June 1999

Archive

Information Systems

Linking the plant floor to the enterprise: benefits and pitfalls
Harkins, B. L., Middleton, E. S., Mushin, D. A., Aspen Technology, Inc.

Understand data needs of business and production systems for better integration

Columns

HP Reliability: Closed-loop oil mist systems are a viable lubrication option
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Although plantwide, centralized oil mist systems have served industry well since the early 1960s, closed-loop oil mist systems have made major inroads only in this decade. Environmentally-acceptable a..

HPInternet: Latin America oil and gas industry development
Crowley, B., Competitive Analysis Technologies

This month, let's visit Latin America and see what is happening there. ARPEL, Regional Association of Oil and Natural Gas Companies (http://www.arpel.org/), is an organization devoted to the energy in..

HP Insight: How much sulfur is 'too much' for clean fuels?
Romanow, Stephany, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In the first half of '99, U.S. refiners have been hit with some tough blows. Last month, troubles began brewing when California requested to be excused from using MTBE in the RFG program and proposed ..

HP Water Management: Water Management

Thinking about outsourcing your water system?

HPIn SHE: The sleep of reason
Whetton, Chris, ility Engineering

As Goya's famous etching reminds us: The Sleep of Reason Brings Forth Monsters*. Alas, the sleep of reason seems endemic in Europe, if not globally. Recently, in London, a young woman was shot in myst..

HPIn Processing: Why are gasoline prices so high? They're not!
Ayral, T., INOVx Solutions

As I sat in my hair-cutter's chair last week, she asked me, "Why are gasoline prices so high?" Since many people in my local area know I'm involved in "making gasoline," it seems like this question is..

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

Dresser-Rand Co., Olean, New York, and Silvertech Int'l. plc, Houston, Texas, have agreed to jointly pursue rotating equipment and unified process control and safety system business opportunities, for..

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

Balcke-Dürr Energietechnik GmbH, Germany, has merged with US American Thermal Engineering International Corp. to form BDT Engineering, Inc. Both companies are manufacturers of power plant equipme..

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

Delta Hudson awarded major project Delta Hudson Engineering Ltd., a unit of McDermott Int'l. Inc., has been selected by Aux Sable Liquid Products LP to supply engineering and procurement services f..

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

Ethylene demand in Canada is projected to increase from a 1998 level of 3.3 million tons to 5.4 million tons by 2005. That's a 6.4%/yr average growth rate. Most of the growth will come from the polyet..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Impact of European Standard EN 228
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Gasoline volatility specifications are defined in volatility classes in the European Standard EN 228. CEN member countries have selected up to three volatility classes to satisfy the driveability requ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: DOE seeks proposals for technology grants
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Candidates for awards totaling $10 million are being sought by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE is soliciting proposals from inven..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Primary gas demand to grow 2%/yr in U.S.
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The Gas Research Institute (Chicago, Illinois) has developed a strategic outlook for U.S. energy supply and demand to 2015. Key highlights from the report follow. Primary gas demand is projected to..

HP Impact: HPImpact: How will India change the LNG market?
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

India is the third-largest consumer of natural gas in the Asian region, relying until now on domestic production. Gas still accounts for less than 10% of primary energy consumption, and the economy is..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Jet, residual fuel gain in 1999 markets
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The most recent monthly forecast from analysts Purvin & Gertz Inc. (P&G) assesses refining products demand and forecasts potential growth areas. Highlights from the outlook follow. Petroleum demand..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Significant trends in aromatics processing
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

"Fortunately, the present difficulties being experienced by the aromatics petrochemical industry are not expected to be long lasting," according to D.W. Penner, UOP LLC, Des Plaines, Illinois. "The un..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Global ERP market to reach $36 billion
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Last year's worldwide industrial enterprise resource planning (ERP) market was over $12.1 billion. The forecast for ERP's industrial software and services market is a 25%/yr increase, reaching $36.7 b..

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor

Brainstorming The article by Om P. Goyal, "Brainstorm with yourself, and others," (March 1999) contained two errors. The text to Fig. 1 was inadvertently omitted and Mr. Goyal's picture for his b..

Misc

Concerns of control company execs
Kane, L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA) held its annual executive forum May 17–18 in Malvern, Pennsylvania. MCAA is an organization of instrumentation and control suppliers and i..