March 2003
Clean Fuels
Using novel membrane technology, refiners have new solutions to treat gasoline for sulfur and olefins content
Heat Transfer
This method works for box-type and cylindrical furnaces
Columns
I have participated in the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) computer conference without fail for over a decade, and have seen it go through the ebb and flow of oil..
Material and dimensional differences and lubricant properties can have significant effects on bearing suitability for particular services. Proper material selection, dimensional integri..
The refining industry may have to wait until 2005 for a significant improvement in margins, according to Carlos Cabrera, senior vice-president, refining and petrochemicals for UOP LLC. ..
Information Management/Standards
This method has the potential to become the de-facto standard for efficient information exchange throughout the supply chain
Instrumentation/Control
When the input data are clean, model fidelity is better than that of onstream analyzers
Trends and Resources
Solvent process removes CO2 from natural gas Fluor has developed an improved solvent process to treat lean, high CO2-content natural gas streams. This new technology is estimated to sig..
Company changes name Caloritech Inc. an electrical heating equipment manufacturer is now operating under the CCI Thermal Technologies Inc., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, company name. CCI ..
Ultrasonic flowmeter KATflow 160 clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter is built for use in hazardous areas. Fully ATEX Zone 1 and 2 certified, it assists with adherence to the ATEX directive's ..
North America Sunoco, Inc., has selected ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co.'s (EMRE) SCANfining gasoline sulfur reduction process. The technology will be applied at Sunoco's Philad..
Laser-welded heat exchangers Alfa Laval's new brochure details the performance of Compabloc, its gasket-free fully welded heat exchanger. It operates in difficult process conditions such as ..
Asia-Pacific has been the site of remarkable additions in refining capacity over the past 5 - 6 years; production increased by almost 35%. Most of these additions were in China, India a..
The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a composite index based on five seasonally adjusted economic indicators. New orders for manufactured goods represent 30% of the index, production ..
To comply with government regulations for cleaner burning fuels, oil and gas companies throughout the world have been reducing the sulfur content of their end products. This helps lower..
US demand for metallocene and single-site polymers is forecast to expand more than 20%/yr to 4.8 billion pounds (Blb) in 2006. Gains will be driven by the considerable processing and pe..
The use of hydrogen for petrochemicals, agrochemicals and renewable energy production will make rapid advances in the next five years as even more stringent environmental legislation is..
The operator's role is in transition in many process plants worldwide, due in part to the changing global business climate and the accelerating pace of technology developments. The Abno..
Use of low-cost, stranded-gas reserves for producing synthetic fuels (synfuels) and chemicals may become an economic alternative to conventional fuels and chemicals. For chemicals produ..
Gasoline was the only major petroleum product to sustain demand growth in 2002, and its strongest showing in four years, according to a year-end review from the American Petroleum Insti..
Rotating Equipment/Reliability
Case histories illustrate the importance of preventive maintenance
Letters to the Editor
Optimize surge vessel control The article, "Optimize surge vessel control" (May 2002) describes in detail the different level controller types and their response. The steady level control and..
Misc
Energy demand defines prosperity. The global appetite for energy stalled beginning in 2001 and didn't rally throughout 2002. Worldwide consumption of oil was flat in 2001 and 2002, tota..
Implementation challenges faced by new and existing facilities
- Neste strengthens chemical recycling logistics infrastructure in Europe with Tepsa Netherlands 10/4
- U.S. distillate fuel oil demand will increase in the fall due to agricultural harvest 10/4
- Woodside Energy: Fatality at Beaumont Clean Ammonia project 10/4
- StraightFlo™ reciprocating compressor valve provider rebrands as Atlas Copco 10/4
- Exxon's deal with unions at Port Jerome refinery to allow job-cutting plan to move ahead 10/4
- ARA gasoline exports to West Africa hit multi-year lows in September 10/3