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

February 2016

Archive

Special Report: Clean Fuels and the Environment

Maximize petrochemicals in the FCCU to boost refinery margins, improve gasoline pool quality
W. R. Grace: Chau, C.  |  Schiller, R.  |  Ziebarth, M.

In light of the current market dynamics, challenging the FCCU to move out of its “maximum gasoline” comfort zone is a winning strategy to drive overall refinery profitability.

Add power to environmental real-time data through analytics
Wood Group Mustang: Black, P.

Advancements in technology are delivering ever-increasing amounts of data that need to be processed and acted upon.

Build a solid GHG BACT cost-effectiveness calculation to avoid CCS costs
AECOM: Crum, R.

Determining which technology constitutes greenhouse gas (GHG) best available control technology (BACT) for a new or modified facility often hinges on the GHG BACT cost calculation.

Maintenance and Reliability

Prevent the overfilling of storage tanks
Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co.: Dokhkan, A.

Overfilling storage tanks, especially those with large inventories of toxic or flammable material, has always been a safety concern for site owners and operators.

Outlook: Industry Leaders’ Viewpoints

2016 Industry Leaders’ Viewpoints—Part 2
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Industry leaders and esteemed colleagues shared their viewpoints on 2016 and beyond with Hydrocarbon Processing.

Process Engineering and Optimization

Use discrete event simulation as decision support for storage and shipping—Part 2

Over the past decades, one engineering firm has been using discrete event simulation (DES) to study shipping and storage as an integral part of project execution throughout all phases of a process facility’s design, construction and operations.

Troubleshoot operation of a steam ejector vacuum system
Vacuum Improvement Consulting Engineering: Lieberman, N.
Phillips 66: Cardoso, R.

A crude vacuum unit operating properly generates high gasoil yield vs. low-value vacuum residue.

Process Control/Instrumentation

Enhance PSM design with metrics-driven best practices
Michael Marshall LLC: Marshall, M.

This study shows the attributes and benefits of a data- and metrics-driven system focused on the process safety design integrity, reliability and control of process plant flares and pressure relief systems.

Utilize APC solutions to resolve hydrocracker conversion optimization challenges
PKN ORLEN S.A.: Bożek, M.
Honeywell Advanced Solutions: Oleszczuk, G.

Improving profits and reducing costs remain priorities for owner/operators and management.

Columns

Editorial Comment: A low-sulfur world
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

As the world continues to welcome more vehicles on the road, and as emerging economies invest in civil, industrial and energy projects, global fuels demand is forecast to increase through the end of the decade.

Reliability: Combine metallurgical, structural and physics know-how
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

We recently received an update on the capabilities of a modern professional entity that combines metallurgical, structural and practical applied physics know-how in a US Gulf Coast location

Global: Reforms will shape future of Nigeria’s refining industry
Contributing Editor: Oirere, S.

Oil-rich Nigeria’s new presidential administration has announced several changes in the country’s oil sector, as it sets out to fulfill a pre-election campaign pledge by President Muhammadu Buhari to streamline the West African nation’s hydrocarbon industry.

Industry Perspectives: Downstream disputes breaking the 10% ‘blend wall’ for US ethanol

US refiners are set to break the 10% “blend wall” for using ethanol in gasoline, but downstream professionals are certainly not happy about it.

Business Trends: Clean fuels—a global shift to a low-sulfur world
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

New technologies are helping move refiners to a low-sulfur world, while revised fuel standards are catalysts for more clean fuels projects to develop higher-quality transport fuel.

Industry Metrics
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

US product markets weakened despite unseasonably strong gasoline demand, and the gasoil crack spread hit the lowest level seen in more than five years, under pressure from increasing supplies amid thin demand due to warmer winter weather.

Global Project Data
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

At present, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database is tracking over 2,100 projects around the world.

Innovations
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Blume, Adrienne

In a market with reduced capital investment budgets, revamps and upgrades are becoming increasingly prevalent to extend asset service life.

People
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Smaller-scale gas-to-liquids (GTL) specialist Velocys Plc has named David Pummell as chief executive officer (CEO).