December 2007

Archive

Special Report: Plant Design and Engineering

In pursuit of flawless project execution

Using a main automation and electrical contractor approach can provide predictable costs, consistent results, standardized and scalable designs, and lower risk of unexpected scope growth

Lessons learned during revamp of 34 year-old reformer
Edmunds, K., North Atlantic Refining Ltd.; Newnham, R., Uzelac, S., Born Heaters Canada ULC

Retrofit of heater required unique engineering, design and construction methods

Simple, but often overlooked, plant design techniques
Gay, J. L., E-Technology, LLC

Use these tips and real-world examples to improve the quality of your layouts

Is modularization right for your project?

One gasoil hydrotreater case history illustrates how $12.5 million was saved

Consider new approach to estimate styrene industry metrics
Jeng, J. S., Jones, R. B., HSB Solomon Associates LLC

Key benchmarks define operations performance for global industry

Consider integrated plant design and engineering
Dhole, V., Aspen Technology; Mullick, S., AspenTech

Innovative methods are vital in new project management

No small task to move plant from Kansas to Colombia
Dale, H., Wood Group; Garzon, R., ABOCOL; Rios, J., ABOCOL-Wood Group Alliance

Relocating an entire agrochemical facility added needed capacity while saving significant time and money

Electricals/Instrumentation

Industrial power management: what plants need to know about the future electric system
Hardin, D., GridWise Architecture Council and Invensys Process Systems

Prepare for cost-control challenges and revenue-generating opportunities

Maintenance and Reliability

Performance benchmarking update: expectations and reality
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff; Hernu, M., Solomon Associates

Here's how first-quartile companies optimize maintenance and improve reliability

Risk-based inspection—an efficient maintenance tool
Nalli, K., Muscat, Mott MacDonald & Co., LLC

The technique is an integral part of asset integrity management

Plant Design and Engineering

Integrate HSE concepts in facility design
Kralik, N., Porter, L., Fluor Corp.

Incorporating these aspects early in the planning process significantly reduces rework and subsequent costs during construction and operation

Process Optimization

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and gain carbon credits
Al-Hashimi, S., The Petroleum Institute; Aseeri, A. S., Noureldin, M. B., Saudi Aramco

This can be accomplished by integrating hot utility duties to enhance waste energy recovery

Process Technology

How to predict fluid coker performance
Brown, W., ETX Systems Inc.

New model helps estimate yields for 'bottom-of-the-barrel' residuals

Improve design strategies for refinery vacuum towers
Yahyaabadi, R., Esfahan Oil Refining Co.

Products yield and specifications with energy conservation goals can determine options to revamp distillation units

Consider new synergistic methods to upgrade bitumen

Innovative methods conserve energy resources for oil sands projects

Safety

Adopting global functional safety standards

Potential operational savings justifies the initial investment

Safety/Environement

Designing for pressure releases during fires—Part 2
Norouzi, S., Sazeh Consultants, Engineering and Construction; Rahimi Mofrad, S., Petrofac Engineering & Constructions

Wetted equipment requires a different calculation approach for fire relief loads

Columns

HP Control: Inferential controls that correlate but do not predict
Friedman, Y. Z., Petrocontrol

I recently received a letter from Pavlos Ioakimidis of Hellenic Petroleum responding to my editorial about inferential models that correlate but do not predict.1 That March editorial argued that regr..

HP Reliability: Justification for machine condition monitoring
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Continuous operational condition monitoring implies that machine condition data are collected and evaluated in real time. Of special interest here are data that could rapidly change and are tell-tale ..

HPIn Europe: Now for some technology, entertainment and design
Wright, Tim L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

James Watson, the Nobel Laureate who with Francis Crick first discovered the structure of DNA, has gone to great lengths in his life to do something that comes relatively easily to me. In his early yo..

HPIn LNG: Plant reliability and availability
Mokhatab, S., Consultant

For liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, future plant designs will apply larger train capacities to take advantage of the economy of scale. To fully realize savings in capital and operating costs w..

HP Integration Strategies: Benefits of dynamic simulation for operator training
Fiske, T., ARC Advisory Group

The use of dynamic simulation to check out and validate process automation systems, perform software acceptance tests and train operators provides numerous benefits to companies in the process industr..

HP Associations: Looking to the future with the GPA
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

"HPIn Associations" offers event listings and keeps track of association leadership. We interview professional staff and high-ranking advisory board members, asking about their goals, lobbying practic..

HP Innovations

High-speed wireless corrosion transmitter Emerson Process Management and Rohrback Cosasco Systems (RCS) are jointly introducing the RCS Microcor Wireless Transmitter for high-speed communication of c..

New Developments

Integrated video-monitoring and wireless network appliance The ION video-monitoring application reportedly makes it easy to quickly and cost effectively add video monitoring of process equipment, plan..

HP Construction: North America

  AMEC Paragon has a contract with Baard Energy to provide engineering and project management services for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the $5 billion Ohio River clean fu..

HP Construction: South America
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

  Polinter C.A. has chosen to expand its linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) capacity utilizing NOVA Chemicals Corp. technology. The capacity expansion wi..

HP Construction: Europe
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

BASF will expand its Verbund plant for low-molecular-weight, highly reactive polyisobutene (HR PIB) in Antwerp, Belgium. The expansion is expected to be 25,000 tons, providing for a new capacity of 10..

HP Construction: Middle East
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Two Foster Wheeler Ltd. subsidiaries have contracts with Qatar Intermediate Industries Holding Co., Ltd., to execute the front-end engineering design (FEED) and to provide project management and cons..

HP Construction: Asia Pacific
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

  RAE Systems Inc. delivered a suite of custom wireless gas detection systems and over 150 handheld gas monitors to protect the workers on eight mobile oil drilling and explorations rigs at Petr..

Free Literature

  Convenient flowmeter selection tool  McCrometer's new online flowmeter selection tool is said to offer an innovative on-demand search capability based on fluid, industry and appli..

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

Asian giants remixing trade The staggering pace of the Chinese and Indian economic growth has sharply elevated their energy needs, of which a growi..

HP Impact: Hybrid contracting plan targets inequitable risk distribution
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

For a long time, the engineering and construction (E&C) contracting industry was torn between two extreme contractual formulas for work: 1) reimbursable, which fundamentally places most project risks ..

HP Impact: Resource-rich nations of North Africa to quench Europe's energy thirst
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The North African hydrocarbon industry is on the cusp of significant growth in both upstream and downstream capital expenditure (Fig. 2). From 2007 to 2011, these two markets are forecast to grow by $..

HP Impact: Biofuels production in US impacts water resources
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Biofuels production is developing within the context of shifting options and goals related to US energy production. The technology has several impacts that must be considered. These include energy ret..

HP Impact: Breakthrough claimed in fuel cell catalyst technology
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

A research team from the University of Houston reports that it may eliminate one of the biggest hurdles to the wide-scale production of fuel cell-powered vehicles. Peter Strasser, an assistant profess..

HP Impact: Middle East producer's perspective on long-term petrochemicals prospects
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

When examining the challenges facing the Middle East petrochemicals industry, a complex mix of market forces and geography reveal not only challenges but opportunities. "I believe the industry will fa..

HP Impact: Report: global R&D activity to see reduced US dominance
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

R&D is becoming a truly global enterprise with all sectors moving within the not-too-distant future to a near-equal distribution of effort, funds and activity. This trend is countering the domination ..

HP Impact: China's industrial growth forecast to boom for the next 15 years
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

China's stunning growth has been in the news for at least the past five to seven years. The billions of dollars that are annually being poured into the economy leave some wondering when this industria..

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

The final word (for now) on dry gas seals Our September "HPIn Reliability" column generated considerable interest. The intent of the column was to convey the wisdom of staying abreast of upgrades to ..