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

Equipment

Embracing MACs: A better way of executing automation projects

Burrow Global: James, N.  |  Savoie, J.

Historically, automation projects have been executed as single-transaction projects. Often, individual projects, along with phases within a given project, are bid with the potential for new vendors and different engineering teams.

A deeper examination of thermal expansion issues in process equipment and piping

Suncor Energy Inc.: Tharakan, J.

Piping and process equipment that operate at high temperatures experience thermal expansion. If free thermal expansion is restrained, mechanical stresses are created within the component.

Business Trends: Standardized modularization—Drivers, challenges and perspectives in the oil and gas industry

RTS Ltd.: Eftimie, C.

Modularization is an alternative way of performing engineering aimed to reduce the number of interfaces, the total installed cost (TIC) and overall schedule length of a project, while optimizing the return on investment (ROI) and allowing standardization for similar future projects.

AFPM Annual '17: Daily editions of the official conference newspaper

SAN ANTONIO -- Enclosed are digital copies of all three daily editions of the official conference newspaper of the AFPM 2017 Annual Meeting, held at the Marriott Rivercenter.

Vibration studies offer valuable lessons for correcting problematic operations

Suncor Energy Inc.: Tharakan, J.

All plants have a vibration monitoring program for rotating equipment. Portable instruments measure vibration at the bearing housing of machines at horizontal (x), vertical (y) and axial (z) directions. The frequency spectrum helps diagnose the causes of vibration.

Implement proactive asset management techniques

T.A. Cook Consultants Inc.: Natarelli, J.

The drop in crude oil prices since 2014 has impacted both upstream producers and downstream players. Upstream producers—those responsible for exploration, drilling and production—were the first to feel the effects. While refining margins benefitted from the drop in crude oil pricing, they began to suffer when record surpluses of gasoline and diesel flooded the market a year later.

Expand crude diet flexibility through comprehensive oil management

Baker Hughes: Arensdorf, J.  |  Hoffman, G.

One of the primary means for refiners to boost profitability is to improve crude diet flexibility. Many refiners are challenged with increasing their margins while the quality of the global crude oil supply declines.

Hybrid technique for electroslag strip cladding of critical process equipment

Lincoln Electric: Chattopadhyay, P.  |  Nateghi, A.

One of the major challenges in the oil and gas processing industry is to strike a balance among handling the changing qualities of petroleum products and byproducts, increasing the productivity and service life of critical components and reducing environmental hazards. As an example, new refineries are moving to applying conversion methods, such as hydrocracking, to increase yields, while also utilizing conventional distillation. This juxtaposition translates into a higher Nelson Index rating. Greater refinery complexity makes processing low-quality crude oil difficult, if not impossible, thereby precluding bottom-of-the-barrel products.

Driving innovation in the downstream: IRPC returns to New Delhi

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Adrienne Blume

Gulf Publishing Company and Hydrocarbon Processing are pleased to announce that IRPC 2017 will be held April 18–20 in New Delhi.

Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Andrew, Bob

Siemens Water Solutions has chosen a ceramic flat-sheet membrane for use in a powdered activated carbon technology (PACT) membrane bioreactor (MBR).