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

April 2003

Archive

Special Report: Maintenance/Reliability

Proven turnaround practices
ReliMaint Engineering: Motylenski, R. J.

Follow these guidelines to reduce costs and shorten downtime

Audit your lubrication practices
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Payback can usually be measured in days by finding areas that need improvement

Consider multi-jackbolt tensioners
Superbolt, Inc.: Steinbock, A.

Benefits include improved safety and reduced cost and installation time

Use PdM to optimize pump overhauls
Monash University Gippsland School of Engineering: Beebe, R.

These condition monitoring methods estimate increased power consumption due to wear

Diagnostics capabilities of Foundation fieldbus pressure transmitters
Emerson Process Management: Eryurek, E.
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co.: Raterman, M.  |  Szanyi, R.

Tests in an FCC unit showed both instrument and process problems could be detected

Combine temperature surveys, field tests and gamma scans for effective troubleshooting
PDVSA El Palito Refinery: Duarte Pinto, R.  |  Perez, M.
Fluor: Kister, H.

Each method offers pros and cons; yet combined, these techniques form a powerful tool to diagnose operational problems in fractionators

Proven turnaround practices Table 3
ReliMaint Engineering: Motylenski, R. J.

  Table 3. Material tracking example     ..

Engineering Case Histories

Case 14: Analyzing a crankshaft failure
Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Sometimes both metallurgical and mechanical analysis are required

Inventory Management

Value proposition for oil accounting – Part 1
Grodidier Consulting Services: Grosdidier, P.
Aspen Technology, Inc.: McLaughlin, M.

By deploying a sophisticated system, a refinery can reap benefits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars/year

Process Safety

Human factors analysis for process safety
Primatech, Inc.: Baybutt, P.
Pennsylvania State University Park: Haight, J.

Apply LOPA-HF to a fired furnace

Columns

HP Reliability: Compare your reliability management practices to best-of-class
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Periodic auditing of the state of your reliability management practices is needed if your plant wants to be assured of not being overtaken by the competition. One effective way to condu..

HP Automation Safety: Beware of trip point negative creep
exida LLC: Marsza, E. M.

I recently rediscovered a curious phenomenon that affects SIS shutdown settings: trip points. This malady is particularly problematic for flow measurements in plants that have gone thro..

HP Integration Strategies: Ten questions for your process automation system migration partner
ARC Advisory Group: Hill, D.

ARC estimates that roughly $65 billion worth of automation systems presently installed are at the end of their traditional life cycle. To make the decision to migrate to newer process a..

HPIn Europe: Industry rises to meet challenges
European Refining & Marketing: Pitt, R.

Despite the figures that many of the multinational and national oil companies are turning in for 2002, the immediate future continues to look tight. This point was reinforced by Sir Phi..

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

High-fidelity graphics card for plant design Plant documentation that has historically resided in paper format is now supplied electronically. This significantly increases the amount of..

HPInformer
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

Fieldbus chosen for Chinese complex China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) will use Foundation Fieldbus to automate a new petrochemical facility. It is claimed to be the largest inst..

New Developments

High-strength steel knife gate valve A unique 48-in. knife gate valve, part of the Big Knife family, is made of high-strength 2205 duplex steel for processing more corrosive and abrasiv..

Free Literature

Diaphragm compressors for fuel cell applications Pdc Machines designs and manufactures diaphragm compressor systems and reformers for fuel cell technology. Partnering with companies and..

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

  Trends in pumps, seals, valves A..

HP Impact: EU representatives examine viability of hydrogen economy
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Meeting last month, seminar participants from EU governments and private sectors examined research and development (R&D) priorities for creating a hydrogen infrastructure. The Internati..

HP Impact: World’s first 700-bar compressed hydrogen filling station opens
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Linde AG has created the world's first hydrogen filling station using 700-bar (10,000-psi) technology for the Adam Opel AG. This is claimed to be an important milestone on the road to t..

HP Impact: Declining capacity driving improved petrochemicals outlook
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

While global energy prices had moderated by the beginning of 2002, the increasing political turmoil overwhelmed conventional supply/demand dynamics pushing energy values upward 50 - 100..

HP Impact: Growth seen for world petrochemicals despite high feedstock prices
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Until recently, the price of natural gas had become very affordable, enabling many producers to enjoy profits that had not been seen in the petrochemicals industry for a number of years..

HP Impact: Consumer preference key determinant for new-fueled vehicles
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Wendy Weirauch, Managing Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com "Techno..

HP Impact: Weakening in crude fundamentals forecast
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The crude oil markets have been plagued by uncertainties that have elevated the role of market psychology in shaping prices. As a consequence, prices have been volatile and generally st..

HP Impact: Control valve market realizes gains from HPI project upgrades
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The worldwide control valve market, which totaled almost $3 billion in 2002, will reach almost $3.5 billion by the end of 2007, expanding at a cumulative annual growth rate of over 3%. ..

Misc

Feedstocks’ pricing – survival in the belly of the beast
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

For natural-gas-based petrochemicals, feedstock pricing has been a true beast of burden. Recent high natural gas pricing in North America (NA) is great for suppliers. Yet, for users, hi..

HPIn Construction
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Jackson, Kim M.

North America Aker Kvaerner has a front-end loading, detailed design, procurement assistance and construction management contract for DuPont Dow Elastomers' consolidation project at its..