Environment & Safety
TPC Group fined $30 MM over 2019 Texas (U.S.) blasts that caused evacuations
TPC Group was fined more than $30 MM over blasts at its Port Neches petrochemical plant in Texas (U.S.) that prompted thousands of people to be evacuated in 2019.
Mammoet successfully transports/installs record-breaking hydrocracker for ORLEN Lietuva refinery
The ORLEN Lietuva refinery in Mažeikiai, Lithuania, entrusted Mammoet with the transportation and installation of a massive residue hydrocracking unit (RHCU), weighing 1,500 t and standing over 50 m tall.
Ryazan refinery (Russia) hit by drone strike
A fire broke out due to a drone strike at a primary oil refining unit of the Ryazan refinery operated by Russia's Rosneft.
Ineos shuts down Canadian unit for maintenance after chemical leak
INEOS confirmed in a statement that it had shut down the Sarnia plant for maintenance and to address an unspecified mechanical issue and did not address the extent or cause of the chemical release.
Enhance ethylene cracker radiant tube integrity through innovative robotic inspection
The ethylene cracker plays a crucial role in the petrochemical industry, producing more than 200 MMtpy of ethylene globally, which is the major building block for plastics, synthetic rubber, lubricants and various chemicals.
Re-wire PSSR programs for sustainable results
The 2008 Bayer CropScience pesticide waste tank explosion caused by a chemical runaway reaction at the facility in West Virginia (U.S.) resulted in two fatalities and eight injuries. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board concluded that although a pre-startup safety review (PSSR) was conducted, it was inadequate—operators and subject matter experts (SMEs) were not involved, and an eight-page checklist was filled with a complete disregard to their details and specifics.
Editorial Comment: Maintenance and inspection pathways/technologies to optimize unit reliability
Unit uptime is one of the most important aspects in refining and petrochemical plant operations. Work stoppages due to any number of causes can be detrimental to profitability; therefore, it is imperative to utilize best practices, technologies, techniques and know-how to ensure processing units operate efficiently and safely.
Russia's Orsk refinery declares force majeure on fuel supply due to floods
Russia's Orsk oil refinery, which has halted output after widespread floods, declared force majeure on fuel supplies from April 8, according to a document issued by plant owner Forteinvest.
Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical reopens Mailiao refinery port, restarts a crude unit after quake
Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical restarted operations at the port at its Mailiao oil refinery after closing it as a precautionary measure following a powerful earthquake.
An ignition control nightmare—Protecting assets from a lightning strike
Design engineers put forth their best efforts to forecast all risks for their processing plant and strive to embed optimum controls in design, commissioning, operations and maintenance to prevent these risks during the plant’s lifecycle.
- Clean Hydrogen Works awards McDermott FEED contract for Ascension Clean Energy (ACE) project 11/21
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- Solvay uses waste wood to power soda ash and bicarbonate plant in Germany 11/21
- Syensqo expands U.S. production capacity for advanced polymers 11/21
