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

July 2009

Archive

Special Report: Liquefied Natural Gas Developments

Are floating LNG facilities viable options?
Costain Oil, Gas & Process Ltd.: Finn, A. J.

Here's how to evaluate technological and commercial issues of these units

Consider new approach for floating LNG units
KBR: Caswell, C.  |  Durr, C.  |  Kilcran, M.  |  Rost, E.

Combined technical expertise for onshore and offshore LNG facilities reduces risks and capital costs for new installations

Minimize risks from cryogenic exposure on LNG facilities
Aker Solutions US, INC.: Bloom, C.  |  Edwards, V. H.  |  Shah, K.
WS Atkins: Gustafson, R.  |  Livingston, N.
AMG Engineering Inc.: Guy, P.  |  Padilla, L. J.

A rational approach investigates methods to protect equipment and infrastructure from liquefied natural gas releases

Consider investing in a standard-compliant process analyzer
Grabner Instruments Messtechnik GmbH: Pichler, H.  |  Sauer, O.

High profits are realized with accurate vapor pressure testing

Engineering Case Histories

Case 51: Phantom failures
Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Why some are very elusive

Gas Processing Developments

Do you have hard-to-handle gases?
Shell Global Solutions International BV: Hanamant Rao, P. P.  |  Nikolic, D. L.  |  Wijntje, R.

Consider using this second-generation hybrid solvent for treating

Management Guidelines

A continual improvement process that really works
Management Methods Inc.: Woodruff, D. M.

Taking care of these basics can enable businesses to move out of bureaucratic quagmire onto a path of measurable results

Piping/Reliability

Estimate water hammer loads in steam piping
Reliance Refinery: Darji, P.  |  Saha, S.

The problem is more complicated because of the two-phase flow

Columns

HP Control: APC designs for minimum maintenance—Part 2
Petrocontrol: Friedman, Y. Z.

My last month's editorial proposed that since our advanced process control (APC) applications are by and large under-maintained, these applications should be designed in the simplest possible way. The..

HP Reliability: Why continuing education gets dropped first
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Fact: An oil refinery in the Western US achieves a pump mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) of over nine years. The facility has 1,200 pumps and, in a given year, repairs 130 of them. Fact: An oil refine..

HP Automation Safety: Safety culture for operations and maintenance
exida LLC: Goble, W.

While recently analyzing failure records from different petrochemical plants, some interesting trends emerged from the information. A particular instrument model experienced significantly different fa..

HP Control: Glut of stored distillate infers betting on EU's diesel
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Wright, Tim L.

Just outside the archipelago here, the Danish shipping operator, Maersk, has applied for permission to conduct ship-to-ship transfers to and from large crude carriers at anchor. There's a lot more of ..

HP Innovations

Safe, quick method to remove coked refractory from risers The risks involved to workers using traditional methods for removing coked refractory in confined spaces can be avoided by using a new system...

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

Mustang has a contract with ConocoPhillips for a distributed control system (DCS) modernization project at ConocoPhillips' San Francisco refinery in Rodeo, California. The project scope includes the ..

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

  ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing, LLC has an agreement with Saudi International Petrochemical Co. (Sipchem) to license ExxonMobil's tubular high-pressure low-density polyethylene (HPPE)..

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

Mustang has entered a joint venture with Petronas and MISC Berhad to develop integrated floating LNG liquefaction, storage and offloading solutions, using Mustang's LNG liquefaction technologies. The..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief

NOCs forge ahead with investments The world's largest national oil companies (NOCs) and super majors are planning on delivering over $375 billion o..

HP Impact: HPImpact: LNG outlook: spare global capacity and weak demand
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

LNG players are living in a time of falling gas demand, plunging prices and a world awash with LNG. In 2008, global LNG trade reached 171.1 million metric tons (MMton), which represented a 0.4% (or 0...

HP Impact: HPImpact: Prepare for the upturn: be lean, prioritize, focus on strategic intent
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

The need in a downturn is an actionable plan with strong leadership and a commitment to carry it out. So said Paul Newman, global manager for service and implementation with Shell Global Solutions. Sp..

HP Associations: Debating America's energy future
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

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Misc

South America

BILLY THINNES, News Editor       Comments? Write: BT@HydrocarbonProcessing.com   Refineria del Pacifico-CEM plans to build a $10 billion refinery in Ecuado..