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

Environment & Safety

Maintenance: Zero-based, custom-built, reliability-driven—A new kind of maintenance organization

Eastman Chemical Company: Reed, D.
Consultant: Thompson, M.

In the October 2018 issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the authors published an article—“Improving plant performance by changing a maintenance culture”—describing the first two years of Eastman Chemical Co.’s Longview, Texas site’s journey to maintenance excellence, which began in 2016.

Business Trends: Autonomous operations in process manufacturing—Part 2

IBM Corp.: Agnihotri, R.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate an autonomous operations (AO) vision, along with its feasibility, by conceptualizing a roadmap where meaningful progress can be achieved in a horizon of 3 yr–20 yr.

Industry Perspective: IRPC Americas ONLINE: A sincere thanks

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Each year, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> hosts events to bring together professionals in the oil and gas industry to share ideas and knowledge on the latest advancements in processing technologies and operations.

Hydrocarbon Processing 2020 Awards WINNERS

<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards.

When toxic risk cannot be prevented, mitigate consequences of H2S with fluid curtains

Megaris, Ltd.: Benintendi, R.

Toxic risk preferably should be controlled according to Kletz’s inherent safety principle, which consists of some preventive golden rules, notably <ital>minimize, substitute, moderate</ital> and <ital>simplify</ital>.

How valve upgrades can improve tank and terminal facility operations

Emerson: Leavitt, D.  |  Arroyo, M.

Tank and terminal facility profitability ultimately rests on a handful of key performance indicators (KPIs). The ability to maximize tank capacity utilization—while minimizing the time it takes to load and unload ships, trucks and rail cars—drives the bottom line. All those transfers must happen quickly and accurately, while avoiding product contamination.

Hydrocarbon Processing Awards 2020—FINALISTS

This special section details all finalists within each category for the fourth annual <ital>HP</ital> Awards. The winners will be announced on Oct. 1.

Catalytic processes operation during downturns in aromatics complexes

ExxonMobil Chemical Co.: Andrews, J.  |  Hung, J.  |  Molinier, M.  |  Lim, Y. T.

Paraxylene production is a highly cyclical business that is subject to changes in the global economy and dependent on feedstock costs, alternative dispositions for aromatics, utilities costs and plant locations, among other factors. With the large PX capacity added by recently started crude-to-chemicals complexes and the expected impact of the economic recession on commodities demand, many aromatics complexes face a significant slowdown in the coming months or, possibly, years.

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.

Reliability: Phased reopening of reliability improvement businesses

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Like many thousands of educational and operator training-related endeavors, reliability improvement training was abruptly suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted daily life as it was known prior to 2020.