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

Loss Prevention

Automation Strategies: Navigating automation in oil and gas—Lessons learned from other industries

Stratus Technologies: Fryer, J.

In today’s economy, industrial automation has become absolutely essential for refiners, petrochemical producers and pipeline owners looking to maintain profitability and competitive advantage as market pressures bear down on them.

Reliability: Identify top ways to weather weak market conditions

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

New Jersey-based Carmagen Engineering Inc., a member of Mistras Group Inc., is a highly respected consulting engineering and project management firm comprising experienced subject matter experts (SMEs).

View/Alt-View: Giving voice to alternative views

Opportune LLP: Campos, J.
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Andrew, Bob

Our publication often features a Viewpoint column, an executive-level short opinion piece that usually focuses on the author’s sector of the hydrocarbon processing industry. This month, we are featuring two columns back-to-back, presenting alternative views on a single topic. We use the word “alternative” deliberately—rather than “opposing”—as we wish to highlight views that present legitimately different perspectives.

Could your facility benefit from a marine terminal assessment?

Carmagen Engineering, Inc.: Blundell, R.

How sure would a terminal manager at a distribution terminal, or a line manager at a refinery or a chemical plant that has marine loading and unloading docks, be that those docks are being operated at a level that ensures long-term safe performance?

Analyze the startup vibration of hot pumps to prevent trips

Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. (TAKREER): Thomas, J.

Online monitoring and diagnostic systems are used by petrochemical plants and refineries worldwide for their critical machinery monitoring capabilities.

Modified revamp process to reduce energy use in an SDA unit

CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum: Kumar, S.  |  Nanoti, S. M.  |  Garg, M. O.
Chennai Petroleum Corp. Ltd.: Amutha, R.  |  Nandagopalu, N. V. N.

Solvent deasphalting (SDA) is emerging as a low-cost, bottom-of-the-barrel upgrading process to recover valuable oil from short residue. This oil can either be further processed to make lube-oil-based stocks or cracked in secondary processing units.

Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Andrew, Bob

Siemens has been working closely with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on a cyber security project.

Industry Perspectives: The digitalization of the downstream industry

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

The digitalization of the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) is in full swing. Numerous companies have created, and are optimizing, digital technologies to improve plant operations, increase energy efficiency and lower costs.

Digital: Transitioning from the spreadsheet to the Cloud

GE Digital: Renick, J.

The Industrial Internet of Things is expected to create a $225-B market by 2020, opening new opportunities for industrial organizations related to data and asset management.

California safety, health board approves new hazard regulations for refineries

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Department of Industrial Relations' (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved a regulation to strengthen workplace safety and health at oil refineries across the state. The new regulation provides a framework for anticipating, preventing and responding to hazards at refineries.