June 2009

This plant case history illustrates the benefits

A fresh look investigates general principles in designing process coalescers

The advances presented will improve quality and productivity

Keeping automation close-coupled to operation is key

New-generation catalysts and proper operating strategies offer improved selectivity and cycle length

Consider using this new calculation for recovery

Compatability of the filter cartridge media with the plant feed is a major consideration

I, and others, have written much about the difficulties of maintaining advanced process control (APC) applications.1–5 It is a problem to be tackled on many levels. There are issues of manning, t..

Perhaps you have encountered pumping duties handling free-flowing slurries, sludge and fibrous materials. If used in these services, a standard centrifugal pump may clog, become vapor-bound or wear ex..

The process engineering tools (PET) market consists of two major segments of software products that play a critical role in designing, creating, commissioning, and operating plants and related assets...

Refining margins have been off badly in the first half of 2009. In Europe, a couple of simpler refiners have, at least temporarily, taken their ball home. Is this just the way Europe weathers a recess..

Nanotechnology improves hydroprocessing reactions Criterion has introduced a new technology platform, CENTERA. It is claimed to provide more active and robust structures for hydroprocessing reactions...

 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has a contract to provide engineering services for Suncor's Upgrader 2 (U2) 2010 reliability projects near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Jacobs Engineering will ..

 Invensys Process Systems (IPS) has signed a five-year, $50 million contract to provide comprehensive safety services and solutions to Petrobras. Under the terms of this contract, the company wi..

 Burckhardt Compression has an order from OJSC Syzran to deliver four process gas compressors for OJSC Syzran's refinery upgrade project in the Samara region of Russia. The contractor for the pr..

 Jacobs ZATE has a general engineering services (GES) contract with Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. (Petro Rabigh) for its $15 billion facility in Saudi Arabia. Officials estimate the pote..

 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has a contract from Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) to provide project management consultancy services for a diesel hydrotreater (DHDT) project at HPCL's ref..

 The Shaw Group Inc.'s Energy & Chemicals Group has been selected by Sasol to provide basic engineering support for two Fischer-Tropsch units. Shaw is providing the basic engineering package for..

Demand swings vex refiners The refining industry is grappling with shifting scenarios for tomorrow's energy landscape. One scenario has the US beco..

Deal activity in the energy sector offered a schizophrenic character in 2008. The first half of the year started with a fairly robust number of transactions, until commodity prices began a steep decli..

As with many industries, the US and Canadian industrial valve industry saw the steady climb in sales and profits of the last decade turn around in the past year to experience a decline. However, the d..

The viewpoint on energy policy is an inverted "bell" shaped curve, according to John Hoffmeister, CEO of the Citizens for Affordable Energy at a recent Energy Hot Topics seminar in Houston, Texas (www..

Utility companies across the EU registered all-time peak electric and gas usage during the winter of 2008-2009. Action on the EU goal of reducing energy usage 20% by 2020 through energy efficiency cou..

  Stuck upstream with the downstream blues again Downstream aficionados need to realize that information pertinent to the petroleum refining bu..

Tighter economic conditions require refiners to reconsider benchmark and optimization tools for revamps