Desulfurization
Hydrocarbon Processing Top Project Awards 2020
The global hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) continues to expand and modernize to efficiently meet growing demand for energy, transportation fuels and petrochemicals.
Industry Perspective: IRPC Americas ONLINE: A sincere thanks
Each year, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> hosts events to bring together professionals in the oil and gas industry to share ideas and knowledge on the latest advancements in processing technologies and operations.
Hydrocarbon Processing 2020 Awards WINNERS
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards 2020—FINALISTS
This special section details all finalists within each category for the fourth annual <ital>HP</ital> Awards. The winners will be announced on Oct. 1.
Intensification of sulfur processing units by oxygen enrichment and process flowsheet optimization
The consistent global trend toward improvements in air quality and tighter regulations on emissions, as well as the International Maritime Organization’s shipping regulations, continue to mitigate sulfur levels—not only in conventional transport fuels (petrol and diesel), but also in jet fuels, fuel oils and other heavier distillates.
Maximizing diesel hydrotreater profit by multivariable optimization: A case study
A diesel hydrotreater (DHT) is a critical unit within an oil refinery. A DHT processes the diesel range fractions obtained from different units of the refinery—such as from the crude distillation unit and the delayed coker unit—to adhere to diesel fuel market specifications.
Business Trends
Rovuma LNG, a JV comprised of ExxonMobil, Eni and China National Petroleum Corp., will likely delay its final investment decision (FID) on the group’s $30-B Mozambique LNG project.
Brazilian developments in the biofuels market
Since the 1970s, Brazil has been a world reference in automotive biofuels, especially bioethanol produced from sugarcane. In 1973, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) forced a sharp rise in oil prices, triggering a massive slowdown in the country’s economic growth, which had been going through what was dubbed the “economic miracle,” with growth at an average of 12% of GDP. This study gives an overview of the biofuel sector in Brazil, along with the main business challenges and opportunities in this area.
IMO 2020 stability and compatibility headaches
The year 2020 will be a mess from the fuel oil stability and compatibility points of view. The year will be price-driven, so the temptation to “cut corners” is great—meaning that a highly variable number of blend components to manufacture the fuel oil will open a “Pandora’s box” of complex and questionable fuel formulations.
Refinery residue and bitumen upgrading: Gasification
Gasifiers take the bottom of the crude barrel and move the residue into the C1 value chain. Refiners have had a variable record of running gasifiers for a time and then shutting them down. Reasons for this include inexperience with gasifier operations, lack of knowledge on how to extract profits from the C1 value chain and market difficulties in catering to clients operating in different business environments.

- Mitsui Chemicals studying use of ethanol to make petrochemicals 5/16
- Lotte Chemical to start operating Indonesia cracker in H2 2025 5/16
- hte, Mitsubishi Chemical partner to screen MMA oxidation catalysts 5/16
- U.S. EPA to rule on backlog of small refinery biofuel exemption requests 5/16
- Some Brazil sugar mills weighing switch to ethanol 5/16
- AFPM honors top refining and petrochemical facilities 5/16