A case of identifying and analysis of key variables into a crude-oil reception, conditioning and distribution station using Statistical Process Control Techniques (SPC), is presented. The station identified as "Terminal Maritima de Dos Bocas" (TMDB), situated near the town of Paraiso in the SouthEast Mexican state of Tabasco, receives eight crude lines from Campeche offshore plataforms and some South land-reservoirs, moreover it conditioning and distributes crude-oil for international and domestic commerce.
Owing the high international markets crude-oil competition and its respective demand of more strict conditions of quality for it commerce, it is neccesary to incorporate new technologies to the terminal looking for satisfying present and future needs. To do this, it was primary important to make a review of the process and proceedings in the terminal driven, with the objetive of identify those variables with high influence on its products quality and which determines it (i.e. Key Variables). We follow the methodology of Statistical Process Control to find out this key-variables and to quantify the benefits we should have for the implementation of such tehcniques as first step to the general application of the methodology in real time.
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