October 2014

The evolution is all about connecting people, information and devices to give a holistic view of plant operations used to better manage reliability strategy and operational risk.

Safety and security work hand in hand in the manufacturing automation arena. As cyber attacks get more sophisticated and costly, there is a growing need to elevate security awareness to the same level as safety.

A new set of innovative technologies are having a significant impact on advanced process control (APC) methodology, applications development and sustainability.

Desired automated plant safety functions are implemented via electrical relays, non-programmable solid-state electronics and programmable electronics (PEs) like microprocessors and microcontrollers. I..

It is no secret that as part of its “CPL 03-00-014–PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program,” the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting ..

This case study investigates using ultra-low levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in propylene to increase polypropylene (PP) production. CO is a severe poison to catalyst systems for both Ziegler-Natta (Z-..

Reliability engineers use a wide variety of tools to support plant equipment and to optimize unit uptime and availability. Sound reliability programs assist organizations to be more competitive in the..

At a workshop at ARC Advisory Group’s 2014 European Industry Forum, participants discussed the current cyber security situation in automation networks and developed guidelines on how to harden in..

Despite increasing oil and gas production, Oman lacks the capacity to meet surging demand, especially for petrochemical and refined products. To help satisfy demand, the country is investing over $12 B in refinery and petrochemical projects by 2019.

Often, engineers consider becoming consultants as a second career path. This was certainly true for this author, and it occurred early during his career. Equally important, his career turned out well,..

The global refining industry is struggling with overcapacity even after the closure of 3.5 MMbpd of capacity since 2011. Accordingly, global refining margins are expected to weaken in the coming years..

KBR has formed an alliance to sell the exclusive license for JNC Corp.’s PVC process technology, which it inherited from CHISSO Corp.’s business, a pioneer in the Japanese chemical industry.

Dismantling an ammonia plant is a daunting task under any circumstances. It is even more problematic when the facility is located in a remote place such as central Pakistan and managed by local contra..

Most downstream professions have heard of (or personally experienced) glitches in activities involving offshoring and outsourcing. Too often, some maintenance and purchasing agents travel the “go..

This October and November represent two milestones in the process industries. The first is unfortunate: Twenty-five years ago, on October 23, 1989, a major polyethylene plant on the Houston Ship Chann..

According to the International Energy Agency’s August Oil Market Report, 2014 global oil demand has stalled. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised down its forecast for global economic gr..

The outlook for heavy fuel oil is not optimistic. New fuel specifications for marine bunker fuels under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI regula..

Ion Science tightens focus on petchemsIn a strategic move designed to boost market share and competitive edge, Ion Science, a global manufacturer of gas, leak and corrosion monitoring instrumentation,..

More cuts in 2015 inevitable on wave of capacityESAI Energy is declaring that a wave of new distillation capacity will underscore the inevitability of more refinery closures in Europe and other market..

IHS has named two industry veterans to join its chemicals leadership team. Stein Raae, an international business executive and advisor with more than 30 years of experience at ExxonMobil, Statoil and ..

Redesigned website showcases AODD pumps   Wilden, part of Dover Corp.’s Pump Solutions Group (PSG), has launched a completely redesigned website with a new user-friendly, intuitive inte..

Leak-detection flashlight makes industrial fluid leaks glow brightly The OPTIMAX 400 violet light LED leak-detection flashlight emits less visible light so industrial fluid leaks are easier to sp..

Process data converted into information becomes knowledge for HPI companies. With such knowledge or insight, HPI companies can effectively protect their assets and strengthen their position with the m..

Stuxnet, Shamoon, Heartbleed, Energetic Bear, and other cyber-security attacks keep coming with no end in sight. No one wants their industrial control system (ICS) to be the next target. So, what are ..

Ethanol-based production of ethylene, ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG) dates back to the 1960s. The process is commercially proven and has been extensively applied industrially. Recent tre..

The realm of cyber security has expanded beyond islands of distributed control systems, firewalls and anti-virus filters. In the last five years, we have seen numerous attacks on oil, gas and petroche..

Sulfur is naturally present as an impurity in fossil fuels. When the fuels are burned, the sulfur is released as sulfur dioxide—an air pollutant that contributes to respiratory problems for human..