Nichols, Lee
Global Project Data
According to Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database, nearly 450 downstream projects are under construction around the world.
Editorial Comment
Each May, Hydrocarbon Processing focuses on the topic of maintenance and reliability.
Onsite
The following scenes were captured at several events that the editors of Hydrocarbon Processing attended over the past several weeks.
Global Project Data
According to Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database, Asia, the Middle East and the US contain 66% of all active downstream construction projects globally.
Global Project Data
According to <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database and <i>HPI Market Data 2018,</i> total capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the global petrochemical sector are more than $440 B.
Industry Perspectives: China holds nearly half of all petrochemical projects in Asia
Over the past decade, the Asia-Pacific region has been the leader in total active projects in all sectors of the downstream processing industry.
Editorial Comment: Petrochemicals—Advancing production for modern life
This issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> is devoted primarily to the topic of petrochemicals; and rightly so.
Global Project Data
According to <i>Hydrocarbon Processing's HPI Market Data 2018,</i>’ total capital expenditures (CAPEX) are expected to reach $144 B in 2018.
Industry Perspectives: Secondary unit construction surges in the near term
Although the refining industry is expected to add more than 7 MMbpd of new distillation capacity by the early 2020s, the global refining industry will witness a boost in secondary processing capacity, as well.
Editorial Comment: The future of refining—sulfur need not apply
According to multiple industry reports, crude oil consumption will continue to increase over the short term.

- Hunt Refining's Tuscaloosa refinery (U.S.) expedites maintenance, repairs on fire-damaged coker unit 5/23
- SIBUR-Sinopec's Amur GCC expects to produce first polyethylene in Q3 2026 5/23
- Phillips 66's Los Angeles (U.S.) refinery layoffs to begin in December, sources say 5/23
- Nigeria's Dangote refinery agrees to export polypropylene with Vinmar 5/23
- ExxonMobil Joliet refinery (U.S.) running unit at reduced rate 5/23
- Suncor reports flare replacement project at the Montreal refinery in coming weeks 5/23