December 2018

<i>Integration</i> is the new keyword for sustainability and profit in today’s oil and gas market scenario.

The following are eight strategies to help reduce engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project costs, along with tips to maximize the value of both existing assets and new investments for refiners and producers.

After several years of cutting costs to align to the reality of fewer and smaller capital projects, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms are now forging ahead as the industry recovers.

Recently, many US refineries have been reconfigured to process heavy opportunistic sour crudes.

Steam ejector vacuum systems are generally considered to be reliable and require little maintenance.

The delayed coking unit (DCU) is the technology of choice for the upgrade of heavy hydrocarbon residues—i.e., bottom-of-the-barrel upgrading.

Within a refinery, four main utilities are considered essential to operations: electricity, natural gas, water and compressed air.

The global hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) continues to expand and modernize to efficiently meet growing demand for energy, transportation fuels and petrochemicals.

Much ink has been spilled over the concept known as the “digital twin.”

The operational cost structure of oil and gas companies is very capital- and labor-intensive.

Historically, US regulators have not required benzene and phenol monitoring for wastewater from oil refining, petrochemical processing, coking or coal gasification operations.

The Buncefield explosion was the worst post World War 2 fire/explosion incident.

Regulations, feedstock advantages, supply/demand gaps, etc., are resulting in a surge of new capital investments around the world.

Disregard for following detailed procedures at a petrochemical plant in Illinois proved costly.

Nigeria’s petroleum industry has had its fair share of upheavals, ranging from insecurity that hampers upstream operations to low global oil prices that constrain midstream and downstream investments.

Russia plans to significantly increase its oil products to foreign markets, despite the ongoing pressure of Western sanctions and the complex situation in the country’s domestic refining industry, according to recent statements by representatives of Russia’s leading oil corporations and senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Energy.

Several major downstream companies have recently embarked upon large-scale digital transformations with anticipated capital spending tallying in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Industry players are focused on upgrading to higher-growth, higher-value chemical products.

Digitalization has been making waves in the energy space, with upstream companies leading the trend with technology that improves efficiency, cuts costs and boosts margins.

In 2020, new International Maritime Organization (IMO) marine fuel regulations will go into effect.

Readers who have had the misfortune of being drawn into debates over the precise definitions of words or terms might agree that much time can be lost in unproductive squabbling.

Designed for hazardous, wet or corrosive locations, such as oil refineries and chemical plants, the Appleton PlexPower motor starter provides electrical apparatus protection combined with the convenience and savings of off-the-shelf components.

Peter Vanacker has assumed the role of President and CEO of Neste Corp., succeeding Matti Lievonen, who will retire.