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

March 2005

Archive

Special Report: Instruments and Networks

Unified automation with digital plant architecture improves gas plant and gathering system operation
Chromu s. A.: Artusi, N.
Emerson Process Management: Bersier, R.
Repsol YPF: Sanchez, M.  |  Troncoso, L.

Benefits include improved quality control, safety and environmental stewardship, and reduced maintenance costs

Benefits of electronic device description language for fieldbus installations
Emerson Process Management: Zielinski, M.

The technology is a major advancement toward achieving interoperability of intelligent field instrumentation incorporating different fieldbus protocols

Determining system capability for loss control and custody transfers
SS Tech Services: Sivaraman, S.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.: Desinger, M.
SK Energy: Kinoda

The key is a planned evaluation of the measurement systems and procedures

Improved valve sizing for multiphase flow
Samson AG: Kiesbauer, J.
BASF AG: Diener, R.
c/o BASF AG: Schmidt, J.

HNE-DS method is based on an expansion factor similar to the gaseous media to account for changes in mixture density

Bonus Report: Process Safety

The Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center – the first ten years
Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University System: Mannan, M. S.

Founded from a tragedy, this organization is leading the way in process safety

Heat Transfer/Corrosion

Avoid sulfuric acid corrosion in metallic stacks
Centro de Tecnologias Ambientais ISQ--Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade: Gomes, J. F. P.

Use these guidelines to prevent condensation of acidic gases

Management Guidelines

Understand the myths surrounding Six Sigma
Department of Biotechnology: Doble, M.

Converting all problems into this framework could stifle the organization

Columns

HP Control: HPIn Control: Website provides useful advanced process control information
Petrocontrol: Friedman, Y. Z.

Following is an interview with Dr. Babak Khosrowshahi, the founder of APC-network.com. What is APC-network and what are its objectives? "APC-network brings together a virtual advanced process contro..

HP Reliability: Use selective preventive and predictive maintenance for compressors
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Perhaps you too are working for a company that is asking challenging questions, or demanding certain implementation strategies for which it has not laid the necessary groundwork. Such seems to be the ..

HPIn Europe: Drilling down into the prospects for gasification
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Wright, Tim L.

Last month, I went off into some blue skies thinking about the energy shortfall, gasification, hydrogen and CO2 capture and storage. This month, I want to grab the string on that balloon and p..

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

New process raises yield of low-sulfur diesel Axens has developed an innovative low-to-medium pressure hydrocracking technology to upgrade vacuum gasoil into low-sulfur diesel. It allows refiners to..

New Developments

Handy pressure calibrator Compact hand-held MC2 pressure calibrator is said to be practical and offer plenty of features and functions for pressure and electrical calibratio..

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

ConocoPhillips submitted a construction application to the US Coast Guard for a new offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification facility in the Gulf of Mexico. The proposed Beacon Port Clean E..

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

ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing, LLC has an agreement with Huntsman Petrochemical (UK) Ltd. to license ExxonMobil's tubular process technology for its new low density polyethylene (LDPE) plan..

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

USFilter, a Siemens company, is providing ORYX GTL Ltd. (Q.S.C.)'s new gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, with two separate water treatment systems for water reuse. Both ..

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

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) is using Basell's Lupotech T technology for a new 250-ktpy, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant to be built at Maoming in Guangdong Province, People's Repu..

HP Construction: HPIn Construction: Africa
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Fluor Corp. is providing engineering, procurement and construction management services to Sasol Ltd. at its Natref refinery near Sasolburg, South Africa. Contract value was not disclosed. The projec..

Free Literature

Sealing solutions for oil and gas applications John Crane EAA's new brochure illustrates how the company's many sealing solutions help keep process operations running more s..

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

  US energy bill could skirt MTBE For the fourth time in ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: US-based HPI firms post record earnings
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

For US-based integrated oil companies, 2004 is providing exceptional third- and fourth-quarter performance figures. Several factors converged in 2004 to support these favorable earnings and net income..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Most petrochemicals experiencing full up-swing in demand
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

A fundamental and lasting recovery in the chemicals, plastics and fibers markets is "fully underway," according to a new analysis from CMAI (www.cmaiglobal.com). The strength and duration of this up-c..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Emerging technology creates improved value for SCADA systems
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The underlying technology that enables traditional supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) functionality is changing dramatically. Emerging technology is enabling SCADA systems to be tightly ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Government study names regulatory barriers to US natural gas supply
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

As consumers suffer from record-high natural gas prices, a new report prepared by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) identifies over 30 environmental policy and regulatory constraints that hinder US na..

HP Impact: HPImpact: ISO updates environment management standards
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

ISO has recently published revised, improved versions of its ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 standards. The upgrade is expected to put the benefits of implementing an environmental management system (EMS) wit..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Free standards source for chemicals exporters
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

For US exporters, Germany is the largest single market in the 25-country European Union (EU), with chemicals export sales of $3.3 billion in 2003. These exports represented 13% of the $26.5 billion in..

Misc

Bhopal: Could it happen again?
SIS-Tech Solutions, LLC: Summers, A.

The international symposium "Bhopal and Its Impact on Process Safety" was held at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India, December 1 – 3, 2004. Twenty years ago on December 3, 1984, ..

How to buy and operate desalters

Consider these processing criteria to minimize investment and reduce maintenance expenses for this unit