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

Economics

Use the right model to unlock utility system potential

KBC Process Technology Ltd.: Gómez-Prado, J.  |  Hutton, D.

Although we have entered a new era of low energy prices, energy still represents one of the largest, but most easily managed, operating costs in the hydrocarbon industries.

Reduce coke formation and save operating costs with optimization of DMDS into ethane cracking furnaces

Virtual Materials Group Inc.: Hay, G.  |  Rasouli, G.  |  Carbognani-Arambarri, L.
JX Nippon: Suzuki, R.  |  Urata, K.  |  Inoue, M.

Steam cracking furnaces produce olefins, which are high-value feeds in the petrochemical industry. Coke formation is an unavoidable part of a thermal cracking furnace.

Commercialization of pyrolysis oil in existing refineries—Part 1

AOTA Energy Consultants LLC: Arbogast, S.  |  Bellman, D.  |  Paynter, D.  |  Wykowski, J.

In Part 1 of this article, the incentives and information needed to relax the constraints of being O<sub>2</sub>-free are outlined. The authors hope that this perspective provides new directions for improving the economics of using pyoil to produce advanced biofuels (ABFs).

Engineering Case Histories: Case 94: Why mentors are important for industry

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When I started working in industry 50 years ago, it was management’s job to have a senior engineer watch over my work. Much of the quality of my analytical work and technical discipline were formed early in my career with help from these engineers.

Reliability: Reliability and the EPC contractor

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In this column, I have often elaborated on critical information related to reliability thinking. However, reliability thinking is continually subverted by approaches that concentrate excessively on project cost and completion.

Business Trends: India’s natural gas demand—a welcome sign for LNG exporters

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

India is emerging as the world’s new oil demand center. Complementing its thirst for crude oil, the country has the potential to become a hotbed for natural gas consumption over the next few years.

Key design considerations for vacuum process condensers

Graham Corp.: Lines, J. R.

The crude oil refining and petrochemical industries make extensive use of condensers that operate under vacuum (i.e., below atmospheric pressure). Distillation is the most common process using these condensers, either as a process precondenser ahead of an ejector system, or as an intercondenser within an ejector system.

Shift to gas: A contribution on the path to sustainability

Schneider Electric: Koenig, E.

The COP21 event left the world with new mandates to develop and implement low-emissions energy sources to power the global economy. To limit global warming, the world must increase the use of resources like natural gas, which offers a quick, relatively clean and inexpensive interim step in the global transition from high-emissions resources to renewable energy sources.

Koch escalates tax reform battle with report on gasoline prices

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A Koch Industries-funded report warned on Friday US gasoline prices would rise if Congress passed a Republican proposal to adjust US corporate tax rates to favor exports over imports, escalating a lobbying battle over the measure.

Brazil's Braskem to pay $920 MM in leniency deal for corruption case

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -- Brazil's Braskem SA , the largest petrochemical producer in Latin America, signed a leniency deal on Wednesday with Brazilian prosecutors leading a sweeping corruption probe into political kickbacks at state-run oil company Petrobras, the company said in a securities filing.