Maintenance & Reliability
Unipetrol shuts Litvinov refinery for planned work
The Litvinov operations in the Czech Republic were hit by a blast at the steam cracker unit last August, and the plant's refinery has been running at reduced capacity.
Improved corrosion prevention with acid-aided regeneration technology
Enhancing regeneration in amine treating systems has proven beneficial in many applications by improving operations and relieving design limitations via reduced steamrates and/or improved treating performance.
Editorial Comment: Corrosion prevention is a necessary cost
Corrosion is a major maintenance and reliability concern because it has the potential to impact not only plant operations and costs, but also the environment and worker health and safety.
Reliability: Avoid pump shaft failures
We welcome and thrive on questions from reliability engineers and try to answer some as best we can.
Project Management: Protect operating margins with outsourced asset management
The oil and gas sector is under pressure to maintain operating margins. Although oil prices have stabilized in recent months, they have, nonetheless, fallen dramatically in the last year. This has bee..
Engineering Case Histories: Case 89: Cracking of welds due to weld fatigue
Pressure vessels, piping and fabricated structures adhering to recognized welding codes rarely fail in static loading, unless they are damaged or severely overloaded.
Troubleshoot operation of a steam ejector vacuum system
A crude vacuum unit operating properly generates high gasoil yield vs. low-value vacuum residue.
Improve facility safety by understanding process and personal safety
The lack of knowledge and understanding about process safety is still apparent in many industries where hazardous materials are processed and handled.
Control fouling on preheat trains with a two-stage approach
Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry.
Reliability: Interpreting API Standard 618 for reciprocating compressors
A rotating machinery engineer working for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in India is often involved in selecting reciprocating compressors for hydrocarbon processing plants.
- U.S. SAF production forecast to eclipse 50,000 bpd by 2026 7/17
- Pertamina expects Balikpapan's CDU IV to resume later this month 7/17
- Exxon shut Joliet, Illinois, refinery after power outage 7/17
- ExxonMobil introduces Enable™ 1617 performance polyethylene 7/17
- Tribunal rejects TC Energy's $15-B claim for Keystone XL 7/17
- U.S. imports of Canadian crude hits record high following TMX startup 7/17
- Digital Exclusive: SPECIAL FOCUS: Digital Technologies—Utilize process simulation digital twin to optimize condensate yield
- Digital Exclusive-Flare system design: Liquid pockets in flare headers
- Hydrogen-rich content gasoline: A new concept for paraffinic gasoline reformulation
- Alarm rationalization at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) refineries
