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

July 1998

Archive

Special Report: Fluid Flow

Improve valve and pump sizing
Federal University at Uberlandia: Fehr, M.

Understand how flow system components interact for more efficient designs

Multivariable control increases coke unit, refinery throughput
Petrobas RPBC refinery: Carrapico, O. L.
Petrobas headquarters: Oliveira, L. L.

A maximization function allowed a 4.1% feed increase

Control cyanides at source
Process Systems Enterprise Ltd.: Urban, Z.

A refiner develops an action plan to reduce cyanide emissions from FCCU sour water streams

Instrumentation/Economics

Reduce acid usage on alkylation unit
Emerson Process Management: Valentine, J.
Sunoco Mid America Marketing and Refining: Jackhete, R.  |  Jensen, B.  |  Mickelson, J.

A refiner installs an online acid analyzer and achieves payback within one month

Legislation

Straight facts on deregulation
Houston Industries Retail Energy Group: Lopez, J. A.

Understand issues and trends of the new electric utility industry

Maintenance Management

Make computerized maintenance management systems pay off
Consultant: Weiss, W. H.

Take the correct steps to ensure successful implementation

Columns

HP Reliability: Use fifty ways to improve pump reliability
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In the eight years that this column has been published, pump reliability improvements have been addressed on many occasions. A Brazilian maintenance consultant brought this fact to my attention. Also,..

HPInternet: Environmental Defense Funds Chemical Scorecard
Competitive Analysis Technologies: Crowley, B.

Last month, I reviewed the Sector Facility Indexing Project (SFIP) from EPA and just scratched the surface of toxic release information on the Internet. More company information is pouring onto the We..

HP Insight: Spending for environment
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

In less than 18 months, the HPI enters the next century. Many great changes have occurred within the industry over the last decade; yet, the HPI constantly struggles to beat the odds. HP is currently ..

HPIn SHE: Draining the swamp
ility Engineering: Whetton, Chris

People who think they have a sense of humor often hang cute little pictures on their office walls with a motto that is supposed to convey an important message. For example, the infant sitting on a pot..

HPIn Processing: Latin America important to U.S. refiners
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nakamura, D. N.

Last month, I discussed the increased U.S. refining business activity that occurred during the first half of this year. However, not all activity is limited to the U.S. Refiners in Asia are currently ..

HPIn Competitiveness: Profit or just fade away
Cost Control Systems, LLC: Lamb, R. G.

Recently, I have had opportunities for frank discussions with senior and operating managers of several reliability and maintenance consulting firms. Through their responses to several questions, we es..

HPInformer: HPInformer, North America edition
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Stephens, F. P.

Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, a leading provider of Smart Manufacturing software and services for the process industries, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Chesape..

HPInformer: HPInformer, International edition
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Stephens, F. P.

AEA Technology, Calgary, Canada, one of the world's leading innovation businesses, has acquired CAE Process Technologies, a supplier of high quality, high fidelity operator training software for the p..

HP Construction: HPIn Construction
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Roberson, M.

Neles supplies valves for Oman LNG plant Neles Controls has been awarded over four million pounds worth of contracts by Chiyoda-Foster Wheeler. Neles will supply critical valves in connection with ..

HP Impact: HPIn Brief
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Higher growth in American and European liquid filtration markets offsets slower growth in Asia, forecasts the McIlvaine Co., Northbrook, Illinois. A $2-billion world market is expected for 2000 due to..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Asia-Pacific's capacity expansions, oil demand reevaluated by EW
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

How is the Asian financial crisis affecting that region's oil demand and refining capacity expansions? Though confusion seems to reign, researchers from the East-West Center (EW), Honolulu, Hawaii, ha..

HP Impact: HPImpact: North American demand pressures to affect natural gas markets
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

A decade of growth in the natural gas industry in North America is resulting in the "challenge of success." So says an industry analysis by Arthur Andersen and Cambridge Energy Research Associates. ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Unique equation rates OECD's ability to meet Kyoto targets
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The proposed Kyoto Protocol establishes aggressive targets and timetables for limiting greenhouse gas emissions for developed countries. The American Petroleum Institute has recently compiled a compre..

Misc

Business optimization
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Kane, L.

Billions of dollars are spent on control system upgrades that often have short payout times. Never the less, just a few days of process unit downtime due to reliability or safety problems can negate t..

HPImpact: Business 'reality' for Europe's owners, E/Cs

Wendy Weirauch, Technical Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com A survey on t..

Distinguish between scheduling and planning models
Consultant: Hartmann, J.C.M.

To use one model for both purposes is inefficient and will give insufficient information for both aspects