Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

November 2003

Archive

Special Report: Plant Safety and Environment

Improve crane safety
Carmagen Engineering, Inc.: Bates, G.  |  Hontz, R. M.

Prequalifying suppliers is an important step

Pump cavitation caused by entrained gas
Process Consulting Services, Inc.: Barletta, T.

Here's how the problem was solved on an FCC main fractionator

Dry gas seals and support systems: benefits and options
Global Machinery Consultants Pty Ltd.: Saxena, M. N.

Follow these guidelines for proper specification, installation and maintenance

Air pollution control options to successfully manage VOC/HAP emissions
The CMM Group, LLC: Martinson, C. M.

Choose the correct technology to comply with permitting requirements

A path forward for DCS alarm management
Fluor Corp.: Connor, T.
Grodidier Consulting Services: Grosdidier, P.
PAS, Inc.: Hollifield, B.  |  Kulkarni, S.

Follow these guidelines to reduce operator overload and improve plant safety

Training/Management

Add depth to technical training
Visiting Faculty, Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology: Goyal, O. P.

Use these 15 approaches and real-world examples to refresh the knowledge base and analytical skills of engineers and plant managers

Columns

HP Reliability: Apply optimized method of stiffening pump base plates
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In the late 1990s, Houston-basedStay-Tru Services developed a highly effective method to minimizefield installation costs and improve reliability of pump baseplates. Its "Stay-Tru Pre-Grouted Base Pla..

HP Water Management: Understanding refinery wastewater treatment basics - Part 1
MarTech Systems, Inc.: Huchler, L. A.

Every refinery has a treatment plant to remove petroleum contaminants, hazardous materials and suspended solids from wastewater prior to discharge to the local watershed or publicly owned treatment fa..

HP Integration Strategies: Standards are tools for achieving success
HP Editorial Staff: Ghosh, A.

Companies across the world are facingfundamental changes in the ways they are managed and operated.Managers are continuously evaluating strategies and practices todetermine how to maintain and build m..

HPIn Europe: Privatization, acquisitions in the forefront
European Refining & Marketing: Pitt, R.

The next 12 months would appear to be extremely active ones if comments made at the recent Central and Eastern European Refining Conference are to be believed. During the course of the conference, whi..

HP Innovations

Major industry player enlarges energy portfolio ConocoPhillips has acquired the patents and intellectual property associated with the E-GAS gasification technology. E-GAS is an advanced integrated gas..

HPInformer
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Call for papers CCPS is calling for presentation papers for its 19th annual international conference. The meeting will be held June 21 – 23, 2004 at the Caribe Royale Resort, Orlando, Florida, an..

New Developments

Low-cost gas detector with plug-in sensors Intrinsically safe gas detector uses plug-in modular sensors to spot dangerous concentrations of more than 50 toxic or explosive gases – from arsine to ..

HP Construction: North America
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Freeport LNG Development, L.P. and Technip USA Corp., a Technip subsidiary, have a contract for front-end engineering design (FEED). The agreement will lead to finalizing the engineering, procurement ..

HP Construction: Europe
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Technip has a lump sum turnkey contract with Motor Oil Hellas S.A. for new process units and utilities at its refinery in Corinth, Greece. The agreement is worth €300 million. The main process un..

HP Construction: Middle East
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Technip has a lumpsum turnkey contract with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) for diesel hydrotreating facilities at its Riyadh Refinery. Technip's project scope also includes providing an amine re..

HP Construction: Asia Pacific
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

ABB completed delivering a distributed control system (DCS), safety system, and fire and gas system. The DCS was for the production process on a newly built floating production storage offshore (FPSO)..

HP Construction: South America
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Technip USA Corp., in consortium with Ingeníera y Construcción Sigdo Koppers S.A. (I&CSK), has a contract with Compañia de Hidrógeno del Bío-Bío S.A. (CHBB). It is for en..

Free Literature

Details of sample panel design and construction Waters Equipment Co. has published a six-page, full-color brochure on steam and water-sampling systems (Bulletin W1200). It details construction and des..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Clean fuels plant undergoes testings The US Department of Energy (DOE) has dedicated a facility that ..

HP Impact: Methanol: next capacity wave, rationalization
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The year 2003 has witnessed both short supply and continuing high natural gas prices in the US. Unexpected industry losses of supply early in the year, totaling as much as 800 thousand metric tons, ar..

HP Impact: US catalysts demand for polymer production to grow 5.7%/year
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Catalyst demand in the US is forecast to increase 4.5%/yr to $3.5 billion in 2007. In volume terms, consumption will advance 2.1%/yr to 8.1 billion pounds. Growth will derive primarily from the contin..

HP Impact: Natural gas study advocates a focus for US policy
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The National Petroleum Council (NPC) recommends a portfolio of balanced policy initiatives that would save US energy consumers as much as $1 trillion in natural gas costs over the next two decades. In..

HP Impact: Computer simulator reveals risks for EU's energy supplies
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

POLES, a computer simulation of the world energy system takes a look at future energy needs and resources. By 2030, world energy consumption will have increased by 70%. More than half the demand will ..

HP Impact: Petrochemicals outlook optimistic as global GDPs improve
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The industry has withstood several major impacts that seemingly converged as the "perfect storm." Business dynamics, a soft economy, energy crisis and international events all comingled to create a tu..

HP Impact: Benchmark your plant's security program
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

HPI facilities are modifying their systems to prevent or minimize terrorist and other attacks. The Construction Industry Institute (CII) is developing best practices for project security and a methodo..

HP Impact: Polyethylene market recovering from glut
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

According to Jeff Lipton, CEO of Nova Chemicals, the industry has been under siege over the past decade. During the 1990s, the petrochemical industry constructed more capacity than needed. Unfortunate..

HP Impact: Chem engineers: focus on key research needs
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Most experts believe that the world's energy needs over the next 20 to 50 years will be met primarily by fossil fuels. Three main challenges in the future energy scenario are limited supply, environme..

Misc

Failure analysis of a primary reformer riser
SABIC R&T: Babakr, A.
Saudi Basic Industries Corp.: Al-Meshari, A.  |  Al-Rabie, M.

Investigation revealed the root cause was creep rupture

Consider SCR to mitigate NOx emissions
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.: Hefele, D. C.  |  Jordan, R. L.  |  Lash, F. W.
Cormetech Environmental Technologies: Kunz, R. G.

Integrated H2 production with a stationary gas turbine yields processing gases, steam and electricity while complying with stringent air-emission requirements of a nonattainment area