December 2004

A thorough understanding of the engineering, procurement and construction sequences is vital to comprehensively quantify all potential schedule and cost impacts during the pricing, review and approval process

A new method is proposed for estimating benefits of the technology

Compared with the traditional site surveying techniques and measurement practices, engineering cost savings of up to 15% have been achieved

Knowing accurate English and Spanish usage diminishes risk of costly operational hazards

As petrochemical manufacturing and refining organizations become leaner, even mature technologies are candidates for vendor designed, engineered and fabricated systems

Thermal distortions can move a 50-ton gearbox

Follow these six steps to ensure nothing is overlooked

A custom made PHA methodology can help find hidden problems in your facility

New techniques streamline analyzing process control variables

Implementing an integrated system will improve plant safety

They offer advantages compared to centrifugal and reciprocating types

When computers entered the world of process control, they were large monolithic machines. Since they were, after all, computers, many companies took the stance that the machines belonged to, and would..

Before attempting to straighten a shaft, try to determine how the bend was produced. If the bend was produced by an inherent stress relieved during the machining operation, during heat proofing, on th..

Leading manufacturers are shifting focus from production-driven manufacturing to a business-centric approach that concentrates on improving operations and profits. This requires increased agility and ..

What a harbinger of doom I feel at this festive time of year. There you all are investing in no-sulphur diesel for Europe ? building these great big hydrocrackers from Huelva refinery in the South of ..

Control system to increase olefins production Control of complex turbomachines in an ethylene (olefins) process presents numerous challenges and opportunities because the plant's production capacity..

Services to minimize nuisance alarms Comprehensive Alarm Management Services, for the I/A Series automation system from Foxboro, are said to represent an important component in Invensys' expanding s..

GE Energy is supplying a power recovery system for Valero Energy Corp.'s refinery in Paulsboro, New Jersey. It will have the capacity to generate 18 MW of electricity to help support operations. The e..

GE Energy has completed its testing program for three large refrigerating compressor trains to be installed in what is claimed to be Europe's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, located on Melk&#..

Snamprogetti, the Eni engineering and construction company, in a joint venture with Chiyoda Corp. have a contract with Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Ltd. (II) (RasGas II). The agreement is for ..

Bayer MaterialScience is planning to increase MDI capacity at its Caojing site, Shanghai, China. Production facilities to produce polymeric and monomeric MDI from crude MDI are scheduled to be complet..

Foster Wheeler South Africa (Pty) Ltd., a Foster Wheeler Ltd. division, has an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Caltex Oil South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (Caltex), a part of the ..

Catalyst support media for hydrotreater service Lantec Products Inc.'s Rest-O-Cat 55 ceramic balls are said to help refineries worldwide meet modern fuel-quality standards. Hydrotreater catalyst sup..

  Owner/contractor relationships The growing imbalance be..

Businesses rely on just-in-time capacity enhancements and first-to-market product strategies to gain competitive advantage and increase profit margins. This has created an increased demand for a high-..

Rising oil prices have created a dilemma for central banks around the world. According to industry analysts with Global Insight Inc., no one wants to repeat the policy mistakes made during the oil sho..

The role of coal-fired generators will be greater and gas turbines less. This prediction, which is counter to government forecasts, is based on a recent country-by-country analysis by the McIlvaine Co..

A recent Standard & Poor's energy industry survey assesses trends and conditions that affect corporate market performance. Among the key conclusions: With oil prices high, the world economy lost som..

The International Energy Agency's most recent global oil outlook presents a reassuring assessment of the prospects for worldwide energy supplies. But it also draws attention to concerns about energy s..

The dynamics of the global methanol industry are shifting, according to a presentation by Jim Jordan at a recent methanol forum. For many years, the US was the leading producer and consumer of methano..