February 2003

Hydrogen network operating decisions affect the bottom line every day, but most refineries do not apply the tools that could dramatically increase profitability

Suspended solids in refinery feeds foul critical desulfurization catalysts and heat exchange equipment and rob refiners of potential profits

New reforming technology enables converting stranded natural gas into low-sulfur syngas

By outsourcing industrial gas sources, refiners can focus resources – capital and manpower – on upgrading crude oil into higher-value products

Innovative solutions such as catalysts and membranes can be used to navigate the 'roadmap' for clean fuels agenda

Improve facility operations with this valuable technique

Consider a dual-channel gas chromatographic system as an analytical option

Within the framework of a process safety management program, this method helps to minimize maintenance costs and reduce plant risk level

Analysis helps when making the tough decisions

Proper mathematical modeling requires a good understanding of the fundamentals

We recently had occasion to review supposedly new, but nevertheless seriously outdated, information on the subject of oil mist lubrication. The flawed material appeared in a write-up ba..

As automation technology advances in complexity and sophistication, operating personnel face an increasingly complex decision-making process in dealing with critical conditions. Today, ..

The refining industry is continuing to endure a tough time and, for the foreseeable future, this picture does not look like changing, certainly in Europe. In addition to the pressures, ..

Surface water from lakes and rivers requires removal of suspended solids to be suitable for cooling systems or to feed softeners, demineralizers or reverse osmosis units. The convention..

Vibration test, measurement instrument uses PDA The MicroVibe, a portable vibration test and measurement instrument from SKF Reliability Systems, is claimed to make sophisticated analys..

FERC grants LNG terminal approval The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has granted preliminary approval to Hackberry LNG Terminal LLC's certificate application. This is for its pr..

Coating aids quality control and structural inspection Optically active coating system (OACS) is said to be suitable for a wide array of manufacturing and inspection applications. These..

North America ExxonMobil completed a $7 million expansion at its Beaumont, Texas, lube oil blending plant. The project incorporated ExxonMobil's new GreasePro technology at the facility..

Vacuum technology education Literature from Graham Corp. offers information on its VacAdemics seminars. These classes are said to help participants make technically and economically sound ..

  Lab software upda..

After a challenging year in 2001, the U.S. chemicals sector returned to growth in 2002. A boost in shipments occurred as customers began reordering, following the most protracted invent..

Regional economies in the Middle East have shifted away from simple resource extraction and export and are focusing more on value-added exports. Nearly every country in the area now has..

Preliminary plans have been announced by Venezuela's government to take the state-owned oil company - PDVSA - and break it in two. The restructuring would "decentralize" the company and..

World styrene demand grew 5.1% in 2002, a contrast to the 1.8% decline in 2001. "After negative spot cash margins throughout 2001 for U.S. producers, the margins in 2002 were a huge ble..

Carbon sequestration is a promising area of research in which carbon emissions are captured and permanently stored, rather than being released into the atmosphere. The Department of Ene..

When it comes to safety instrumented systems, simply deciding on a logic box should be the least concern. According to the Certified Functional Safety Expert (CFSE) organization, key cr..

Despite the post-September 11 urgency for improved plant/enterprise security and business continuity, corporate investment dollars did not immediately follow. After an initial spike, ma..

New design Hydrocarbon Processing is probably the only magazine for process industry professionals that includes process optimization, equipment, instrumentation, maintenance, safety an..

What defines a "clean fuel"? Ultimately, it is the final fuel certification as obtained through an approved laboratory measurement method. For low-sulfur-content fuels, several major te..

  Table 6. Processes and new developments for atmospheric and vacuum residue ..

Wendy Weirauch, Managing Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Regional gasoline markets of Nor..

Wendy Weirauch, Managing Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com An optimistic outlook from the H..