Loss Prevention
Colombia's diesel price hike leads to trucker strike and unrest
Colombia's decision to reverse a diesel price hike that sparked a strike by truckers could adversely affect public finances, as majority state-owned energy company Ecopetrol said it would begin shutting off some operations amid the unrest.
U.S. EPA extends emergency fuel waiver for Midwest states due to refinery outage
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency extended the emergency waiver for the second time in response to fuel shortages in four Midwest states where the gasoline supply has been impacted by the outage of ExxonMobil's 251,800-bpd refinery in Joliet, Illinois.
AFC leads financing for Africa's largest gas-to-methanol complex
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, is arranging a project development facility to support Africa’s largest gas-to-methanol plant, with the aim of significantly reducing CO2 emissions by offsetting flaring of natural gas and turning it instead into a valuable chemical for solvents, paints, plastics and car parts.
Shell to leverage proprietary structural performance management software for various facilities
Under this agreement, Shell will leverage Akselos’ Structural Performance Management (SPM) software to monitor the structural health of critical assets across the Shell portfolio in near real-time. Akselos’ SPM software will help enable Shell to optimize the lifecycle of critical assets safely and sustainably.
ADNOC deploys pioneering AI-enabled process optimization technology
Following successful initial operations, ADNOC announced the deployment of an industry leading artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled process optimization technology--Neuron 5--across all ADNOC facilities across thousands of critical pieces of equipment essential for production, including compressors, valves and generators.
Validate skin temperature in refractory-lined pipes using manual calculation vs. FEA analysis
Accurately estimating skin temperature and understanding the impact of refractory lining on thermal performance are crucial aspects of piping system design, operation and maintenance. By recognizing the multifaceted role of refractory lining in enhancing operational efficiency, mitigating risks and extending the lifespan of industrial piping systems, industries can optimize their processes and ensure the reliability and safety of their infrastructure.
Review steam system designs to accelerate chemical industry decarbonization
Industrial steam systems range from simple systems comprising a low-pressure single steam user to a complex system with multiple pressure levels, multiple generators and multiple users integrated with an onsite cogeneration facility. This article will present the typical CO2 emissions estimates for chemical and petrochemical facilities and describe options available to reduce these emissions through additional heat integration, fuel switching, and the use of heat pumps and electric boilers.
Utilize a hydrogen reactions lab to optimize renewable fuels processing
Leading technology developers in the refining space are utilizing various catalysts to enhance the adjusted reaction chemistry, but this does not directly address how to optimize hydrogen utilization for the hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization/cracking processing steps. To ensure the right equipment outlay and calibration for these hydrogenation applications, replicating the process in a lab setting can help identify efficiencies and yield improvements for a fraction of the cost that a refiner would incur attempting to achieve that optimization through modifications at commercial scale.
Refinery/petrochemical makeup water treatment: A general guide for technical personnel—Part 1
New personnel are often confronted with challenges that require knowledgeable and quick action, which they may have difficulty providing without thorough training. A very important—and sometimes overlooked—unit operation within these facilities is makeup water treatment for steam generators and other processes. Many cases have been documented in which makeup system upsets have led to boiler tube failures that partially or completely shut down unit processes. Parts 1 and 2 (September 2024) of this article serve as a guide for those employees who may be on a steep learning curve when it comes to makeup system understanding.
Zero liquid discharge: A stepping stone to water sustainability—Part 1
Among the available technologies of wastewater treatment to recover reusable water, zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) has become the most frequently used term in oil and gas refineries and petrochemical plants. It has been effectively used in the treatment of brine to maximize the recovery of freshwater or recycled water and to recover salt and other chemicals that are used in other industries.
- Evonik presents innovative "Debonding on Demand" concept for more sustainable bonding 4/3
- Oil, gas and refined product imports exempted from Trump’s sweeping tariffs 4/3
- Reliance: India's gasoline demand to peak by 2035, diesel by 2041 4/3
- Mabanaft, HIF Global sign agreement to accelerate e-methanol adoption in the shipping industry 4/3
- Burckhardt Compression awarded digital monitoring services contract for a chemical plant in Saudi Arabia 4/3
- Lummus completes successful startup of electric heater demonstration unit 4/3
