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Equipment

Avoid counterproductive project management practices

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

For many years, reliability-focused engineers have observed flawed procurement processes for mechanical equipment. Many requirements are supposedly aimed at the lowest possible lifecycle cost; however..

Consider technology to reduce compressor vibration and noise problems

Dresser-Rand: Liu, Z.

Industrial centrifugal compressors installed in hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) complexes absorb significant amounts of mechanical power when compressing gases. A small part of the mechanical en..

Achieve successful compressor startup by addressing dry-gas seal failure

Toyo Engineering Canada Ltd.: Zardynezhad, S.

A common root cause for compressor failure during first startup is a failure of the dry-gas seal (DGS) system. To avoid failures of gas compressors, the project team and end users must understand the importance and significance of the DGS very early in the basic design phase.

Motiva halts diesel expansion at top US refinery

“Motiva routinely adjusts our business plans, based on company needs and evolving state and federal regulatory requirements at any given time," a company spokesman said.

Improve execution of capital projects with advanced technologies

Bechtel Corp.: Avidan, A. A.

The E&C industry is now poised for a major leap forward in utilizing advancements in information technologies and, thus, enabling itself to greatly boost project performance.

Replan: Modernizing Brazil’s largest crude oil refinery

Petrobras: Perissé, J. B.

The project included installing two hydrodesulfurization (HDS) units for the cracked naphtha produced by two catalytic cracking units, a coker naphtha hydrotreating (HDT) unit, and a catalytic reforming unit.

3D laser scanning impacts asset lifecycle management

LFM Software Ltd.: Farrow, G.

Few technologies have leaped from research lab to everyday use quite as rapidly as 3D laser scanning. Only a few years ago, this technology was a prototype method that captured fuzzy images of plant e..

Mexico’s major grassroots effort: Ethylene XXI project

Contributing Writer: Nogarin, M.

The federal government, through Pemex Gas and Petroquímica Básica, using the law that regulates Mexican oil, decided to promote private investment to build a new major petrochemical complex called Ethylene XXI.

Experience meets innovation: World-class coke drum replacement project

HP Editorial Staff: Chevron Corp.  |  Nooter Construction

Six large coke drums at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, which supplies 20% of Southern California’s vehicle fuel, were showing signs of aging after 46 years in service.

Successful project development and execution: Beyond EPC to ‘T-EPC’

Linde Engineering North America, Inc.: Shahani, G.  |  Rentschler, C.

North America is in the middle of a petrochemical renaissance due to the shale gas tsunami. While this new development is most prevalent in North America, similar trends are expected to develop in oth..