Columns
HP Control: Jim Ford's views on advanced process control
C. F. Picou Associates, Inc. (CFPA), an affiliate of Maverick Technologies, was founded in 1974 by Dr. Courtney Picou. Originally aiming to provide process engineering consulting to the refining indus..
HPIn LNG: Diversification shrinks international gas trading market
Globalization in many areas of business and commerce is providing numerous opportunities for expanded trade links across the world. Expansion of the infrastructure along the full length of the liquefi..
Guest Editorial: Process plants' safety and security dilemma
On February 7, 1904, one of the worst fires in US history consumed almost 2,500 buildings in an 80-block area in Baltimore, Maryland. That conflagration raised national attention for standardizing fir..
HP Water Management: Reduce risk of feedwater oxygen corrosion
The most critical asset for reliable boiler operation is the deaerator. Most plants do not routinely monitor or inspect these units because there are few early warning indications of poor performance...
HP Integration Strategies: Benchmarking consortium includes operator training
Have you ever boarded a plane, looked into the cockpit at all the displays, lights and switches and wondered what training the pilots have completed and how they would cope with all that information i..
HPIn Europe: Maiden voyage into refining yields renewables megaproject
When Sir Richard Branson, the UK billionaire businessman, first said he wanted to build oil refineries, a friend of mine a well-known consultant got on the phone to Virgin Group headquar..
Trends and Resources
HP Innovations
Process incorporates renewables as part of refining operations PETROBRAS has developed a new technology to produce diesel oil. The H-BIO process uses vegetable oils as feedstocks to refine transportat..
New Developments
System monitors H2Sand water vapor The WaSul system is claimed to continuously and automatically monitor hydrogen-sulfide (H2S) or water-vapor concentration. It can monitor each separately or both sim..
HP Construction: North America
Foster Wheeler USA Corp. has a reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Sinclair Oil Corp. The agreement is for a 30,000-bpsd delayed coker, gas plant and coke-handli..
HP Construction: Europe
Linde has an order from Petrom S.A. for the lump-sum turnkey installation of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) recovery plant in Constanta, Romania. The contract is worth more than 70 million. The..
HP Construction: Africa
ABB has a contract worth more than $210 million from Sonatrach to expand existing compressor and power systems. The project was agreed to by ABB and a joint venture company operated by ABB's Italian s..
HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
Solvay has an agreement with Zhejiang Lantian Environmental Protection Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. to create a joint venture that will produce and supply hydrogen fluoride, an essential building block for many h..
Free Literature
Flow control products for alternative fuel processes A new brochure from Metso Automation outlines its proven JAMESBURY and Neles brand valves, sealing and automation technologies. With growing accept..
HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
US winter fuels, LNG outlook A recent forecast from the US Department of Energy (DOE) projects th..
HP Impact: HPImpact: New study reexamines link between oil, natural gas prices
Economists with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and The George Washington University have reviewed the relationship between the Henry Hub natural gas price and the West Texas Intermediate ..
HP Impact: HPImpact: World transportationfuel demand resilient despite high prices
The world has experienced high oil prices for a relatively brief period. "Therefore, it is premature to claim that the type of record prices seen earlier this summer will not ultimately lead to demand..
HP Impact: HPImpact: Shortages in project, operations workforce concern HPI leaders
While US petroleum companies declined from 19952003, they also aged. The average age in the industry is 49 yr. With the emerging seller's market and rising hydrocarbon prices, the nation's emplo..
HP Impact: HPImpact: Coal-fired power boosts demand for water treatment chemicals
The world market for water and wastewater treatment chemicals in the power sector will rise from $3.4 billion in 2006 to $4 billion in 2010, says a new report by the McIlvaine Company (www.mcilvaineco..
HP Impact: HPImpact: Growth in TPA, polyester markets region-specific
Demand drivers for terephthalic acid (TPA) continue to be region-specific, according to CMAI. Absolute demand growth in Asia is dominated by polyester fiber, which dwarfs the market size of PET resin ..
HP Impact: HPImpact: SABIC buys Huntsman's Europe base-chemicals and polymers business
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) plans to acquire 100% of the shares of Huntsman Petrochemicals (UK) Ltd. (Huntsman's European base chemicals and polymers business) for $700 million in cash. After..
HP Impact: HPImpact: Study quantifies R&D's contribution to US economic growth
Because intangible assets are increasingly important components of the knowledge economy, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is interested in expanding the available data for analysts to understand..