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

Information Systems

Pay attention: LockerGoga and Trisis/Triton demand an improved cybersecurity strategy

The need for a solid cybersecurity strategy has been discussed and debated for nearly half a century. However, the basic worm-type attacks first documented in 1972 are still with us today. Why? The reason is because even the most basic measures to protect control systems from these types of attacks are still not systematically employed.

Process engineering, optimization and advanced process control

APC Performance LLC: Kern, A.

A recent <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> “Industry Perspectives” survey found that process engineering and optimization is the number-one topic that readers want to read about most. Process engineering and optimization rated higher than the next-highest topic (maintenance and reliability) by a factor of 2:1, and higher than every other topic by a factor of at least 4:1. Process control and instrumentation made the top ten list, albeit below process engineering and optimization by a factor of 7:1.

Building industrial networks to serve IIoT and digitalization

Emerson Automation Solutions: Logue, C.

Two of the terms growing in popularity over the past few years are “digital native” and “digital immigrant.” Natives are those individuals young enough to have known computers and the internet since childhood. For them, such technologies have always existed. Immigrants, either through age or circumstance, had no exposure until later in life. Hopefully, for them, such technologies are a welcome addition to work and life, but they can remember times when most activities were more manual, local and isolated.

The future of digital transformation and smart manufacturing

Saudi Aramco: Abualsoud, Y.  |  Buhulaiga, E. A.

In today’s challenging oil and gas operations, it is vital to have a robust operating system that supports each facility’s goal of operational excellence (OE). Digital transformation and smart manufacturing are being implemented by Saudi Aramco as a coined umbrella term: integrated manufacturing operations management system (imoms).

Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

In the oil and gas industry, failing to perform ongoing maintenance on equipment can have severe consequences, including reduced equipment service life, unplanned shutdowns and degraded performance.

Cybersecurity: Crucial defenses for critical infrastructures

NCC Group: Small, D.

A colleague of mine once suggested to a chemical plant operator that it was a good idea to apply patches to Windows-based supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) servers as soon as they become available every month—after all, a lot of them fix security vulnerabilities.

Associations: Integrated vs. non-integrated safety systems: Does it really matter?

ARC Advisory Group: Gupta, M. S.

ARC Advisory Group’s 23rd annual Industry Forum included a panel discussion that explored the relative merits of integrated vs. non-integrated safety systems in an increasingly connected world.

Securing industrial systems in a digital world

The development of industrial control systems (ICS) over the past two decades has changed the face of many industries.

Accurate prediction of phase equilibrium properties—Part 1

Independent Researcher/Inventor: Katyal, A.

Phase equilibrium properties, such as bubble-point, hydrocarbon dewpoint, water dewpoint, phase envelope, two-phase compositions, compressibility factor, hydrate equilibrium properties, etc., for hydrocarbon mixtures have been calculated accurately using the Peng-Robinson cubic equation of state by implementing constant and temperature-dependent binary interaction parameters in the Van der Waals mixing rule.

A dynamic 1D model for accelerated reactor cooling

Aggreko Process Services EMEA: Capra, M.

Refinery hydrofining units must undergo planned and emergency shutdowns for catalyst changeover.