Economics
Case history: New developments with lower catalyst-to-feed ratios for FCC units
A study was conducted using a series of FCC catalysts that included reduced rare-earth content and increased zeolite Y quantity systems. The goal was to raise gasoline yield along with greater yields of olefins.
How to select the ‘best’ fired heater for your operations
With the fluctuation of natural gas pricing, it is important to evaluate technically feasible solutions and choose the most economical alternative. Ultimately, this leads to a simpler and more cost-effective solution.
Can process automation increase energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency doesn’t imply producing less to reduce energy consumptions, but rather improving plant productivity and effectiveness, allowing plants to produce the same amount of product with fewer resources.
Tune up the ‘sweetening’ process for your facility
Novel catalysts can improve the oxidation of thiols (RSH) found in light oils. Thiols in petroleum products, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light straight-run naphtha (LSRN), usually found ..
Optimize crude preheat train to balance efficiency and operability
Critical attention must be paid when designing the crude distillation unit (CDU) preheat train. Many pitfalls can easily lead to unnecessary expenditures or unsatisfactory operations. Key design crite..
Are you using pinch technology effectively in your daily operations?—Part 1
Pinch technology is the most rigorous, systematic and best documented methodology for process design.1–3 Nearly all optimization projects for heat recovery are conducted with some form of pinch a..
HP Reliability: Gain more flexibility with special liners for reciprocating compressor cylinders
By changing only the crank-end head, piston and rod assembly, the same cylinder body can be mounted on any of the common 5-in. to 7-in. stroke compressor frames that have been manufactured in the last five decades.
HP Viewpoint: Brief overview of India’s upstream
Over the last few decades, the Indian upstream sector has evolved through three different regulatory regimes—nomination, pre-new exploration licensing policy (NELP)/limited bid rounds and, finall..
HP Automation Safety: Maintenance capability: Does it matter in the long term?
I remember working in a test department, where a particular technician, known as Mike, seemed to destroy a significant percentage of the equipment he worked on. Since he reported to me, I tried extra ..
HP Industry Perspectives: Marine fuels: Not clear sailing ahead
Major changes are unfolding that will impact the marine shipping industry. Within the next decade, tighter environmental rules will be in place, changing fuels used to propel international and domesti..
- Lummus and Sumitomo Chemical announce commercial availability of PMMA chemical recycling technology 2/4
- ExxonMobil ceases production at Fife ethylene plant 2/4
- Vietnam's Binh Son refinery signs energy MoUs with U.S. partners 2/4
- European oil refinery maintenance to rise in March 2/4
- Poland's Gdansk refinery plans cyclical maintenance from month-end 2/4
- China's Nanshan Group plans 100,000-bpd refinery in Indonesia 2/4

