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

Engineering & Design

Shape the refinery of the future through integration—Part 1

SNC-Lavalin Inc.: Maiti, S. N.

The negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment has become widely accepted, and our global society has begun to focus on alternative fuels. The pollution of the local, regional and global environment has become a primary concern.

Business Trends: Autonomous operations in process manufacturing—Part 1

IBM Corp.: Agnihotri, R.

Progress in the driverless car segment has served to illuminate one of the major future goals in industrial and process manufacturing: autonomous operations in process plants—in other words, the autonomous plant. While AO for process plants has received interest from the process automation and control industry, limited serious discussion has taken place in the process operations and IT domains.

Industry Perspectives: Save the date: Hydrocarbon Processing’s Top Projects Awards

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the past several years, <ital>Hydrocarbon Processing</ital> has honored the feats of capital project excellence with its Top Projects Awards. The winners and nominees encapsulate important contributions to the global hydrocarbon processing industry, whether that is through significant capital intensity, diversifying product offerings or adding a significant amount of refining and/or petrochemical processing capacity.

Project Management: Reduce installation schedule for column trays

Consultant: Dixit, P.

The implementation of a project schedule must avoid slippage, which can lead to budget overruns and delays in commissioning and production. Conversely, a reduction in project schedule results in an early startup of the plant, creating advantage for stakeholders. Customers often demand reductions in schedule timelines, which can be difficult for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to implement. New innovations like concurrent engineering, modular construction, prefabricated pipe racks and structures, etc., are already in practice.

Editorial Comment: Optimizing operations and recognizing achievements

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the next two months, <ital>Hydrocarbon Processing</ital> will host two separate events for a global audience. One will gather the brightest minds in the industry to share the latest innovations and technologies in the industry, while the other will recognize the leaders in advancing the industry toward safer and more reliable, sustainable and profitable operations. Both events—<ital>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</ital> IRPC and the HP Awards—will be streamed on digital platforms and free to view.

Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Sphera has released a new Interactive piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) solution that helps organizations break down silos between their operations, maintenance and engineering departments while simplifying isolation planning.

Business Trends: Managing risk and uncertainty: The importance of optimizing your value chain

AVEVA: McMullen, J

No doubt exists that COVID-19 is disrupting the oil and gas industry. Oil prices are falling, demand is down, supply is up, and storage capacity is limited. In these difficult times, the industry must swiftly act to keep business viable to come back strong when conditions improve.

Executive Viewpoint: How to develop a successful asset management strategy during the coronavirus downturn

T.A. Cook Consultants Inc.: Hess, F. U.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has disrupted all sectors of the oil and gas industry, including asset management.

Advanced cooling tower water treatment—Part 1

ChemTreat: Post, R.  |  Kalakodimi, R. P.  |  Buecker, B.

Refineries, petrochemical plants and similar facilities rely on a significant number of heat exchangers for process control and product formulation throughout the plant.

Intensification of sulfur processing units by oxygen enrichment and process flowsheet optimization

Hyundai Oilbank Co. Ltd.: Yang, W.
Advisian, a Worley Company: Lewis, J.  |  Racz, A.

The consistent global trend toward improvements in air quality and tighter regulations on emissions, as well as the International Maritime Organization’s shipping regulations, continue to mitigate sulfur levels—not only in conventional transport fuels (petrol and diesel), but also in jet fuels, fuel oils and other heavier distillates.