July 2019

Crude characterization is critical for refinery optimization.

Since the mid-1980s, distributed control systems (DCSs) have replaced pneumatic and electronic single- or multiple-loop controllers in various plant processes.

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, oil and gas facilities have joined financial, government, hospitality and other companies as tempting targets for cybercriminals.

For decades, sulfur reduction processes have been an integral part of refinery operations.

Most refiners frequently need metal trapping or bottoms cracking additives for residue operations.

Alternatively fueled vehicles (AFVs) are getting plenty of press these days, but their market penetration is still a long way from critical mass.

Hydrocarbon Processing was pleased to speak recently with Mark Fonda, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical Officer for Meridian Energy Group, which is building two grassroots refineries in the US.

The energy transition is gathering momentum as pressure from society leads policy makers and investors to demand faster and deeper cuts to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from all industrial sectors.

The vision is fully fossil-free plastics production.

Much has been written in recent years about the need for refineries to embrace the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Refineries, petrochemical and other process plants face similar challenges in daily operations, as each facility must mitigate risk, anticipate maintenance, optimize operations and minimize operational expenses.

This article is based on damaged wear rings from centrifugal pump applications.

Excessive torsional vibration in rotating equipment trains can result in damage to, or failure of, equipment, leading to emergency shutdowns and costly downtime.

Accepting that incidents are inevitable can be considered a form of institutionalized normalization of deviance.

The growth of China’s chemical industry over the past 30 yr has been truly astonishing.

Heavy industries like refining, petrochemicals and mining have concerns about the availability of fresh water, as these are affected by local water scarcities and stringent water discharge regulations.

The downstream processing industry is changing.

No substitute exists for following the laws of physics, hydraulics and plain common sense when dealing with machinery.

IMO 2020 is posing big questions about significant issues, and clear answers are proving difficult to find.

It is often said that knowledge is power. But in high-risk sectors, such as the marine and oil and gas industries, knowledge is fundamental to even more important things: safety and reliability.

It seems that all software initiatives in the energy and chemical industries are now tagged with the name “digitalization.”

Digitalization is pervasive in today’s hydrocarbon processing industry.

In the June issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, the editors asked our global readership what topics they would like the publication to focus on more in the future.

Three primary drivers exist for recycling polyethylene terephalate (PET) bottles.

US refinery intake was affected by heavy rain, floods and tornadoes in the Midwest, contributing to inventory drawdowns and supporting the jet/kerosene and diesel markets.

Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database is tracking more than 1,300 projects around the world.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has reached a full agreement with CCS JV, a JV between Chiyoda, McDermott and Saipem, for the development of its Mozambique Area 1 LNG terminal.

Peter Vanacker, President and CEO, Neste, opened IRPC EurAsia in Helsinki. His presentation focused on energy transformation through renewables and sustainability.

To test developments of pumps and systems under even more realistic conditions, LEWA has inaugurated a specially developed container test bench that will be used for experiments with hot or explosive fluids.

Arja Talakar has been appointed CEO of Siemens Oil & Gas. He will be based in Houston, Texas, the global headquarters for Oil & Gas and its parent operating company, Siemens Gas and Power.