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

April 2020

Archive

Special Focus: Clean Fuels

Safe and sustainable alkylation: Performance and update on composite ionic liquid alkylation technology
Well Resources Inc.: Chung, W.
Beijing Zhongshi Aojie Petroleum Technology Co.: Zhang, R.  |  Zhang, X.
PetroChina Harbin Petrochemical Co.: Song, D.

Market and regulatory factors are pressuring refiners to adopt safe and sustainable processes for the production of clean-burning and environmentally friendly fuels.

Cost-effective naphtha hydrotreating unit revamp to increase high-octane reformate production
Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.: Ramesh, K.  |  Phukan, D.

India, which is the third-largest economy in the world, is home to nearly 18% of the world’s population (nearly 1.4 B).

Octane enhancement avoiding both high reformer severity and alkylation
CDE Projects Ltd.: Kauders, P.

An innovative refinery process arrangementa converts butane-rich, light paraffinic streams—preferably containing a high proportion of isobutane—into butylene by dehydrogenation.

IMO 2020 and the importance of nonlinear blending properties calculation
Refinery Automation Institute, LLC: Curcio, E.

With 2020 here, fuel blenders, shipowners, and fuel oil producers and users are concerned about what will happen this year, with the sulfur content in bunker fuel reduced from 3.5 wt% to 0.5 wt%, as per International Maritime Organization 2020 (IMO 2020) rules.

Process Optimization

Amine swap assessment for refinery application
Saudi Aramco: Mudaibegh, S. H.  |  Al-Harbi, M. A.

This article highlights the simulation work and performance advantages for swapping the MEA solvent with a formulated MDEA solvent. The examination compares the performance of three commercial solvents selected for the study.

Processing hydrogen-rich gas in a PSA unit
Tüpraş: Iner, C.  |  Dağ, E.  |  Bilgi, M. Z.  |  Sayan, H.  |  Uzun, S.  |  Orman, S.

At Tüpraş’ Kırıkkale refinery, adsorbents in pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) units must be reloaded due to the low hydrogen (H2) recovery and low capacity factor of such units.

Maintenance and Reliability

Root cause analysis for low yield of p-diethylbenzene produced by catalytic alkylation
Reliance Industries Ltd.: Reddy, J. K.  |  Warke, V.  |  Jasra, R. V.  |  Mantri, K.

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) manufactures para-diethylbenzene (PDEB) at one of its plants by alkylation of ethylbenzene (EB) with ethylene, using RIL's own technology and super-selective catalyst.

Bonus Report: Workforce

How to use technology to mitigate job-hopping and retain millennial workers
Parsable: Whittle, L.

Workforce experts and employers often suggest that the millennial generation is responsible for sparking the job-hopping trend.

Consider purpose-driven methods for communicating with engineers
Laporte Consultants Corp. USA: Johnston, G.
ShureLine Construction: Shahani, G.

Technology has dramatically transformed communication methods and, more importantly, the ways that engineers share information with colleagues and clients.

Process Engineering

Piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs): Part 1— Origin and evolution
Process Engineering Consultant: Shah B.

Process plants require numerous types of equipment to produce the required products from the feed or raw material.

Solve PRV and piping capacity problems—Part 2
Trimeric Corp.: Kerr, T. A.  |  Myers, D. B.  |  Piggott, B. D.  |  Vance, A. E.

Engineers often uncover problems or inadequacies with pressure relief valve (PRV) and relief system piping capacities that need creative and cost-effective solutions.

Water Management

Demineralized water system design: Considerations for the petrochemical industry—Part 2
Advisian, a Worley Company: Fan, J.  |  Ananthanarayan, S.  |  Hodgkinson, A.

Demineralized water treatment systems play an important role in the petrochemical industry.

Meeting strict government standards for wastewater reuse and improved water quality
Siemens Water Solutions: Cunningham, W.

China’s recent three Five-Year Plans have put clean water in the forefront.

Columns

Editorial Comment: Ultra-low-sulfur fuels: The evolution of clean fuels production
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

One of the most significant trends affecting the refining industry over the past 30 yr is the drive toward clean fuels production.

Reliability: Reliability engineering on offshore platforms
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Offshore platforms have had their fair share of successes and failures over the years, and to say that their reliability experiences contain lessons for all of us is an understatement.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 109: Catastrophic failures and the human factor
Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

A catastrophic failure is defined (for this article) as a failure where lives have been lost and human causes have been a factor.

Supply Chain: Thinking outside the box: Unconventional supply chain planning
Opportune LLP: Long, P.

When you think of your supply chain, what do you consider? For a traditional downstream refiner, you may include pipeline, truck, rail and vessel logistics. Where inventory is stored is another consideration.

Safety: Where foresight replaces hindsight: How AI impacts the future of oil and gas safety
Advisian Digital, part of the Worley Group: Stewart, H.
SaltGrid: Aitken, C.

According to the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), there were 31 fatal incidents across the industry in 2018.

Industry Perspectives: The Main Column podcast: Crucial topics shaping the industry
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

In the February issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, the editors asked our global readership what topics they would like to hear on the publication’s new podcast series: The Main Column.

Business Trends: The downstream dilemma: Past, present and future of downstream energy
Global Strategy Consultant: De Vries, A.
IHS Markit: Mohamed, K. F.

The oil industry’s interest in the downstream segment of the business has known ups and downs. This article reviews the past, present and projected future of the downstream sector and its companies.

Industry Metrics
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

In the US and Europe, weaker fundamentals at the middle of the barrel and in the jet fuel segment led to heavy pressure, caused by aviation service disruptions as the Covid-19 outbreak spread.

Innovations
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Porvair Filtration Group has further expanded its range of microfiltration products by launching seven new metallic Compfil™ filters (FIG. 1) for use within process air and gas applications.