Maintenance & Reliability

Valero plans CDU upgrades at Port Arthur, Texas (U.S.) refinery in February

Among the improvements will be upgrades to processing of bottoms - heavy, gunky residual crude oil that is usually sent to the coker or used in asphalt.

Update: bp Olympic Pipeline begins restart process after completing repairs

The Olympic Pipeline moves refined petroleum products including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from northern Washington to Oregon and consists of one 16-in. diameter pipeline and one 20-in. pipeline.

Tales of innovative approaches for skin metal temperatures

Condition-based maintenance within the asset condition management framework

Mitigate electrical discharge in VFD motors: Best practices for bearing protection

Update: bp's Olympic Pipeline shutdown hits airlines' fuel supply

The leak was first reported on November 11. bp restored one of the two pipelines east of Everett that had been shut to determine the source of some product discharge. The restored line was shut down again shortly afterward, halting refined product deliveries on the system.

Digital Exclusive: Mitigating structural resonance in an electric motor support: A field case study

Rotating equipment operating near structural natural frequencies is prone to resonance, resulting in elevated vibration levels and potential long-term damage. This article discusses a field case involving persistent axial vibration on an electric motor despite acceptable performance during decoupled workshop testing. The discrepancy prompted a full diagnostic investigation, including bump testing, modal analysis and structural reinforcement.

Update: bp crew excavates Olympic Pipeline, yet to find cause of leak

bp said on Friday its Olympic Pipeline crew excavated more than 100 ft (0.03 km) of pipeline following a leak earlier this month near Everett, Washington (U.S.), but have not yet identified the source of the leak.

Update: bp shuts down Olympic fuel pipeline after partially restoring system affected by leak

The company restored one of the two pipelines east of Everett, Washington (U.S.) on Monday that was shut to determine the source of some product discharge

Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery suspended crude processing after drone strike

Ukraine has ramped up drone attacks deep inside Russia, aiming to knock out oil refineries, depots and pipelines. Ukrainian drones have struck at least 17 major refineries this year.