March 2014

Operators with permanently-installed continuous corrosion monitoring systems have better understanding of the corrosion and erosion rates occurring within their facility.

Once water enters the system, even at high temperatures, the insulation system can retain large quantities of water. That can then lead to accelerated heat gain or loss.

New technology in volatile filming corrosion inhibitors and lower-salting neutralizing amines can provide cost-effective solutions for the steam-condensate system and minimize the risk of amine chloride salt formation.

Boilers are used in petrochemical facilities to generate steam that can be used to meet process and utility requirements. Many industrial boiler designs can be shop assembled and are therefore referre..

This automated checklist tool can be used to quickly check the acceptability of your design configuration based on the various project, client and services requirements.

The hidden heroes of hydrocarbon processing plants are the liquid analyzers, especially the pH and conductivity loops. Unlike their flashier cousins in gas analysis, these analyzers operate behind the..

For the past 30 years, standard-sized relief devices have been sized such that it is difficult to meet the installation criteria in American Petroleum Institute (API) standard (STD) 520. This problem ..

Over the past several decades, oil extractors and refiners have been maximizing the production of easy-to-drill, high-quality light sweet oil, mostly concentrated on the Arabian Peninsula. With “..

A new maintenance engineer is assigned the task of overseeing large, critical rotating equipment in a petrochemical facility (Fig. 1). In this example, the facility has vent-gas compressors that, in g..

This month’s special report focuses on corrosion. Often, uncontrolled corrosion undermines the mechanical integrity of process equipment and infrastructure. It is often identified as the root cau..

Equipment purchasers are always interested in meeting the cost and schedule targets for projects. However, there could be conflicting goals when purchasing compressor drivers and/or auxiliaries from v..

Increasing energy costs over the last few decades have put more pressure on companies across all industries to find more efficient ways to utilize energy. Reducing energy consumption reduces both inpu..

As new projects are more complex and larger in capacity, the successful startup of the mega-plant is crucial. Unfortunately, mega-projects are vulnerable to significant overruns in schedules and budge..

The challenges facing Africa’s drive to a clean fuel regime are captured by a success story in South Africa and a heartbreaking tale in Kenya, with both countries striving to achieve low-sulfur (..

The first five years of the modern shale revolution have been a boon for petrochemical producers throughout North America. While proposed energy exporters must go through lengthy approval processes an..

Significant expansion is planned for the midstream oil and gas sectors in 2014, following a 263% increase in midstream capital spending to $46.4 billion (B) in 2013, according to Deloitte.1 A five-yea..

According to Hydrocarbon Processing’s HPI Market Data 2014, total capital spending in the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) is estimated to exceed $77 billion (B). This amount includes invest..

The shale energy revolution has overturned every assumption we once held about the US long-term energy outlook. Thanks to technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, we hav..

In many professional engineer (PE) programs, continuing education is required. In some US states, this education includes specific requirements for engineering ethics training. The author recently att..

The best inventions are often influenced by an individual’s background, job, education and so forth. So what are the top 10 inventions according to chemical engineers? The Institution of Chemical..

Country spotlight: KazakhstanAccording to data from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Oil and Gas, the country’s three oil refineries processed nearly 14.3 million tons (MMt) of crude in 2013. The 2013 ..

Bitumen blowing unit converts residues to asphaltPoerner Ingenieurgesellschaft’s Biturox oxidation process (Fig. 1) converts suitable feedstock blends to road and industrial asphalt/bitumen. Feed..

According to the US Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook February 2014, forecast global petroleum and other liquids supply will increase by 1.7 million bpd (MMbpd) in 201..

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has named Dr. Peggie W. Koon as its 2014 president. In this position, Dr. Koon will work with ISA leaders and staff to increase awareness of the value and..

Guide for hazardous areas  E2S Warning Signals’ new Guide for Hazardous Areas has matrix tables that enable fast cross-referencing of information between the main certification systems: ATEX..

Steam-resistant material expands range of elastomer-sealing solutions EnDura E90SR is a new ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer material that is said to provide outstanding high-tem..

The global demand for petroleum refining, chemical synthesis and polymerization catalysts will rise 5.8 %/yr to $19.5 billion in 2016, as listed in Table 1. The growth is directly related to increasin..

Catalyst development—both fundamental and applied scienceHaldor Topsøe’s HyBRIM catalyst technology is an improved production technique for both CoMo and NiMo hydrotreating catalysts. C..