Middle East
Business Trends: Human reliability—a disruptive innovation
Annual bottom-line losses due to equipment failures total more than $100 MM at major refineries and petrochemical complexes. Corporate executives charge plant personnel with improving the reliability of the facility.
Editorial Comment: Maintenance—a value-added expense
This issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> tackles one of the most integral aspects of the downstream industry (or any industry, for that matter): maintenance and reliability. These two terms go hand-in-hand and help to ensure efficient and safe operations.
Installation of liquid sulfur degassing processes in existing SRUs
Over the last 35 yr, more companies worldwide have installed liquid sulfur degassing processes in their sulfur recovery units (SRUs) to minimize the dangers of the release of hydrogen sulfide from the produced elemental sulfur.
A deeper examination of thermal expansion issues in process equipment and piping
Piping and process equipment that operate at high temperatures experience thermal expansion. If free thermal expansion is restrained, mechanical stresses are created within the component.
Saudi Aramco to boost oil loading capacity with reopened terminal
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -- State oil giant Saudi Aramco plans to launch its overhauled Muajjiz oil terminal on the Red Sea next year, lifting its total loading and export capacity to as much as 15 MMbpd, Saudi officials said.
Iran self-sufficient in petrol production, aims to export
LONDON (Reuters) -- Iran said on Sunday it was now self-sufficient in petroleum production as President Hassan Rouhani opened a refinery in the southern city of Bandar Abbas.
Iran gets positive output cut signals from OPEC, NON-OPEC states
TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Iran's Oil Minister said on Saturday OPEC and non-OPEC countries had given positive signals for an extension of output cuts, which Tehran would also back.
Dow, Aramco JV achieves commercialization of entire plastics franchise
MIDLAND, Mich. - April 27, 2017 - The Dow Chemical Company announced that its JV in the Middle East—Sadara Chemical Company—has achieved a milestone with the commercialization of Sadara’s entire plastics franchise. The start-up of Sadara’s high-pressure low-density polyethylene plant adds to Sadara’s mixed feed cracker and the three additional polyethylene trains currently in operation.
Saudi forces foil bombing attempt on Aramco fuel distribution terminal
DUBAI (Reuters) -- Saudi forces foiled an attempt from Yemen to blow up an Aramco fuel terminal in the southern Jazan province on Tuesday using a boat laden with high explosives, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
Metso to supply emergency shutdown valves at Orpic petchem complex in Oman
Metso will supply 400 Neles emergency shutdown (ESD) valves for an ethylene cracker as part of the new Liwa Plastics Industrial Complex (LPIC) Project in Sohar, Oman.
- Serbia secures U.S. sanctions waiver for its NIS oil firm 3/20
- Tanker carrying fuel originally bound for Cuba diverts to Trinidad 3/20
- Vietnam accelerates shift to ethanol fuel as Iran war drives up energy prices 3/20
- India’s Reliance buys about 155,000 bpd Russian oil after pause 3/20
- China's Sinochem cuts refinery runs, seeks prompt-delivery crude 3/20
- Prices for oil, fuel cargoes smash record highs as Iran war chokes Middle East supply 3/20
