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

Environment

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.

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.

Business Trends: The downstream dilemma: Past, present and future of downstream energy

Global Strategy Consultant: De Vries, A.
IHS Markit: Mohamed, K. F.

The oil industry’s interest in the downstream segment of the business has known ups and downs. This article reviews the past, present and projected future of the downstream sector and its companies.

Industry Perspectives: The Main Column podcast: Crucial topics shaping the industry

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

In the February issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, the editors asked our global readership what topics they would like to hear on the publication’s new podcast series: The Main Column.

IMO 2020 and the importance of nonlinear blending properties calculation

Refinery Automation Institute, LLC: Curcio, E.

With 2020 here, fuel blenders, shipowners, and fuel oil producers and users are concerned about what will happen this year, with the sulfur content in bunker fuel reduced from 3.5 wt% to 0.5 wt%, as per International Maritime Organization 2020 (IMO 2020) rules.

Octane enhancement avoiding both high reformer severity and alkylation

CDE Projects Ltd.: Kauders, P.

An innovative refinery process arrangementa converts butane-rich, light paraffinic streams—preferably containing a high proportion of isobutane—into butylene by dehydrogenation.

Cost-effective naphtha hydrotreating unit revamp to increase high-octane reformate production

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.: Ramesh, K.  |  Phukan, D.

India, which is the third-largest economy in the world, is home to nearly 18% of the world’s population (nearly 1.4 B).

Safe and sustainable alkylation: Performance and update on composite ionic liquid alkylation technology

Well Resources Inc.: Chung, W.
Beijing Zhongshi Aojie Petroleum Technology Co.: Zhang, R.  |  Zhang, X.
PetroChina Harbin Petrochemical Co.: Song, D.

Market and regulatory factors are pressuring refiners to adopt safe and sustainable processes for the production of clean-burning and environmentally friendly fuels.