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

May 2022

Archive

Special Focus: Biofuels, Alternative Fuels and Green Petrochemicals

Overview of decarbonization pathways for the oil and gas and petrochemical industries—Part 1
Petrogenium, Buehler Consulting: Buehler, J.

This two-part article will cover the seven pathways to decarbonizing the oil and gas and petrochemical industries.

MVR compressor key to steam energy upgrade at Terneuzen polyolefin plant
Atlas Copco Gas and Process: Schmitz, U.
Dow Chemical: van Limmen, P.
BlueTerra: Waggeveld, R.

Reducing energy costs and creating more sustainable local energy sources are common challenges across many industry sectors.

Quickly screen catalysts for hydrotreating of vegetable oil using high-throughput micro-pilot plants
Avantium Catalysis: Vilela, T.

Accurate catalyst evaluation is an important step in optimizing catalytic processes with respect to product yield, energy efficiency and overall product quality.

CO2 energy recycling approach in the petrochemical industries
Pharos University: Ezzat, A. A.

Many industrial processes can generate carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. Recently, these processes have contributed to an average annual release of more than 30 Btpy of carbon dioxide into the environment.

Digital Technology

Save energy and reduce CO2 emissions with closed-loop optimization of utilities networks
Aspen Technology: Lodolo, S.

Oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical companies face the difficult challenge of maximizing profitability while achieving aggressive decarbonization objectives set for 2030 and beyond.

Carbon Capture/CO2 Mitigation

CO2 compressor technology for a decarbonized energy economy
Elliott Group: Brun, K.

Due to the potential of hydrogen in the context of developing a decarbonized energy infrastructure, technologies for efficiently producing, transporting, storing and utilizing it have attracted significant investment.

Process Optimization

Assessment protocol for nozzle loads on pressure vessels
P3 Engineering: Stikvoort, W.

From a historical perspective, the traditional approach to deal with “unknown magnitude of nozzle loads” can be summarized here.

Sensitivity analysis of a plug flow reactor
Facility for Rare Isotope Beams: Laturkar, K.
Validation Associates LLC: Laturkar, K.

A sensitivity analysis study evaluates uncertainties in a model’s output based on the changes in the input parameters of the model.

Catalysts

Hydroprocessing catalyst selection—Part 1: Planning and selecting the catalyst evaluation method
Global R&D: Pongboot, N.
PTT Global Chemical: Upienpong, T.  |  Karunkeyoon, W.

Hydroprocessing catalysts are an essential part of any refinery involved in the treatment/conversion of most petroleum fractions ranging from naphtha to residue.

Sustainability

Sustainable refinery of the future: Versatile, efficient and smart
Modcon Systems: Kigel, A.  |  Briskman, G.

Greenhouse gas emissions occur alongside an inflection point for global refined product consumption. Since the 1850s—when the first oil refineries were constructed—the world has changed dramatically as refined product demand has continued inexorably upward.

Plant Turnarounds and Project Management

Managing complexity in engineering and construction projects
Tecnicas Reunidas: Corrales, J.  |  Veiga, J. P.

It is widely accepted that new management methods are needed to curb the frequent delays and cost overruns observed in engineering and construction projects.

Valves, Pumps and Turbomachinery

Considerations for not providing a dedicated spare pressure-relief device
Samsung Engineering: Namilakonda, P. K.

Pressure-relief devices play a critical role in the hydrocarbon processing industry.

Heat Transfer

Preferential baffle reboiler—Part 2
Process Engineer: Sharma, A.

Distillation towers consume ~30% of the energy in a refinery or petrochemical facility. The reboiler is the stomach of the distillation tower that consumes the energy to separate the components.

Water Management

Bringing treatments to a boil
Neptune: Fagan, T.  |  Wong, D.  |  Ester, E.

The function of a boiler is simple. It boils water to produce steam, which, in turn, provides energy.

Columns

Editorial Comment: Pathways towards a more sustainable HPI
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Among the dominant, far-reaching themes within the global refining and petrochemicals industries are the increase in biofeedstocks processing to produce biofuels and greener petrochemicals, the continued push towards clean fuels production, regulations and initiatives to adhere to net-zero emissions targets, and a surge in capital investments to build renewables and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) plants.

Reliability: Consider packaged twin-screw compressors
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Compressors are widely used in the process industries to move fluids and gases within and outside the boundary of a process.

Circular Economy: Innovative recycling, driving circularity while decarbonizing the petrochemical industry
Axens: Menet, N.  |  Mallet, T.

Plastic pollution’s environmental challenges, as well as new government legislation, are having a significant impact on the plastics industry.

Executive Viewpoint: Maire Tecnimont and the second wave of the circular economy
Maire Tecnimont: Folgiero, P.

The circular economy has already entered the public’s consciousness, and consumers are increasingly aware of the urgent need to recycle plastic, with the practice becoming more widespread than ever.

Industry Perspectives: Calling for papers on the global hydrogen sector
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

In January 2021, Gulf Energy Information—publisher of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> and <i>Gas Processing & LNG</i>—launched <i>H2Tech</i>. This technical publication focuses on the latest technologies, trends, capital investments and know-how that are shaping the global hydrogen market.

Business Trends: Insights from the 2020 Worldwide Fuels Refinery Performance Analysis
HSB Solomon Associates LLC: Achacoso, M.

The author’s company recently completed its data analysis for the <i>2020 Worldwide Fuels Refinery Performance Analysis (Fuels Study).</i>

People
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

HIMA appoints Peter Sieber as Vice President of Strategic Marketing, restructures regional management in China