December 2006

Archive

Special Report: Plant Design and Engineering

Tank farm safety design: Updates
Swarup, J., Plant Engineering Construction Pte., Ltd.

New review queries guidelines and various international codes for tank farm bunds

Reduce stress in piping layouts

Several examples illustrate proper designs

Spot energy-savings opportunities in your plant
Patel, S., Petro-Canada

Choosing the appropriate equipment design and other system components can improve system reliability and save money

Eliminating the risks to starting up your plant right the first time
Leitch, J., Fluor

The ability to bring a new facility online sooner and minimize trips or faults that reduce production volume yields significant financial benefits

Digitize your plant using laser scanning for easier access to information
McGill, J., Quantapoint

Integration of facility documentation and laser models enables a single entry point for data

Engineering and economics of CO2 removal and sequestration
Flintoff, W., Consultant; Saxena, M. N., Global Machinery Consultants Pty Ltd.

Using this technology will help facilities meet environmental regulations

Environment

Develop a 'real-time' emissions monitoring strategy for your facility
Buchanan, J., Delaney, M., Mustang Engineering Inc.; Coppola, K., BP Products North America, Inc.

An advanced environmental data management system is a possible solution to comply with strict air pollution regulations

Protect anion resin from biofouling
Rahman, S., Karnaphuli Fertilizer Co. Ltd.

Good treatment practices can prevent this serious problem

Loss Prevention

Avoid equipment failure with erosion prediction tools
Agrawal, M., Chilka, A., Schowalter, D., ANSYS, Inc.; Russell, R., Baker Oil Tools

Advanced computational fluid dynamics models can accurately simulate corrosion incidents for processing equipment

Maintenance

Multiobjective genetic algorithms optimize maintenance
Goti, A., University of Mondragon; Sanchez, A., Polytechnich University of Valencia, Department of Statistics and Operational Research

Overall equipment effectiveness and cost criteria are considered

Process Safety

Multi-layered holistic protection promotes plant productivity and safety
Hillman, S., Honeywell Safety Management Solutions; Jofriet, P., Honeywell Process Solutions

A hazard study is not a discrete event, but the starting point to improve overall availability

Process Technology

Enhance mercury removal from naphtha
Akihisa, N., Ikushima, K., Taiyo Techno Service Co., Ltd; Mokhatab, S., Consultant

Improved activated carbon provides adsorption of various mercury species

Columns

HP Control: Audit your APC applications
Friedman, Y. Z., Petrocontrol

I was one of the first control industry whistleblowers, pointing out that half of the advanced process control (APC) applications implemented over the years do not work. We APC engineers have the resp..

HP Reliability: Avoid three-dimensional compressor impeller failures
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

 Fig. 1     Three-dimensional impeller with integral blading being machined (Source: Babcock-Borsig, Berlin, Germany Cl..

HPIn LNG: Changing LNG trade within the global gas market
Mokhatab, S., Consultant

The International Energy Agency's (IEA's) 2006 baseline scenario forecasts that global natural gas (NG) demand will increase by 138% from 2,244 million ton of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2003 to 5,349 Mt..

HP Integration Strategies: Cost effectiveness is driving safety and control system integration
Ghosh, A., HP Editorial Staff

Manufacturers are under pressure to contribute value to a company's bottom line by continuously improving performance of their assets. Business drivers focus on metrics such as return on assets (ROA) ..

HPIn Europe: Tanker group: Marine distillate not fuel oil from 2010
Wright, Tim L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

My friend who runs an oil tanker business has just heard from his trade organization that it has made a submission in a working group that high-sulfur and low-sulfur fuel oil should be replaced by a n..

HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Toyo Engineering Corp. (TOYO) has a contract for the implementation phase of a new ethylene cracker with Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd. (SEPL) to be located on Bukom Island, Singapore. TOYO entere..

HP Construction: Middle East
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Chemical Qatar Ltd. have a heads of agreement (HOA) to study a proposed $3 billion petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The anticipated facility i..

HP Construction: North America
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Husky Energy has selected Axens to supply three technologies for the possible future expansion of the Husky Lloydminster Upgrader (HLU). The expansion will increase production from 82,000 bpsd to 150,..

HP Construction: Europe
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

BASF Aktiengesellschaft (BASF) and Dow Chemical Co. (Dow) have formed a long-term venture to produce propylene oxide (PO) at what is claimed to be the world's first commercial-scale hydrogen peroxide ..

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

  Biodiesel: uneven supply, demandBiodiesel is renewable fuel made from vegetable or animal fats and oils used as..

HP Impact: Women in energy sector discuss barriers to career commitments
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Especially with today's tight labor market, companies tend to focus on recruitment programs, but neglect to address the problems of why some employees may have left their ranks in the first place. Bri..

HP Impact: New software assesses project 'health' throughout execution
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The Construction Industry Institute (CII) has recently developed a tool that helps identify in real time various factors that could be early warning signs of trouble on a project. With the Project Hea..

HP Impact: Housing market drives formaldehyde demand
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Formaldehyde is a petrochemical that can create value-added materials in commercial applications and improve the quality of life through its chemical interaction with numerous other compounds. Many of..

HP Impact: Oil and gas exporters to US market facing maturing demand
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Refiners in Europe and Latin America will feel the crunch as they lose their export market for surplus products such as gasoline, according to Aileen Jamieson, managing consultant downstream oil, at W..

HP Impact: As China's energy use rises, government regulates conservation
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In the first half of 2006, China's energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.8% over the same period of 2005. "It is a huge challenge for China to reach its energy-saving g..

HP Impact: Outlook complex for global methanol supply and demand
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Methanol prices have steadily climbed over recent months, without a huge fundamental shift in supply and demand, according to an analysis by Jim Jordan, of Jim Jordan & Associates. The US market suffe..