Can the oil refining be broken down into separate steps?

When refining oil into other byproducts, does it all have to be done at the same time or can the refinement process be interrupted and started again at a later time?Can the oil refining be broken down into separate steps?
Typically, the variety of unit operations in a petroleum refinery are designed to be continuous processes because they are more economical to run than batch processes. All of the processes can be run in a batch configuration, but not on the equipment in the petroleum refineries. Start-up and Shut-down of the continuous distillation systems, catalytic reaction systems, extractions, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, etc. are usually the most energy intensive and potentially hazardous operations in a refinery. Once you get a continuous process operating and lined out to meet specifications, the best idea is to keep it running 24/7.