January 2021
Special Focus: Sustainability
The primary objective of the Ras Tanura Refinery Clean Fuels Project is to enable the Ras Tanura refinery—the largest refinery in Saudi Arabia—to produce transportation fuels that will be compliant with future specifications.
As fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) emissions regulations become increasingly strict, refiners are driven to find the most economic compliance option.
Distillation is the most widespread separation method in history.
Over the next 30 yr, the globe’s energy ecosystem—where fossil fuels dominate and renewables play catch-up—will evolve exponentially, as efforts intensify to curb carbon emissions and mitigate the detrimental impact of climate change.
Process Optimization
While it may seem like a simple vessel, the desalter is a critical section in a crude distillation unit.
Hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI)/continuous process improvement (CPI) processes are often characterized by complicated kinetics and simultaneous heat and mass transfer.
Heat Transfer
Hot oil, also called thermic fluid, is a heat transfer fluid (HTF) used in oil refineries and chemical plants.
Oxidation of external tube surfaces is responsible for metal loss at around 0.25 mm/yr, which limits tube life.
Valves, Pumps and Turbomachinery
This article explores the investigation into the chronic high vibration issues of a particular water injection pump.
Hydrocarbon processing plants use reciprocating compressors for process gases in a certain flow and differential pressure range, and double-acting cylinder-piston arrangements are almost always involved.
Process Control, Instrumentation and Automation
When <i>Wireless</i>HART first hit the market in 2008, most of the native devices using it were process measurement instruments.
Maintenance and Reliability
Driving profitable refinery operations often requires owner-operators to balance production flexibility and product optimization with asset availability and equipment reliability.
A conversation with a long-time colleague at an industry trade show inspired me to think about one of the most confounding problems that occur in boilers and furnaces: vibration.
Columns
Needless to say, 2020 was an unprecedented year.
When a long-time maintenance supervisor was promoted to the head of his refinery’s reliability department, he wanted to make “Precision Maintenance is Our Passion” his banner and headline.
A process safety management/operational risk management survey conducted by Sphera in 2020 polled respondents on the following items.
To say that the downstream energy sector is facing a time of unprecedented challenge would be the understatement of the decade.
Lubrication is imperative to the performance of rotating equipment.
At petrochemical and refining facilities, it is common for U-clamps over piping runs to become corroded, sometimes to the extent where they are completely thinned out.
Trends and Resources
With the increasing prominence of hydrogen technologies circulating into the global market, Gulf Energy Information—publisher of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> and <i>Gas Processing & LNG</i>—has launched our latest publication: <i>H2Tech</i>.
Prior to the hardships faced during the global pandemic, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) industry was already facing several challenges.
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database is tracking nearly 1,400 projects around the world.
TechnipFMC has begun construction on Assiut National Oil Processing Co.’s new hydrocracking complex in Egypt.
H2scan has released its latest product in the HY-OPTIMA™ line of sensors.
- Russia to aid hurricane-hit Cuba with diesel fuel 11/8
- SABIC opens ULTEM™ resin manufacturing facility in Singapore 11/8
- U.S. refiners hold output at high levels as fuel inventories sag 11/8
- Catalyxx secures $5.8-MM Series A equity round to advance green chemistry technology 11/8
- Neste changes its guidance due to unplanned shutdown of Rotterdam refinery 11/8
- Repsol launches Nexa, the commercial brand of its 100% renewable premium diesel in service stations 11/8