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

Engineering & Design

Steam generator in a hydrocracker high-pressure loop—why not?

Fluor: Verges, A. N.  |  Omota, F.  |  Oude, J. E.

Historically, there has been a perception in the industry that it is not safe to include a steam generator in the high-pressure loop of a hydrocracker.

Best practices for aromatics extractive distillation in integrated complexes

Sulzer GTC Technology: Liu, Z.  |  Wang, Y.  |  Zhao, L.

Integrated refining/aromatics/olefins complexes are an efficient and effective configuration to maximize crude oil feedstock value and optimize the value of the entire product chain.

Maximizing diesel hydrotreater profit by multivariable optimization: A case study

Haldor Topsoe: R. Bandyopadhyay  |  Alkilde, O. F.

A diesel hydrotreater (DHT) is a critical unit within an oil refinery. A DHT processes the diesel range fractions obtained from different units of the refinery—such as from the crude distillation unit and the delayed coker unit—to adhere to diesel fuel market specifications.

Selecting the right gas analyzer to optimize monitoring of NOx and other emissions

Emerson Automation Solutions: Kamphus, M.
Emerson: Williams, K.

Combustion processes of all types generate emissions of one kind or another.

Business Trends

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Rovuma LNG, a JV comprised of ExxonMobil, Eni and China National Petroleum Corp., will likely delay its final investment decision (FID) on the group’s $30-B Mozambique LNG project.

Doing more with less: Extending critical fluid system resources

Swagelok: Menz, B.

Fluid system operators are tasked with maximizing value from their systems to enhance plant and refinery operations.

Use CFD modeling to improve burner design and operation

Becht Engineering: Chen, Z.

Process heaters are essential pieces of equipment in the refining and petrochemical industry that are used to heat hydrocarbons to a desired temperature.

Refinery tower inspections: Discovering problems and preventing malfunctions

Phillips 66: Cardoso, R.
Fluor Corp.: Kister H. Z.

A previous survey identified installation mishaps to be one of the top five causes of tower malfunctions.

Refining: Despite decline, Group 1 base stocks are here to stay

ExxonMobil: Nadasdi, T.

Given increasingly stringent automotive specifications and the advent of the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulfur regulations, the continued decrease in Group I base stocks demand should come as no surprise for anyone in the industry.

Reliability: Reliability engineering on offshore platforms

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Offshore platforms have had their fair share of successes and failures over the years, and to say that their reliability experiences contain lessons for all of us is an understatement.