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

December 2022

Archive

Special Focus: Catalysts

Solving maldistribution: Catalyst loading and why it matters
Shell Catalysts & Technologies: Maas, E.  |  Sigaud, J.
CREALYST-Oil: Poussin, G.  |  Caldas, T.

Are your reactor yields lower than forecast? Does your fixed-bed catalytic reactor suffer from hotspots?

Partners maximize profitability during the pandemic
Advanced Refining Technologies (ART)/ Chevron Lummus Global (CLG): Zhan, B.-Z.
Chevron Lummus Global: Fritz, J.
Advanced Refining Technologies: Somers, D.

The COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed as one of the most challenging periods in the history of the oil and gas sector. Refineries worldwide faced difficult times operating at their turndown capacities or even temporarily shut down units at the refinery.

Flexibility in catalyst technology for improved bottoms upgrading
BASF: Senter, C.  |  Clough-Mastry, M.  |  Tan, L.  |  Eren, B.

Bottoms product from fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) is typically one of the least valuable products from a refinery.

Development/industrial application of FCC catalyst for boosting high-octane gasoline production
Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP): Sha, Y.  |  Han, L.  |  Wang, P.

Globally, crude oil is trending toward being heavier; the proportion of heavy crude oil reserve is expected to be 50% of the entire recoverable oil reserve moving forward from 2020.

Refinery catalyst selection: Facts and fictions every refiner should know
Avantium: Pongboot, N.
PTT Global Chemical: Upienpong, T.

Most refiners carefully evaluate their refining catalysts to ensure maximum benefits over the catalyst cycle length.

Process Optimization

The other sulfides: Organic sulfur species in amine solvents
Amine Experts International: le Grange, P.  |  Tekebayev, K.  |  Leblanc, F.  |  Sheilan, M.
Preemraff Lysekil: Adolfsson, M.  |  Yarnold, D.  |  Thevenet, G.

This article examines the behavior of carbonyl sulfide (COS), C1–C5 mercaptans (R1SH–R5SH), methyl ethyl sulfide (MES), dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in amine solvent systems.

New state-of-the-art in sulfur recovery?—Part 1
Worley Comprimo: Lewis, J.  |  Njuguna, H.
Topsoe Inc.: Jensen, F. E.

It is widely accepted that state-of-the-art sulfur recovery technologies utilize the modified Claus process as well as some extension technology on the tail gas.

Process Engineering

The heavy toll on sulfur blocks
Fluor: Chaudhuri, D.  |  Ruit, H.

The tightening of environmental norms and emissions specifications provides additional challenges to refining.

Refinery-Petrochemical integration

A novel deep catalytic cracking technology for residue-to-chemicals processes
SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing: Gong, J.  |  Zhang, J.  |  Zhang, Z.  |  Wei, X.  |  Chang, X.  |  Zhu, J.
SINOPEC Engineering Inc.: Wu, L.
China Petroleum and Chemical Corp.: Cao, D.
SINOPEC Anqing Co.: Ma, Q.

Over the past two decades, annual global demands for refined products and basic petrochemicals have increased by approximately 1.3% and 3.5%, respectively.

Heat Transfer

Cut emissions and fuel while increasing capacity in fired heaters
IGS: Poth, J.

According to a recent digital refining article,1 fired heaters are responsible for an estimated 400 MMtpy–500 MMtpy of CO<sub>2</sub>, with at least 73% of average refinery CO<sub>2</sub> emissions coming from combustion.

Plant Safety and Environment

Combustible dust hazards overview
Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants Inc.: Parsons, P.

There has been a significant increase in the use of biomass as alternative energy or green fuel in the last two decades.

Valves, Pumps and Turbomachinery

Hot oil pump warm-up system best practices and failure case study
Saudi Aramco: Brashler, K.  |  Alshahrani, Y.  |  Sabban, M.

Many industries utilize pumps in hot applications, including oil and gas facilities.

Columns

Editorial Comment: The Top Projects winners of 2022 have been announced
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Each year, <em>Hydrocarbon Processing</em> honors the top refining and petrochemical projects of the year.

Executive Q&A: Creating trusted environments
Eaton: Sanjay, F.

<em>Hydrocarbon Processing</em> sat down with Frank Sanjay, Manager of the Product Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at Eaton, an intelligent power management company.

Industry Perspectives: Despite reaching $180 B, new project announcements are down year-over-year
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the past year, the Global Energy Infrastructure database has tracked more than $180 B in new project announcements.

Business Trends: Quality in construction: Taking a holistic approach
Graycor: Anderton, S.  |  Gallagher, B.

When it comes to quality in construction projects, it is easy to focus only on materials and installation—it makes sense that high-quality components lead to a high-quality end product.

Innovations
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

N’GENIUS Materials Technology has developed a new series of high-strength austenitic stainless steels that the company says will transform how materials are specified and utilized across the oil and gas sector.

People
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Quorum Software appoints Jan Manning as Chief Information Officer

Digital Feature

Highlights of API 685 3rd Edition, Sealless Pumps—Part 2
Applied K3nowledge Consulting: Korkowski, F.
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.: Hess, T.
Bechtel Inc.: Cooper, J.

Part 2 of the article on API 685 has highlighted most of the “other changes of interest to the reader” and provides insights into the various other points of discussion the API 685 task force addressed, along with the rationale behind changes found in the July 2022 published 3rd Ed. of the standard.