February 2007

As the main sulfur source in the gasoline pool, fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) gasoline cuts must undergo severe hydrodesulfurization (HDS) processing to achieve ultra-low-sulfur gasoline (ULSG) pool s..

Oxygen enrichment is an option to reduce loadings for Claus plant

Processing synthetic crudes will impact quality and quantity of transportation fuels; thus, modifying refinery configuration is necessary

Next-generation technologies can impact the world's transportation fuels market

Energy resources found at the Arctic Circle have potential

The hydrocracking experience for a Gulf Coast refinery illustrates potential problems with poor catalyst selection

This facility installed a flare gas recovery system improving emissions and increasing revenue

Changing blending and product demands will require significant adjustments by refiners

Using this analytical technique can increase productivity

Vertical reboilers (shell-and-tube heat exchangers) are widely used in the petrochemical industry for performing the necessary vaporization function for various types of distillation columns/separatio..

Coupling guard oil leakage on critical gas compressor trains can be a problem causing delays in startup after repairs due to sealant curing times, and a daily nuisance to operators. At Saudi Aramco's ..

Most pressure vessels are custom designed because of the specific requirements of the process. Depending on the service conditions, some of these vessels will fall under the category of lethal service..

Before collectively abandoning hydrocarbons and stocking up on carbohydrates for energy, let's make sure we fully understand the proper role for biofuels as part of the nation's transportation fuel mi..

Biofuels are getting a lot of ink these days. Politicians and major media have lauded the idea of biofuels. This is understandable considering the rise in oil and gas prices over the past few years an..

When we put wireless technology trends together, we can see that their combination may bring change to the way the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) works, and may bring this change faster than we..

"It can't be done, at least not in that timetable." You get a pretty strong reaction when you put the ideas contained in a Marpol submission by the independent tanker owners association to a seasoned ..

"Water doctor" is a colloquial term for a professional who serves as an expert technical resource for utility systems in industrial operations. Corporations typically employ this professional to provi..

Paul Nazzaro       Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Fleet managers, petroleum distributors and other consumers sh..

Our dependence on foreign oil is not only an economic issue, but also raises concerns on national security. The US must be proactive in reducing its dependence on traditional fossil fuels and in devel..

In Sept. 19, 2006, the US Air Force and Syntroleum Corp. achieved a major milestone. A synthetic Fischer-Tropsch (FT) fuel powered a B-52 Stratofortress airplane for the first time. In this test, two ..

For years, it has been our contention that root-cause failure analysis (RCFA) is a skill that must be taught, absorbed and consistently practiced. We certainly concur with the CEO of an RCFA training ..

Manufacturing companies continue to increase investments in capital expenditures for automation equipment. As a result, the worldwide market for total process automation will grow 6.4%/yr over the nex..

The overall US market for coal-based products has grown from almost $3.4 billion in 2003 to an approximately $5.9 billion in 2006. By 2011, the US market is expected to reach nearly $12 billion—a..

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facilitating monthly teleconferences with international control system vendors and equipment manufacturers to discuss ways to increase cybersecurity in ..

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. completed its fluid catalytic cracking unit expansion at its Pascagoula, Mississippi, complex. This increases the refinery's capacity to manufacture gasoline by roughly 10% to abou..

Technip has a project management consulting (PMC) contract with Ecopetrol, Colombia's state oil company. The agreement is worth $50 million and will expand its refinery in Barrancabermeja, Colombia. T..

BASF is expanding its production complex for diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) in Antwerp, Belgium. In the second quarter of 2007, the annual capacity of the two-train plant at BASF's Antwerp Verbund..

GE Oil & Gas has two separate contracts to supply centrifugal compressors for two petroleum development Oman (PDO) projects: one in the Saih Rawl gas field of Central Oman, and the other in the Harwee..

Honeywell has a $2.5 million contract from TonenGeneral Sekiyu to oversee the Wakayama control house consolidation project. This will combine the oil refinery's existing process control operations int..

  LNG market dynamics Unless the US builds necessary infrastructure to import natural gas, it will be at..

Despite the projected rapid growth of biofuels and other nonhydroelectric renewable energies and expectations of the first new orders for nuclear power plants in over 25 years, fossil fuels are foreca..

Though GDP growth has decelerated in the US, it has remained strong in most other parts of the world and accelerated in some others—notably the "Eurozone." Economists with Global Insight believe ..

Over the past four years, US LNG import volumes have not been strongly related to US gas prices, according to David Hendicott, director of Global Gas LNG Strategy with ConocoPhillips. Speaking at a re..

Over 20 projects in the chemical processing industry are in the engineering phase and set to begin construction in the first quarter of 2007. The combined total investment value of the 21 projects is ..

 WENDY WEIRAUCH, Managing Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com A colorless gas with properties similar to LPG, dimethyl ether (DME) i..

A Canadian gas processor used this technology to meet environmental regulations

Selected by Hydrocarbon Processing editors       Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Monitoring flame impingement in process heaters The F..

 Selected by Hydrocarbon Processing editors       Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Alliance for improved operations GEmerson Process Ma..