December 1998

Consider these guidelines and lessons-learned when upgrading

This formalized quality evaluation can yield company-wide strategic benefits

Successful projects will result by following logical and proven project execution practices. Executing according to the practices presented here can result in a project that is: Completed within..

Electronic system can improve design and communications between engineers, contractors and operators

An inferential control method has been developed at the AB Nynäs Petroleum refinery in Nynäshamn (Sweden). The purpose of the method is to estimate the flash points for distillates from the ..

Use caution when installing relief valves and rupture disks on processes handling hazardous compressible fluids

Company initiatives, that address changes in equipment instrumentation, project maintenance and employee restructuring, streamline company operations and reduce costs

The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) held their 40th Annual Computer Conference, November 15–18 in San Antonio, Texas. Although several good papers were presented on past and ..

In their quest for improved machinery reliability, many companies have rightly turned their attention to such opportunities as synthetic hydrocarbon lubricants, dry sump oil-mist lubrication and autom..

This month I will step into a slightly different mode of Web site, the company analysis site. Wall Street Research Network (http://www.wsrn.com/) is one of my favorite sites on the Internet and one I ..

The past few weeks of this year have been full of news and change. Several late-breaking developments will impact the petrochemical / refining industry. In the area of ethylene technology, an operat..

In Finland, it's zap season; low temperatures (i.e., anything below –10°C) are accompanied by low humidity. Add thick-soled boots and a down-filled coat made of synthetic fiber with fur trim..

Traditionally, a new year starts with resolutions of good intent. What resolutions can we make to better do our jobs in the coming year? What do we always intend to do but never quite manage? Think ab..

I wrote recently that the management of several reliability and maintenance consulting firms agreed with two statements. First, reliability and maintenance improvement has immense potential to advance..

Low-cost alternative to liquid-filled gauge A lower-priced alternative to liquid-filled gauges, the Ashcroft Duragauge Plus! is claimed to change the landscape of pressure gauge technology. This lon..

ABB Lummus Global and Criterion Catalyst Co. L.P. have agreed with Exxon Research and Engineering Co. to jointly develop and market the SynSat distillate hydrogenation process. Exxon brings extensive ..

ABB Lummus Global, Criterion Catalyst Co. L.P. and Shell Global Solutions have formed the SYN Alliance to market the SYN Technology. The SYN Technology, developed and commercialized by ABB Lummus Glob..

Water-cooled combustion monitoring system withstands 3,500° An advanced, water-cooled, solid state burner management system can withstand temperatures as high as 3,500°F while televising c..

Bechtel-Linde awarded Abu Dhabi ethylene plant Abu Dhabi Polymers Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Copenhagen-based Borealis A/S, has awarded the Bechtel-Linde allian..

Gear drives A four-color product guide, outlining the expanded line of Ultramite gear drives, is available from The Falk Corporation. The six-page brochure, with product cut-away illustrations, over..

Exxon buys Mobil for a reported $76 billion, a transaction that is expected to reshape the global oil industry. The deal creates the world's largest energy company, surpassing the Royal Dutch / Shell ..

Corporate America forecasts a stable 1999 in the U.S., but continued turmoil internationally. So says a survey by Ernst & Young LLP of 350 top tax, treasury and finance executives from multinational c..

According to a recent study by CONCAWE, refineries continue to reduce oil discharged with effluents. Data from a 1997 survey shows a 43% reduction in the quantity of oil discharged from 1993 levels. C..

The Supply and Demand Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has released its short-term (1998-1999) forecast at the association's 69th annual meeting in New Orleans, Oct..

The push for increased fuel economy and stricter regulation of automobile emissions presents engineers with a challenge to create an engine that both burns fuel more cleanly and produces fewer polluti..

The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) has challenged certain aspects of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refinery listing rule. CMA charges that a portion of the rule will prevent ch..

Hydrocarbon Processing Magazine is now progressing into its 76th year of publication. Though its undergone a few name changes and many design upgrades over the years, HP is a journal that has always a..

The influx of commercial technology into automation applications continues with Ethernet-based networks invading the field level. Control networks link automation processors such as PLCs or DCSs. Fiel..