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Safety

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 74: How to determine impact forces when troubleshooting

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When troubleshooting failures, it is not unusual for the metallurgical report to indicate that the failure was the result of an impact type of force. The investigator who receives this information mus..

HP Industry Perspectives: US oil and gas executives energized for the year ahead

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

A recent survey of US executives by the KPMG Global Energy Institute supports growing optimism in the domestic energy and manufacturing industries. Much of the renewed enthusiasm is strongly linked to..

HP Brief

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Train accident raises concerns on safetyThe train derailment that killed at least 38 people in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, has heightened safety concerns about crude oil shipments by rail. It has been ..

HP Impact: Canada takes steps to enhance its pipeline system

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources recently announced the government’s plan to further enhance the country’s pipeline system by requiring companies operating major pipelines to have..

Dropped tools are a dangerous problem

Total Safety: Schueppert, S.

Explosions, car wrecks and workplace violence: these are events that grab headlines. What is interesting, however, is that the most mundane things are often the most dangerous. In the realm of hydroca..

Exxon Arkansas pipeline rupture blamed on defect

An independent report found that a rupture in an ExxonMobil pipeline that spilled thousands of barrels of oil in Arkansas earlier this year was caused by defects dating back to when the pipe was built in the 1940s.

HP Reliability: Expect adversity, but plan for success

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Consider that a major oil refinery was planning a substantial modernization project in 2008. Energy efficiency gains and the ability to process a more readily available crude slate were key motivating..

HP Integration Strategies: Virtualization goes mainstream

ARC Advisory Group: Reynolds, P.

Virtualization, a computing approach that decouples hardware and software, is rapidly gaining traction in the traditionally conservative automation and control industry. With its roots in the informat..

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 73: Useful troubleshooting tools to keep at hand

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Over the past 45 years, the author has pursued troubleshooting machinery and pressure vessels. It has also been the subject of this column. The troubleshooting tools used in this endeavor have been an..

HP Impact: Global distribution of natural catastrophes in 2012

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93% of which were weather-related disasters. In terms of overall and insured losses ($170 billion and $70 billion, respectively), 2012 did not f..