April 2025

This article examines how the author's company instituted a reliable operations committee program at its refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The main goal of the program is to oversee the implementation and performance of maintenance and reliability programs to ensure a culture of optimum reliability and endorse new initiatives and programs that enhance maintenance performance in the facility.

As the energy industry navigates the shifting energy landscape and macroeconomic uncertainties, it must adopt collaborative and innovative solutions to enhance the productivity and quality of value chain operations, while also remaining focused on efficiency improvement projects that protect the bottom line. Spurred by this need for increased resilience and recent advancements in artificial intelligence, the market is seeing growth in the deployment of asset performance management (APM) solutions.

If not adequately addressed, corrosion under insulation (CUI) has dangerous and costly consequences, including a greater risk of heat losses, increased energy usage, unplanned downtime, leaks and spills.

This article will identify the top five common problems and concerns related to risk-based inspection assessments for piping, along with some thoughts on how to address these issues. 

Part 1 of this article appeared in the February issue. Part 2 here will explore the role of FCC and hydrocracking in crude-to-chemicals and the challenge of cracked feeds, among other topics. 

Part 2 will outline additional opportunities across quality giveaway reduction, hydrocarbon loss measurement, refinery mass balance and energy management in downstream functions without the need for capital expenditure (CAPEX) or software infrastructure upgrades.

This article provides an in-depth case study on how Pembina NGL optimized NGL treatment at its Redwater fractionation plant in Alberta, Canada.

This article provides insights into several possibilities for modifying heat exchangers that will help refinery owners/operators and consultants to plan similar revamp activities. 

Siloed systems lead to isolated data and inefficiencies in decision-making due to a lack of visibility. To address these challenges, the authors' company built a strategic digital command and control center. The goal was to resolve daily operational issues by integrating various systems into a unified data ecosystem, enabling real-time, integrated decision-making and driving operational excellence.

The volume of turnaround (TAR) work in a limited physical space and within a compressed timeframe presents challenges for securing the required qualified workforce and ensuring quality control and health, safety and environment. For these reasons, excellent TAR planning is critical for successful outcomes. 

One often overlooked aspect of the shift to renewable feedstocks involves the critical role of coatings in protecting infrastructure. While advanced coatings have long supported the industry, new innovations must address the evolving demands of renewable feedstocks. These enhanced coatings will safeguard infrastructure from the more aggressive chemical environments introduced by renewable feedstocks, ensuring long-term durability and operational efficiency. 

These are some of the latest innovations that are optimizing refining and petrochemical operations.

Oxford Flow supercharges global growth with CCO appointment, 52% increase in global headcount