September 2012

For refineries with an FCC unit as the main conversion vehicle, the debate is how existing refinery assets can best be used to economically increase diesel production.

Highly developed CCR catalysts are more robust to ensure extended service over 7–9 years.

A new technology can economically upgrade and significantly improve the properties of heavy oil by reducing viscosity, increasing gravity and removing contaminants.

Technical and economic results from this project will be key in determining the most effective path to commercialization.

The dynamic global refining market emphasizes the need for greater operating flexibility in the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit.

This article highlights the technology, feedstocks and market growth opportunities for isobutanol, with a focus on potential new market offerings in the very near future.

Equipment reliability, processing flexibility and energy conservation are key objectives for modern refineries. Refiners today are routinely using lower quality, more difficult to process feedstocks t..

This article examines three applications where rigorous heat exchanger models can boost value derived from process simulation and provide more accurate results.

A leak developed on the water wall for several boiler tubes within five months of the commissioning of a plant boiler. In this case, the boiler tubes were partially covered with a castable refractory ..

Maximizing the energy potential from all hydrocarbon resources is the main goal for all nations. More efficient utilization of energy—natural gas, coal and crude oil—facilitates economic gro..

For process pumps in particular size and duty categories, oil rings are rarely, if ever, the most reliable means for lubricant application. Oil rings tend to skip and even abrade, as shown in Fig. 1, ..

In previous Engineering Case History columns, I have discussed checklists and their value in avoiding errors during startups. While the rules cannot replace common sense or a logical and methodical ap..

I set a wet glass on the old wooden kitchen table at our home. It sat there all night. The next morning, when I went to grab the glass, it stuck to the table. Yes, this event has happened before. But,..

European refiner affirms renewables project Total has reaffirmed its partnership and financial backing to the technology of renewable products company Amyris, the companies said in a recent statement...

Key industry officials answer a poll question from HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Energy price fluctuations present both near-term challenges and interesting opportunities for the oil and gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market. As Deloitte Consulting points out in a recently rel..

Ernst & Young recently held a seminar on risk compliance for today’s global oil and gas companies. One session in particular during the seminar focused on emerging risk areas in the energy market..

Roskill recently released a market outlook on molybdenum. The company expects that molybdenum growth rates will exceed global GDP rates to 2016.Global demand for molybdenum bounced back from the impac..

CB&I has a contract from Enterprise Products Partners L.P. for the license and basic engineering of a propane dehydrogenation unit on the Texas Gulf Coast. The unit will use the CATOFIN propane dehydr..

Honeywell has been selected to upgrade the safety and control system at Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname’s refinery to Honeywell’s Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) solution. The u..

INEOS Technologies has licensed its Innovene G, Innovene S and Innovene PP processes to ZAO Vostochnaya Neftechemicheskaya Co. (ZAO VNHK), a subsidiary of OJSC NK Rosneft, for VNHK’s new petroche..

Shell Petroleum Development Co. has awarded Saipem with an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Otumara-Saghara-Escravos Pipeline Project, which will be developed approxima..

Saipem has signed a lump-sum engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical for the naphtha and aromatics package of the PETRORabigh II Project, expan..

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has awarded Technip a contract to supply a license, basic-engineering package, and engineering and procurement services for the refinery offgas cracker (ROGC) plant. Thi..

The Valero Port Arthur Refinery was commissioned in 1901 and has had many process additions and improvements throughout its history (see pg. 38). In 2001, nearly $850 million was invested in a delayed..

Instruments for the chemical industry  Aimed at companies in the chemical and petrochemical industries, WIKA’s new information brochure is packed with relevant facts about pressure, temperat..

Abrasion-resistant materials for tough chemical-processing environments The Kao-Tuff line of special-duty abrasion-resistant refractory-castable products is said to be suited to the harsh environ..

We are in the midst of an energy revolution, with new types of liquid fuels from new sources and an increased supply of traditional fuels unleashed from existing sources thanks to new technologies. Wh..

Be certain systems are safely grounded

CB&I to buy Shaw GroupCB&I has agreed to acquire Shaw Group, a US-based engineering company primarily focused on serving clients in the power generation and government services sector. The acquisition..