Americas
Fire erupts at PdVSA Cardon refinery in Venezuela
Workers at the site shut down the unit shortly after a small explosion caused a fire at the plant, Ivan Freites, secretary general of the local oil workers union, said. He added that some workers were being evacuated as a precautionary measure but did not offer more details.
Oxea mulls downstream plant expansions in Texas
The study is examining various scenarios to boost the Bay City plant’s capacities, as well as the further optimization of Oxea’s product portfolio, according to company officials. The announcement follows a recent project in which Bay City syngas production was successfully raised by 10%.
Fuel outages begin to ease in US Northeast
Eric DeGesero, executive vice president of the Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, said a key bottleneck remains the closure of some major fuel terminals - a problem that means that the remaining terminals that are open face greater demand than normal.
US waives clean gasoline rules for Sandy-hit region
Without the waiver, many of the states would have to use a special blend of gasoline to reduce pollution, rather than conventional blends that may be more widely available. The action by the EPA allows the sale of conventional gasoline even if it doesn't meet Clean Air Act regulations.
Relief valve and flare action items: What plant engineers should know
This article can help the plant engineer review the concerns developed by the design engineer. Implementing field modifications without performing such a review is costly and exposes a facility to unjustified risks.
Surviving and thriving in era of enhanced OSHA PSM audits
The US agency is developing special emphasis programs to target specific industries, notably refining and chemicals, with owners facing rigid inspections and stiffer fines.
Keep it simple: Three key elements to fighting flammable liquid fires
Simple, hardy equipment, high-quality foam concentrate, and having a good understanding of the hazardous situation will remain the three keys to success, says the author.
Update on the greenhouse gas regulation by the US EPA
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on January 2, 2011. Its long-awaited GHG controls guidance document, PSD and Title V Permitting G..
Consider new technologies to raise diesel yield in bottom-of-barrel products
The debate continues over adding a new delayed coker vs. a residue hydrocracker upstream of an existing delayed coker.
Low-pressure absorption of CO2 from flue gas: Plant economics with incentives
The precedent to this article, published in the April 2011 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, discussed the chemical feasibility and process engineering design to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue g..
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