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

October 2009

Archive

Special Report: Process Control and Information Systems

Practical process control system metrics
Tesoro Corp.: Kern, A.G.

Here are several useful examples

Agile supply chain planning
M3 Technology: Acuff, C.  |  Jasper, D.
Chevron Corp.: Thomas, C.  |  Tong, D.

Providing a common workspace improves data integration

Service-oriented architecture simplifies data source integration
Infosys Consulting: Samdani, K.

Here's how the approach helps refinery scheduling and also contributes to business-wide SOA adoption

Predicting octane numbers for gasoline blends using artificial neural networks
Iran University of Science and Technology: Pranghooshi, E.  |  Sadeghi, M. T.
Sahand Univerity of Technology: Shafiei, S.

The ANN models were more accurate than regression models

Implementing and maintaining advanced process control on continuous catalytic reforming
Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC): Al-Majed, A.  |  Kaushal, S.
Aspen Tech Middle East (ATME): Banerjee, P.

The primary benefit was an increase in reformate octane barrel yield from operating the plant at its economic constraints

Process Developments

Consider advanced multi-promoted catalysts to optimize reformers

Improved catalyst systems strike a new balance to increase yields with greater selectivity for end-products

Process and Lab Analyzers

Fine tune accuracy in analytic measurement-Part 1
Swagelok Company: Nordstrom, D.  |  Waters, T.

Understanding the root causes of time delay

Safety/Maintenance

Design and implement an effective equipment integrity management system
TEFEN Venture Consulting Italy: Nicolo, F.
ERG Raffinerie Meditterranee SpA: Spampinato, M.

Consider this "integrity-only-specific" innovative methodology

Columns

HP Control: APC for min maintenance or max profit? - Part 1
Clifftent Inc.: Latour, P. R.

First, thanks to Dr. Y. Zak Friedman1 for referencing my July 1997 HP editorial.2 I commend him for using HP publications from more than a decade ago in his editorial. While I appreciate Dr. Friedman'..

HP Reliability: Modern pumps have stiffer shafts
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Some multistage centrifugal pumps are designed with relatively slender shafts and operate at speeds above the so-called rotor critical. When that is the case and as the pump comes up to operating spee..

HPIn Europe: NOC megaprojects, not climate policies, will be closing your local refiner
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Wright, Tim L.

Some 800,000 bpd (800 Mbpd) of refinery expansion capacity, which faded and disappeared from the radar of the OECD's energy forecasts last year, is now back. There was quite a fanfare over capacity re..

HP Construction: North America
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The Aker Solutions and IHI partnership has received a "signed notice of substantial completion" for the Cameron LNG liquefied natural gas receipt terminal near Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Cameron LNG..

HP Construction: Europe
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

  Alfa Laval has received an order for compact heat exchangers from one of the major refineries in Russia. The order value is about SEK 110 million and delivery is scheduled for 2010. The Alfa La..

HP Construction: Middle East
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

KBR has a contract with ConocoPhillips and Saudi Aramco to provide detailed engineering and procurement services for the utilities package and the interconnecting systems and pipe racks for the compan..

HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Toyo Engineering Corp. has a contract with BASF-YPC Co. Ltd. for works related to the construction of a petrochemical plant in Nanjing, China. This project aims to meet the increasing demand in China ..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Oil demand up in 2010 Global oil demand will grow next year for the first time since 2007, says a recent report from IHS Cambridge Energy Research ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: How natural gas impacts the US economy
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

In advance of the US Senate's debate on climate change legislation, two studies have been commissioned to emphasize the contributions the natural gas industry makes to the US economy. The first, produ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Mixed outlook, at best, for LNG projects in Iran
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Within the last decade, Iran has proposed a number of LNG projects that were targeted to supply 73 million tpy of new LNG into the global market. However, a new analysis from FACTS Global Energy (FGE)..

HP Impact: HPImpact: US EPA and NHTSA propose program to reduce greenhouse gases and improve fuel economy
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are issuing a joint proposal to establish a program consisti..

HP Associations: ISA and Chem Show gear up for events
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

ISA Expo 2009 The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced the co-location of several events throughout the week at ISA Expo 2009 be..

Misc

Integrating security into the safety lifecycle

JOHN CUSIMANO, Guest Columnist       Comments? Write: jcusimano@exida.com         Thanks to IEC 61511 ..

Ozone destruction major cause of warming!-Part 1

Robert A. Ashworth, Guest Columnist    Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Some say human-made (anthropogenic) carbon dioxide (CO2) emiss..