May 2019

For any hydrocarbon processor, margin is king.

In today’s operating facilities, it is critical to have robust mechanical integrity (MI) programs that provide the capability to understand the various parameters that affect asset integrity so that inspections can be planned accordingly.

Hydrocarbon processing (HP) companies are seeking opportunities to improve productivity, optimize equipment availability and increase process uptime.

Oil flushing has a direct impact on the performance and lifespan of industrial equipment.

Most refineries have some sort of mass balance and loss control program in place for accounting, planning and scheduling, as well as for financial and operational evaluation purposes.

Pumping of low-temperature and cryogenic fluids requires specific and unique engineering technologies for the shaft sealing system.

Fine particles are usually collected by dry collectors, wet collectors, electrostatic precipitators and filters, at the commercial level.

Fired heaters are designed with castable refractory in various sections of the heater.

According to API Recommended Practice (RP) 521, 4.4.13.1, “Fire exposure on equipment can result in overpressure due to vapor generation and/or fluid expansion.

The main options for the cooling water systems of gas, petroleum and petrochemical plants located on coastlines are studied here, and alternatives are compared with the consideration of several technical and economic parameters.

Safety requirements within nuclear power plants (NPPs) have encouraged the development of several rigorous methodologies that, in turn, have stimulated excellence in operability, availability, reliability and maintenance to the extent that numerous guides and standards now regulate that industry.

The blowdown (BD) system in delayed coking units (DCUs) receives waste streams generated during the coke drum (CD) decoking process to recover valuable hydrocarbons and water.

Cybersecurity standards and related practices contain valuable information for both asset owners and solution suppliers.

Over the past few months, Hydrocarbon Processing’s editorial staff has traveled thousands of miles to attend numerous conferences, events, users’ groups, groundbreakings, etc.

Almost three decades ago, a Knoxville-based company fittingly called System Improvements (“SI”) decided to change the way the world solves problems.

To push the project schedule, plant owners sometimes proceed the boxing up of columns without approval of the tray designer.

The financing of Africa’s petrochemicals industry expansion remains a key issue for a continent on which governments and the private sector are grappling with an infrastructure financing deficit of $130 B–$170 B, despite some investors having found options to fund their petrochemical projects.

The refining business needs to change dramatically over the next decade.

A large volume of data is generated during the operation of refining, petrochemical and fertilizer plants.

Maintenance activities and turnarounds often prove challenging to a facility’s electrical power system.

Since its inception 3 yr ago, the Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) has aimed to deliver valuable insights on the needs, concerns and desires of the energy workforce to enhance recruitment and retention strategies.

In Hydrocarbon Processing’s April issue, the editorial comment focused on advancing ideas in the downstream processing industries.

As the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) nears the middle of 2019, Hydrocarbon Processing is providing an assessment of the global midstream/downstream processing industries’ capital investments.

A combination of planned and unplanned refinery outages affected US gasoline production, resulting in considerable declines in inventory levels.

Alfa Laval has introduced wide-opening design plates in its Packinox heat exchangers.

Opening Gulf Energy Information’s 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference (EMGC) in Cyprus was the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry for the Republic of Cyprus, H. E. Yiorgos Lakkotrypis.

Stress Engineering Services Inc. (SES) has promoted Kenneth Bhalla to Chief Technology Officer (CTO).