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

May 2012

Archive

Special Report: Maintenance/Reliability

Who should you call for process pump repair?
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Amid pump industry consolidation, independent shops can provide upgrade and repair services for key process equipment.

Consider updating your lubricant system
Lubrication Systems Company: Ehlert, D.

Oil mist extends equipment life over other lube methods

Improve seal designs for ‘dirty’ services
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.
AESSEAL plc: Grove, T.

Amid regulatory legislation issues, a compliance strategy can drive solutions to optimize reliability of rotating equipment.

When good pumps turn bad
Pumpcalcs: Perez, R. X.

A straightforward methodology deals with troublesome pumps

Bonus Report: Corrosion Control

Control DEA corrosion in a gas refinery
Sarkhoon & Qeshm Gas Treating Company: Atash Jameh, A.
Sarkhoon and Qeshm Gas Treating Company: Gharaghoosh, A. Z.
Sarkhoon & Qeshm Gas Treating Co.,: Rashidfarokhi, A. R.
Shiraz University: Pakshir, M.  |  Paydar, M. H.

Corrosion inhibitor selection and protective scales are key to prevention

Maximize FCC main air blower and wet gas compressor capacity
Albemarle Corp.: Wilcox, J.R.

Maintaining optimum performance is crucial for sustained profitability

What are the corrosion issues for gasohol?
Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.: Choudary, N. V.  |  Rawat, J.  |  Rao, P. V. C.

New study investigates metal deterioration from ethanol-blended gasoline

Petrochemical Developments

Control moisture problems in slurry-based polyolefin operations
University of Newcastle: Mitra, S.

Proper moisture removal from the polymerization-reaction medium is key to successfully operating a HDPE plant designed on low-pressure, slurry-process technology.

2012 Petrochemical Outlook

2012 petrochemical outlook: Middle East
FACTS Global Energy: Smith, R.  |  Adibi, S.  |  Khimasia, S.

Most of the Middle Eastern countries are looking to expand further into downstream petrochemicals as opposed to exporting the building blocks.

2012 petrochemical outlook: United States
American Chemistry Council: Smith, T. K.

The boom in oil and gas is creating both demand side (e.g., pipe mills, oilfield machinery) and supply-side (e.g., chemicals, fertilizers, direct iron reduction) opportunities.

Columns

HP Reliability: Avoid unnecessary developments
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Innovative thinking is appropriate in the hydrocarbon processing industry, and tremendous forward movement has occurred over the past 30 years. Innovation is to be commended, unless we invent or disco..

HP Integration Strategies: Suppliers and users share responsibility for successful control-system migrations
ARC Advisory Group: Reynolds, P.

Owner-operators and suppliers face many complex issues relative to when and how to migrate obsolete control systems and technology. ARC Advisory Group estimates that $65 billion of obsolete technology..

HP Insight: The HPI uses technology when solving global problems

Research and development (R&D) has been the platform to support new methods to process transportation fuels and petrochemical products from hydrocarbons. So, how much of the R&D was just straight rese..

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

Marathon limits flaring The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice recently announced an agreement with Marathon Petroleum Co. that has already reduced air pollution fr..

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

Catalyst boosts H2 output, cuts costsHaldor Topsøe recently introduced a low-methanol, low-temperature shift (LTS) catalyst, LK-853 FENCE, which presents new opportunities for hydrogen and ammoni..

HP Construction: North America
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

Fluor Corp. was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract by Joule to design and build a renewable fuel production facility in New Mexico. The facility is intende..

HP Construction: Latin America
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

The Siemens Industry Automation Division will equip the Refineria de Cartagena S.A. (Reficar) refinery in Cartagena, Colombia, with an integrated water-treatment solution that is to form the heart of ..

HP Construction: Europe
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

BASF will increase its capacity for cyclohexane oxidation at its Antwerp Verbund site by about 50,000 tpy. The total investment amounts to about €10 million. Cyclohexane oxidation products are im..

HP Construction: Middle East
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

W. R. Grace & Co. has signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture (JV) with Al Dahra Agricultural Co. to build and operate a fluid catalytic-cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives pla..

HP Construction: Asia Pacific
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has a contract from Solvay for a major, specialty polymers production plant to be built at Solvay’s industrial site in Changshu, Jiangsu, China. Officials estimate t..

HP Impact: China hungry for thermoplastics
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Newly discovered plastic blends are helping to satisfy the huge demand for thermoplastics being brought about by China’s swelling home retail industry, according to a new report by market intelli..

HP Impact: Major increase in Alberta oil sands employment
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Alberta’s oil sands industry, which employed just over 20,000 workers in 2011, is projected to grow its workforce by 73% by 2021, according to a new report released by the Petroleum Human Resourc..

HP Impact: Industrial valve market growing
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The world market for valves used by industry will grow to $65 billion per year in 2017 (Table 1), adding more than $10 billion to current annual sales. This projection is in the latest forecast by the..

HP Impact: Society urges GHS compliance
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has been preparing health, safety and environment (HSE) professionals for major compliance changes that are required by the United Nations’ (UN&#14..

HP Associations: A wealth of knowledge at AFPM annual meeting
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

At March’s American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM, formerly known as the NPRA) annual meeting in San Diego, California, it seems everyone had some important knowledge to share. Nowhe..

HP Associations: Industry gears up for 2012 International Refining and Petrochemical Conference

Leading hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) executives and technical experts will come together 12–14 June in Milan, Italy, to share ideas and knowledge relating to the industry at Hydrocarbon ..

Free Literature

Global energy-testing website With the launch of GlobalEnergyTesting.com, Bruker aims to bring together the global petrochemical community to foster collaboration and shared learning among all petroch..

New Developments

Hydrogen pressure sensor certified for use on fuel-cell vehicles The AST 2000H2 hydrogen ASIC pressure sensor can be used on hydrogen-powered vehicles and applications, such as on-board vehicle cylind..

Misc

Test test

test test..

Test 2

Test 2..

Test 4

Test 4..

Terminals and Storage 2012 Supplement

Severe jet fires and vapor explosions
International Paint: Bradley, I.

Operators should consider alternative test procedures, capable of reproducing conditions found within jet fires.