Economics
HP Impact: Chevron hit with hefty penalties for Richmond refinery fire
The California Division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) issued 25 citations against Chevron USA, with proposed penalties totaling nearly $1 million, for state safety st..
HP Impact: Shale gas possible catalyst for US export growth
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently released a report in which it stated that the US chemical manufacturing sector is one of the most important beneficiaries of the surplus of inexpensive na..
Refinery optimization: Closing the gap between planned and actual performance
Plant managers should remember that small, incremental changes can make huge differences to the competitiveness of a refinery in today's international marketplace.
New residue-upgrading complex achieves Euro 5 specifications
In late 2010, Grupa LOTOS SA completed construction of a major residue-upgrading project at its refinery in Gdańsk, Poland. Its 10+ Program was designed to unlock a step change in the facility’s long-term profitability. After two years of operating, this project has had a profound effect on the refinery’s economics.
Select new production strategies for FCC light cycle oil
Selective adjustments to FCC operating variables and catalyst quality can significantly increase LCO production, which refiners can then upgrade into diesel blendstock.
Use an innovative cracking catalyst to upgrade residue feedstock
Tamoil’s Collombey refinery worked very close with a new catalyst supplier to remove the main operating constraint and significantly improve the unit profitability. Several project goals were set and attained.
Consider advanced technology to remove benzene from gasoline blending pool
As more regions increasingly adopt clean-fuel regulations, the challenge for refiners is to meet these tightening gasoline specifications for benzene cost-effectively without significant octane loss.
Venice’s biorefinery: How refining overcapacity can become an opportunity with an innovative idea
Eni invested in an innovative project involving the conversion of the existing refining scheme of its Venice refinery into a “green cycle” to process very high-quality biofuels starting from biological feedstocks.
HP Reliability: Top three ways to improve pump service life
Experienced reliability professionals know that even the premier equipment standards used in the HPI occasionally fall short of defining the best, most reliable, or safest available technology.
HP Integration Strategies: US biodiesel industry regains momentum
According to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) trade organization, the US biodiesel industry produced more than one billion gallons (B gal) of biodiesel fuel in 2011, surpassing the 800 million gallo..
- U.S. labor board judge rules Exxon's Texas refinery union lockout was legal 11/28
- U.S. crude stocks fall, gasoline and distillate inventories rise 11/28
- Maersk could use 15%–20% alternative fuels for its fleet in 2030 11/28
- Germany's BSW pushes to restore Russian oil to Schwedt refinery, seeks regional legitimacy 11/28
- Asia likely to benefit from cheaper Canadian, Mexican oil if Trump imposes tariffs 11/28
- Singapore distillates stocks tick up for fifth week 11/28
