December 2014

The E&C industry is now poised for a major leap forward in utilizing advancements in information technologies and, thus, enabling itself to greatly boost project performance.

The project included installing two hydrodesulfurization (HDS) units for the cracked naphtha produced by two catalytic cracking units, a coker naphtha hydrotreating (HDT) unit, and a catalytic reforming unit.

Few technologies have leaped from research lab to everyday use quite as rapidly as 3D laser scanning. Only a few years ago, this technology was a prototype method that captured fuzzy images of plant e..

The federal government, through Pemex Gas and Petroquímica Básica, using the law that regulates Mexican oil, decided to promote private investment to build a new major petrochemical complex called Ethylene XXI.

Six large coke drums at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, which supplies 20% of Southern California’s vehicle fuel, were showing signs of aging after 46 years in service.

North America is in the middle of a petrochemical renaissance due to the shale gas tsunami. While this new development is most prevalent in North America, similar trends are expected to develop in oth..

According to Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database, over $1.143 trillion in announced global projects are at various stages of development. Using the Boxscore Database, HP editors identified 12 projects that will have the highest impact to the global or regional downstream industry. HP readers voted online to select the top project in each category.

Every style or type of compressor was developed to serve a particular process purpose. Collective references have devoted hundreds of thousands of pages on this topic. Two books have attempted to summ..

An earlier ARC Advisory Group column dealt with server-level virtualization in Collaborative Process Automation Systems (CPAS), the company’s process automation system model. Here, we will addres..

According to Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database, new project announcements have climbed to over 500 in 2014. This represents a 72% increase in new project announcements over ..

What is the definition of “first of kind” when discussing equipment and products? The definition used in this editorial is the “first built for your company,” and it can often have..

Floating LNG (FLNG) projects have been receiving much attention recently as a flexible, alternative solution to onshore LNG projects. A review of major planned and under-construction floating liquefaction projects shows how the technology is gaining ground around the world.

With lower energy costs boosting discretionary income, those petrochemical producers focusing on plastics could soon find a holiday bonus in the form of increased demand for their products.

Many HP readers are very familiar with the Texas A&M Turbomachinery (TAMU Turbo) and Pump Symposia events. The Houston-based 2014 forum, held Sept. 21–25, set new records in both attendance and n..

The US shale boom is rapidly changing from an upstream story to a broader energy evolution with increased margins migrating to midstream and, more particularly, to downstream. In downstream oil, disco..

In 2015, the HPI’s capital, maintenance and operating budgets are expected to exceed $324 B. Global announced project spending continues to surge to satisfy increasing demand for petroleum products.

Instruments for process recording and control ABB’s Measurement Products business offers a 24-page brochure detailing the company’s comprehensive range of recording and controlling instrumen..

Alloy increases lifetime of thermowell tips used in petrochemical processKanthal APMT alloy for high-temperature constructions has been successfully tested for use as thermowell tips in the petrochemi..

Oil prices continued their downward plunge throughout October and into early November. The decline is due to bearish market fundamentals accompanied by a strong US dollar. Saudi Arabia is not expected..

Oil price volatility returned with a vengeance in October amid worries of slower economic growth, weakening oil demand, an unexpected increase in Libya’s output, and an indication by Saudi Arabia..

ALL offers seven-crane packageThe ALL family of companies has expanded its fleet of all-terrain and hydraulic truck cranes with the addition of seven new Grove machines. With varying sizes and capacit..

DOE study examines impacts of US LNG exports The US Department of Energy’s office of Fossil Energy (DOE/FE) recently completed a study on the impact of exporting LNG on the US energy market. Ther..

The supervisory board of BASF SE appointed Sanjeev Gandhi to the board of executive directors, effective Dec. 1. Previously, he was head of BASF’s Intermediates division since 2010 and a senior v..

The HPI continues to expand to meet increasing demand for energy, transportation fuels, and petrochemical-based consumer products. As confirmed by HP’s HPI Market Data 2015 forecast, numerous construction projects are under various stages of development for the refining, petrochemical and gas processing/LNG industries.

Using Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and real-time operational data, statistical estimates of the frequencies of future hazardous events can be generated. Combined with a qualitative estimate of the severity of hazardous events and the tolerable frequency determined in the LOPA, an objective leading metric of hazardous events can be created.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and its associated hazards are well known in the oil and gas production and refining industries. Legislation has been in place for years, imposing strict regulations on H2S leve..

All plant workers want to reduce the safety risk associated with turbomachinery operation while avoiding nuisance trips. The goal is to run machines in an efficient manner. In this context, safety ris..