property Limit
Research Octane Number (RON), Clear 95 Min
Motor Octane Number (MON), Clear 84 Min
Aromatics content (FIA) 55–65% typ.
Benzene content 5% Max
Density @ 15°C 0.735–0.780 kg/L
Sulfur content 10 mg/kg Max
Cargo‑level trading specification. Stream-specific limits for full-range and heavy reformate follow below.
Application

Where it's used

Supplied as full-range, heavy and light reformate, moving through gasoline blending pools, aromatics extraction units and the solvent trade.

Gasoline blending

The core use for reformate — a high-octane blendstock that lifts the RON of the finished motor gasoline pool.

Aromatics & petrochemical feedstock

Heavy reformate feeds aromatics extraction units for benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene — raw materials for plastics and downstream chemicals.

Solvents & industrial use

Xylol (xylenes) distilled from reformate is used in paints as a solvent, plus pesticides, tile adhesive, printing, packaging and construction chemicals.

Gasoline Blending BTX Feed Xylene / Solvent Ethylbenzene Precursor

Xylol (Xylenes)

Xylol is a clear, colourless aromatic hydrocarbon liquid with a sweet odour, extracted or distilled from reformate — the stream derived from refining high-octane motor gasoline. It's mainly used as a solvent in paints, and also finds its way into pesticides, tile adhesive, printing, packaging and construction chemical formulations.

Process & product

How it's
made

Diagram of a simple-cycle hydroskimming refinery producing reformate
Reformate storage tanks at export terminal
Technical data

Full specifications

Property Limit Test method
Physical form Liquid Visual
Appearance Clear, straw to amber Visual
RON, Clear 95–100 Min ASTM D‑2699
MON, Clear 83–87 ASTM D‑2700
Aromatics content 55–65% ASTM D‑1319
Benzene content 5% Max ASTM D‑3606
Sulfur content 10 mg/kg Max ASTM D‑2622
Density @ 15°C 0.735–0.760 kg/L ASTM D‑4052
Distillation, IBP–FBP 40–190°C ASTM D‑86
Reid vapor pressure 45 kPa Max ASTM D‑323 / D‑5191
Swipe to see all columns
Property Limit Test method
Physical form Liquid Visual
Appearance Clear, straw to amber Visual
RON, Clear 100–104 ASTM D‑2699
Aromatics content 85–95% ASTM D‑1319
Benzene content 8–15% ASTM D‑3606
Toluene + Xylenes 55–70% ASTM D‑5580
Sulfur content 5 mg/kg Max ASTM D‑2622
Density @ 15°C 0.780–0.865 kg/L ASTM D‑4052
Distillation, IBP–FBP 95–170°C ASTM D‑86
Swipe to see all columns
Composition ranges for this stream are shown above, under Reforming Streams.
Storage

Storage & export loading

Reformate is stored as an ambient-temperature liquid in atmospheric fixed-roof or internal floating-roof tanks — the same tankage class used for gasoline and other light petroleum distillates — and loaded onto trucks, rail cars or marine vessels for export.

Loading is metered and sampled at custody transfer, with vapour recovery controlling emissions from the tank's vapour space throughout the fill.

10,000–50,000 bbl
Typ. shore tank capacity
<21°C
Flash point (Class I flammable)
40–190°C
Distillation range, IBP–FBP
300–600 m³/hr
Typ. loading rate
RFM CLASS 3 FLAMMABLE loading arm vapour recovery
Storage & vessel property Specification
Containment type Atmospheric fixed-roof / internal floating-roof tank
Design pressure Atmospheric, vapour space vented / VRU controlled
Storage temperature Ambient, unheated
Material Carbon steel, internally coated as required
Loading method Top or bottom loading — truck, rail or marine arm
Metering Mass flow / Coriolis, custody transfer
Safety systems Vapour recovery unit, foam suppression, earthing/bonding
Regulatory class Flammable liquid, Class 3 (typ. UN 1268)
Cargo‑specific loading and storage parameters vary by terminal and vessel; full loadmaster data shared pre‑fixture.
Reformate shipping

Transport &
classification

Shipping data for reformate cargoes — full-range, heavy and light — moved under standard petroleum liquid regulations for road, rail and marine transport.

Reformate is typically classified for transport as UN 1268, Petroleum Distillates, N.O.S. — the exact entry is confirmed on the shipping documentation for each cargo based on its actual composition.

Class 3, Flammable Liquid, typically Packing Group II, carried in dedicated tank vessels, tank trucks or rail tank cars suited to gasoline-range distillates.

Moved under ADR/RID as a Class 3 flammable liquid, in dedicated tank vehicles and tank wagons with the appropriate placarding and static-bonding precautions.

Stored in dedicated atmospheric tanks, away from ignition sources, with static bonding/earthing and vapour control per site HSE procedures.

Documentation

Download specifications

Full data sheets for each reformate stream, ready to share with your engineering team.

Reformate
Specification sheet · PDF
 Heavy Reformate (BTX)
Specification sheet · PDF
 Xylol (Xylenes)
Specification sheet · PDF

Need a quote on reformate?

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