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

January 2007

Archive

Special Report: Gas Processing Developments

Recover high-Btu gas from new sources
Gas Technology Products Division, Merichem Chemical & Refinery Services LLC: Nagl, G. J.

Innovative application of gas processing technologies enables clean-up of landfill methane

Optimize your gas concentration unit operations
Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.: Mandal, K. K.

Improve hydrogen sulfide removal techniques for quality control

Compressed natural gas – Another solution to monetize stranded gas
Chemical Engineering Dept., University of Houston: Economides, M. J.
Consultant: Mokhatab, S.

This technology offers unique advantages for short-distance transportation

Asset Management

Adopting a customer-focused and process-centric supply chain
Deloitte Consulting LLP: Lafferty, T.  |  West, B.

Here's a business model for improved operational excellence and value creation

Distillation

How to handle low-liquid loadings
CH2M Hill: Sloley, A. W.
Sulzer Chemtech USA, Inc.: Summers, D. R.

Better tray design techniques reveal dynamics to improve minimum liquid load conditions

Engineering Case Histories

Case 36: Pipe bowing stresses due to thermal differences
Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

A pipe partially filled with a hot cycling fluid can cause weld failures

Instrumentation/Process Control

Multivariable predictive control without step testing
BP Exploration Operating Comp., Ltd.: Lawrence, D.  |  Sims, M.
PAS Global: Rice, V.  |  Sims, R.

Other benefits of this BP project included increased production and reduced energy consumption and emissions

Piping/Fluid Flow

Analytical calculation of Fanning friction factor
Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd.: Nandakumar, V.

The Colebrook equation can be solved by using the Lambert W function. Algorithmic routines are also given to do the calculation

Process Technology

Consider continuous thermodynamics approach for modeling
WorleyParsons: Datta, K. A.
Fort Wheeler Eastern Pte. Ltd.: Singh, S.

A new simulation method selectively uses key components to optimize various refining units

Rotating Equipment/Reliability

Selecting turbine oil filtration systems
Kaydon Custom Filtration Corp.: McNeil, B.  |  Mills, T.

Follow these guidelines to improve reliability

Columns

HP Reliability: Win or lose – it's the customer's choice
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

This January marks the 30th anniversary of the article on eliminating cooling water from general-purpose pumps and drivers.1 The article documented why, in the early and mid-1970s, many of the world's..

HP Integration Strategies: Improve pump performance and cut energy costs
ARC Advisory Group: Hollywood, Paula

Pumps are the second most utilized machines in the world. According to the Hydraulics Institute (HI), industry's primary forum for exchange of pump information, industrial pumping systems account for ..

HPIn Europe: Canceled projects to sustain margins as costs soar
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Wright, Tim L.

Five hundred announced projects. Sixty-six new refineries. A total of 180 upgrading projects and another 180 for clean fuels. The numbers were both stunning and somewhat implausible at this year's Eur..

HPIn LNG: Shipping natural gas – new frontiers
Exponent, Inc.: Saraf, S.

Global natural gas (NG) demand is expected to double by 2020. Result: There is an increased activity in NG exploration. Globally, 75% of the NG produced is transported through pipelines, and the remai..

HP Automation Safety: IEC 61511 – Momentum for change in 2007
exida LLC: Goble, W.

Many good things are happening in the world of functional safety. At the top of the list is the acceptance and adoption of IEC 61511 by companies of the hydrocarbon processing industries. ANSI – ..

New Developments

Improved flare modeling analysis for plant safety design A link developed between SimSci-Esscor's VISUAL FLOW safety system design software and DNV Software's PHASTFX flammable effects software module..

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

Marathon Oil Corp.'s board of directors has approved an estimated $3.2 billion project to expand the crude oil refining capacity at its Garyville, Louisiana, refinery. This project will increase Garyv..

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

CompactGTL plc and PETROBRAS have an agreement to construct and jointly test a gas-to-liquids pilot plant using proprietary, compact reactor technology developed by CompactGTL. The pilot plant will pr..

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

Aker Kvaerner has a contract to deliver process modules to Aker Floating Production's SMART floating production storage offloading (FPSO) vessels. Total contract value for Aker Kvaerner is approximate..

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

Uhde has a contract to supply an EnviNOx tail gas treatment unit to Omnia Fertilizer Ltd., South Africa. The plant will be installed at a nitric acid facility located in Sasolburg. Contract scope comp..

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

GE's Oil and Gas is supplying three Frame 6B gas turbines that will provide a total of approximately 120 MW of power for Qatar Liquefied Gas Co. Ltd.'s liquefied natural gas production facilities 2, 3..

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

Aker Kvaerner Process Systems has a contract with Reliance Industries Ltd. to design and deliver a monoethylenglycol (MEG) reclamation system for Reliance's KG-D6 gas project. Total estimated contract..

Free Literature

Tank cleaning video Gamajet Cleaning Systems, Inc's new video highlights a better way to clean all sizes and types of tanks, vessels and totes. The technology of impingement cleaning and its use in va..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief

  Chevron budget up 20% in 2007 Chevron Corp., the second-largest integrated oil major in the US, is pla..

HP Impact: HPImpact: New research examines US trends in gasoline and vehicle use
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Forces that are redrawing the global gasoline and oil market include higher gasoline prices, tightening environmental requirements, changing demographics, growing world oil demand and expanding fuel o..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Gas-to-liquids: a mature technology with growth potential
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Growing reliance on gas is an emerging trend, and gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology will play an increasingly significant role as crude oil resources are depleting, says Tony Schenk, business developmen..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Europe's refining challenges include processing Ural crude
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Latest technological innovations, processes and core industry issues were the focus of the ERTC Annual Meeting (Paris, November 2006). Tackling the key strategic challenges facing European refiners ov..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Saudi Arabia switches some feedstock from natural gas to oil
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

In a sign that gas availability remains problematic, Saudi Arabia has decided to run its independent power project at Ras al-Zour on crude oil, rather than natural gas. This is described as a "retrogr..

HP Impact: HPImpact: South Korea producers feel pressure as China shifts to exporting
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

National industrial and energy strategies do not always develop in the seamless way that government planners originally envisaged in competitive globalized markets. South Korea is going through "a per..

HP Impact: HPImpact: China planning major projects for flue gas desulfurization
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

In the 11th plan from 2006 to 2010, the six major Chinese utilities will install 300 new SO2 flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. "To put this in perspective, the US is the leading constructor of s..

HP Impact: HPImpact: High energy demand, prices driving global DCS investments
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The Distributed Control System (DCS) market experienced the strongest growth in a decade between 2004 and 2005, surging nearly 9%. This strong growth is expected to continue through 2010, with the glo..

Letters to the Editor

Leters to the Editor

Vibration limits for gas turbines Thank you for Mr. Bloch's "HPIn Reliability" column, "Vibration limits for gas turbines" (October 2006). Any attempt to establish alarm limits for predictive mainten..

Misc

HP Innovations

Compact, lightweight integrated compression system Claimed to be a major advance in centrifugal compressor technology, Dresser-Rand Company has developed a fully Integrated Compression System (ICS) en..

Improve mercaptan solubility in amine units
The Dow Chemical Company: Bedell, S. A.  |  Griffin, G. M.  |  Pirtle, L. L.

Using this new technology can improve the bottom line