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

Petrochemicals

Shale energy resources driving resurgence for ethylene industry

IHS Markit: Eramo, M.

The abundant supply of North American shale energy resources is proving to be not only a boon for exploration and production (E&P) companies and energy consumers, but it is also changing the profitabi..

North American olefin producers riding the shale gas wave

With the prospect of abundant low-cost ethane, several producers have announced intentions to build new ethylene capacity.

High-pressure polyethylene: Reemergence as a specialty chemical or not?

Nexant: Farrell, L.  |  Virosco, J.

The analysis results indicate that, while investment capital for new plants favors LLDPE, plant profitability—which is a function of product slate (revenue) and cost—is, in many cases, higher for LDPE plants.

HPI Focus: New vs. debottlenecking projects

Fluor: Turner, J.
SNC-Lavalin, Hydrocarbons & Chemicals: Luck, G.
MVS Consulting LLC: Van Sickels, M. J.

As most owners do not have adequately skilled engineering teams to study these scenarios, engaging an experienced, qualified engineering contractor to support the conceptual study is often warranted.

HP Boxscore Construction Analysis: Ethylene in evolution: 50 years of changing markets and economics

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Ethylene is the key building block for the petrochemical industry. This olefin supports 70% of petrochemical industry production and is used to manufacture a wide variety of products for industrial an..

HP Brief

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

LyondellBasell plans to expand North American ethylene capacityLyondellBasell will raise its ethylene capacity in North America by 18% in coming years through several debottlenecking projects. Locatio..

HP Impact: Driven by China, global methanol demand rises 23% in two years

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

According to a new IHS Chemical global market study, global methanol demand increased 23% during the two-year period of 2010 to 2012, primarily driven by Chinese demand.Annual demand for the product i..

Use model-based temperature control for fixed-bed reactors

BASF Corp.: Weatherford, D.
MAVERICK Technologies: Ford, J.

A process unit at BASF’s Geismar, Louisiana manufacturing facility contains a series of six packed-bed reactors filled with a proprietary catalyst. This catalyst promotes an exothermic reaction, ..

Kinder Morgan to expand methanol storage tanks at Louisiana liquids terminal

The assets will provide critical marine, rail and truck access in support of a 1 million tpy methanol production plant being relocated by Methanex from Chile, South America. The terminal is expected to be in service during the second half of 2014, coinciding with the anticipated startup of the relocated plant.

ExxonMobil licenses tubular process to Sasol for Louisiana polyethylene project

Used worldwide by ExxonMobil Chemical and its licensees, the company's high-pressure tubular process has been in operation since 1968 and has a long history of improvements and capacity expansion. The company also licenses autoclave technology for producing LDPE.