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

January 2006

Archive

Special Report: Gas Processing Developments

2006 Gas Processes Handbook

Overview of licensors and selected process descriptions

Using gas pipeline pressure to liquefy natural gas or generate electricity
SISEA--Alternative Energy Systems Laboratory Mechanical Engineering Department, Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo: Fernandes, F.  |  Shen, D. M.  |  Simoes-Moreira, J. R.

This novel approach can save money and improve energy usage efficiency

Optimize energy consumption for LNG vaporization
Cryoquip Corporation: Himmelberger, L.
Black & Veatch: Price, B. C.  |  Rosetta, M. J.

New methods maximize heat transfer to regasify natural gas with minimum environmental impacts

Improve natural gas liquids recovery
Shedded Uhde Pty Ltd.: Singh, D.
Fort Wheeler Eastern Pte. Ltd.: Singh, S.

Designing for temperature variations does impact operating costs and unit efficiencies

The design benefit method: Allocate joint costs among shared products
Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University: Hahn, J.  |  Jang, W. H.
Texas A&M University: Hall, K. R.

This accounting technique can provide more accurate results than traditional practices

Costs Management

Improve your annual report through maintenance cost control
Cost Control Systems, LLC: Lamb, R. G.

It is possible to significantly better a firm's bottom line through reliability and maintenance. However, this has rarely been the reality and needs to change

Instrumentation/Safety

Applying instrumented overpressure protection systems
Fluor Corp.: Sutikno, T.

Transient analysis is required to verify their effectiveness

Process Control/Instrumentation

Consider the generalized IMC-PID method for PID controller tuning of time-delay processes
Yeungnam University: Lee, M.
GS-Caltex Corp.: Lee, Y.
KAIST: Park, S.

This simple analytical method provides PID parameters to give a desired closed-loop response while available for any class of time-delay processes

Refining Developments

Consider a practical approach to vacuum unit revamps
Bantrel Co.: Zeidan, A.

Here are some major operating issues to evaluate in the front-end design

Convert oil sands into distillate cost-effectively
Kobe Steel Ltd.: Okui, T.  |  Shigehisa, T.  |  Tamura, M.  |  Yasumuro, M.
Syncrude Canada Ltd.: Yui, S.

New hydrocracking methods upgrades bitumen into low-sulfur diesel

Rotating Equipment/Reliability

Troubleshooting repetitive failure of a CO2 ompressor rotor
National Fertilizers Limited: Agarwal, S.  |  Bangar, V. K.  |  Gupta, O. P.

Here's how the plant personnel overcame the unique and complex problem of residual magnetism

Columns

HP Control: Choosing inferential modeling tools
Petrocontrol: Friedman, Y. Z.

Goel and Shah of Reliance Industries in India published a recent article, claiming that spreadsheet regression is the preferred choice for inferential modeling based on price considerations.1 Since co..

HP Reliability: Consider bidirectional flow devices for mechanical seals
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Many dual mechanical seals found in centrifugal pumps use either pumping rings or pumping screws to move barrier fluid. Typical flowrates achieved with pumping rings are extremely low, with most of th..

HP Automation Safety: What about the valve?
exida LLC: Goble, W.

For a long time, the focus of safety instrumented system design has been on the logic solver. For many, including myself, this started when I first heard about a "certified" safety programmable logic ..

HP Integration Strategies: The grandfather clause in the ISA safety standard extends installed SIS life
HP Editorial Staff: Ghosh, A.

Interest in performing rigorous hazard and risk analysis and applying certified safety instrumented systems (SISs) has increased considerably since the publication of the IEC 61508 safety standard and..

HPIn Europe: Fat margins, large pay rises and a small cliché
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Wright, Tim L.

In my November column, I asked if the good times will keep on rolling. And since then, they have. From what I could learn at the European Refining Technology Conference in Vienna, there's a year or tw..

HP Construction: HPImpact: Further developments in hydrogen fueling station technology
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and the State of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have signed an agreement to develop hydrogen fueling station technology. GTI is teaming with a Texa..

HP Innovations

New CNG transport system validates prototype testing EnerSea Transport has completed a two-year comprehensive testing to confirm the functionality, operability and safety of its proprietary VORTANS co..

New Developments

Software solution for the plant engineer AlarmAnalyst Process Suite is an interactive, graphical user interface software product. It claims to benchmark performance of plant operations. The default sc..

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

ConocoPhillips is installing its proprietary S Zorb sulfur removal technology (SRT) at its Wood River, Illinois, refinery, representing the fourth company-owned site to utilize the gasoline desulfuriz..

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

CB&I has a lump-sum contract to supply a natural gas processing plant in Malvinas, Peru, as part of an expansion for the Camisea gas project. The agreement is valued at more than $45 million. CB&I's c..

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

Lurgi AG, a GEA Group subsidiary, has five new contracts to build biodiesel plants in Germany. The orders are worth approximately €70 million in total. Two plants, which will be located in Rostoc..

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

Foster Wheeler South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., a Foster Wheeler Ltd. subsidiary, has an engineering, procurement and construction management contract with Sasol Technology (Pty.) Ltd. (Sastech). The agreeme..

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

Fluor Corp. has a contract providing engineering, procurement and construction and commissioning services for the Habshan gas complex expansion project by Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. (GASCO). Contra..

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

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) will modify its ethylene plant at the Oita petrochemical complex to increase non-naphtha feedstock usage to a maximum of 50% of the total requirement. The non-naphtha feedstock,..

Free Literature

Stoppers and plugs for a range of pipe diameters In addition to its range of white nylon plugs for pipes of 0.5-in. to 6-in. diameter, the Pipestoppers Division of Huntingdon Fusion Techniqu..

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

  Refinery upgrade investments in EU Eu..

HP Impact: HPImpact: High product demand poses challenges: an OPEC perspective
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Key features of the global oil market were recently assessed by Mr. Mohammad Alipour-Jeddi, head of the Petroleum Market Analysis Department for OPEC. Presenting at a plenary session during ERTC's ann..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Global investment to reach $55 billion for LNG production
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

An estimated 35 active LNG production projects with a combined capital investment value of more than $50 billion are scheduled to begin production in the next five years, according to data from Indust..

HP Impact: HPImpact: EU Parliament passes REACH legislation, more review still necessary
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

In November, the European Parliament approved proposed chemicals regulations, known as REACH (which stands for registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals). The legislators made more than ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Worldwide DCS market to grow 6% through 2009
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The Distributed Control Systems (DCS) market, primarily buoyed by growth in developing countries such as China and India and a slowdown in hardware price declines, has experienced healthy growth betwe..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Can process management programs actually discourage innovation?

Within many businesses, enthusiasm for process management programs such as Six Sigma, ISO 9000 or their predecessor Total Quality Management (TQM) runs strong after two decades. Yet Mary J. Benner, ma..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Price escalations: no signal of fundamental change, says analyst
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

An upcoming "oil price crash" is forecast by Michael C. Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research, Inc. Speaking at a recent Independent Petroleum Association of America meeting in Hous..