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

October 1998

Archive

Columns

HP Control: Control from the machinery perspective
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Kane, L.

We have reported several times on the trend toward integrating process and machinery controls to improve asset management from the process control system perspective. Real-time machinery data can be u..

HP Reliability: Just not getting the point
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Earlier this year, I was teaching a course in "Reciprocating Compressor Reliability Optimization and Improvement" to a group of engineers and senior technicians at a U.S. oil production location. Reco..

HPInternet: The 17th Congress of the World Energy Council
Competitive Analysis Technologies: Crowley, B.

The 17th Congress of the World Energy Council was held on September 13 – 18, 1998, in Houston, Texas. Industry and government leaders from over 100 nations discussed and debated the key issues th..

HPIn SHE: Risk and responsibility*
ility Engineering: Whetton, Chris

Risk is poorly understood by the general public and by many engineers. It is typified by two extreme attitudes that I call the Two Bomb and the Black Helicopter. The Two Bomb attitude is derived from ..

HPIn Processing: Refining "divorcement"
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nakamura, D. N.

Over the past few years, gasoline prices in California (as well as other areas of the U.S.) have experienced occasional spikes. In some areas, most notably San Diego and San Francisco, these price spi..

HPIn Competitiveness: Measuring business performance from reliability and maintenance
Cost Control Systems, LLC: Lamb, R. G.

A plant's success in meeting its strategically and competitively based production goals is measured as revenues. Revenues, along with cost per unit, total expenses, and working and capital investment ..

Economics

Delayed coking in the CIS Fig. 1
Foster Wheeler International Corp.: Zuba, B. I.

 Fig. 1   Process and equipment configur..

Delayed coking in the CIS
Foster Wheeler International Corp.: Zuba, B. I.

Deep-conversion technology will enable Russian refiners to compete in the global marketplace

Loss Prevention

How much safety is enough?
ioMosaic Corp.: Melham, G. A.
Arthur D. Little Inc.: Stickles, R. P.

Using a risk-based approach on processing systems, engineers can cost-effectively meet required safeguards without compromising operating safety

Loss Prevention/Reliability

Design a safe, in-compliance relief valve
Process Engineering Associates: Leeah, C. J.

A workable scheme can satisfy management, plant personnel and regulating agencies that the system is properly designed and maintained

Industry initiative addresses 'abnormal events'
Honeywell IAC: Nimmo. I

Research is developing technologies that mitigate unexpected process upsets – the ASM story

Use dry gas seals on cracked gas applications
John Crane Inc.: Delrahim, J.  |  Minges, T.

Olefins operator reduces maintenance costs by installing MACT sealing systems on compressors

Revise aboveground storage tank inspections
The Hendrix Group, Inc.: Hendrix, D. E.

Quick review highlights recent addendums to API 653

Valves/Piping

World-class pipe-spool fabrication
ARCO Exploration and Production: Billings, R.M.
ARCO Alaska, Inc.: Derrer, D.H.
Metallurgical Consultants, Inc.: McHaney, J. H.  |  Wilson, R. W.

Use these guidelines and checklist to evaluate a fabricator's ability to deliver the specified product on time

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

Mapping system lowers as-built survey costs A powerful new 3D mapping, modeling and imaging tool has been introduced by Cyra Technologies, Inc. The Cyrax 3D Laser Mapping System is claimed to conduc..

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

Elliot Co., Jeannette, Pennsylvania, has acquired Turbine Specialties Inc., Salina, Kansas, and Harvey, Louisiana, and American Diesel Engineering, Yorktown, Virginia. These acquired facilities have b..

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

DSM Research, the R&D organization of the Dutch-based international chemicals and materials group – DSM N.V., and Cambridge Combinatorial, have reached an agreement regarding research cooperation..

New Developments: NEW Developments

Air-cooled probe shroud for high-temperature environments The Model 022 air-cooled probe shroud allows use of standard borescopes in high-temperature, high pressure and corrosive environments. Optic..

HP Construction: HPIn Construction
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Stephens, F. P.

Amoco licenses gas phase technology for plant expansion Amoco Corp. and Chemopetrol have agreed on licensing Amoco's gas phase polypropylene process technology for the expansion of Chemopetrol's fac..

Free Literature: FREE literature

Portable scanning system New four-color bulletin covers Krautkramer's ANDSCAN – a portable scanning, data analysis and documentation system for generating critical-area inspection images. It ca..

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

Gas, oil industries anticipate on-time Y2K readiness. According to a recent survey of more than 800 gas and oil companies, nearly a third of respondents who provided dates expect to have their compute..

HP Impact: HPImpact: How are Superfund dollars spent?
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Hydrocarbon processing companies have been paying tax dollars to Superfund to finance cleanups of the worst hazardous sites. Promulgated in 1980, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Oil companies close financial gap
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Oil company commodity chemical operations have closed the financial performance gap with petrochemical companies, according to a new study from New Vernon Associates, Inc., Parsippany, New Jersey. ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: LNG industry outlook for Asia-Pacific
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

An "Energy Advisory" from the East-West Center addresses the pre-existing potential for a supply surplus in the Asia-Pacific LNG industry. It examines some of the causes and also forecasts supply and ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: ECC industry reps meet to evaluate issues
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

HPI owners, contractors, suppliers and business analysts convened recently to discuss critical issues of mutual interest. The 30th annual Engineering and Construction Contracting Conference, Scottsdal..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Forecast for benzene supply and demand
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

From 1998 through 2003, benzene is forecast to grow at 3.9%/yr to 35.1 million tons (MMton). Following growth of 1.6% in 1996, demand for benzene and its derivatives spurted during 1997 to a 6.2% grow..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Low gas prices, but at what cost?
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

An oversupply of crude oil has kept prices down in the U.S. throughout the summer, despite the seasonal high demands for gasoline. However, low gasoline prices could signal trouble ahead, warned the I..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Volatility in supply chain management
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The supply chain management (SCM) market will grow at a 50% compound annual growth rate over the next five years, reaching $13.6 billion in 2002. So says AMR Research, Inc., an industry and market ana..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Visualizing unseen aids site cleanup
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

A plan to clean up soil and groundwater contamination is frequently not easy to formulate, since the problem's effects are typically invisible. Soil and groundwater contamination are expensive remedia..

Misc

What are the odds?
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

Loss prevention, as illustrated on this month's cover, is focused on avoiding fire and other catastrophic events. In the latest Marsh & McLennan survey,1 fires are cited as the second frequent cause o..