Maintenance & Reliability
Innovations
In the demanding environment of a Claus reaction furnace, flame detection sensors must distinguish whether a flame is still burning against a hot refractory lining background.
Reliability: Deriving high value from reliability conferences
In August 2017, a publisher-colleague and I attended an important regional reliability conference in Galveston, Texas.
Determine service fatigue life for damaged delayed coking unit drums
Coke drums and delayed coking units (DCUs) have been a recognizable technology in refineries since the 1930s, and in oil sands plants since the early 1960s.
Case histories of amine plant equipment corrosion problems–Part 2
Past corrosion incidents provide insight into the causes of corrosion and the preventive actions required to protect plant equipment and reduce costly plant downtime.
PDVSA's Amuay refinery halts distillation unit
CARACAS (Reuters) — Venezuela’s 645,000 bpd Amuay refinery has halted its distillation unit No. 5 due to an operational problem, union leader and opposition activist Ivan Freites said on Thursday.
Saudi Aramco to push back shutdown at Ras Tanura refinery
(Reuters) — Saudi Aramco is expected to shut down its condensate splitter at its Ras Tanura refinery by the end of November for a month for planned maintenance work, two industry sources said, later than originally planned.
Innovations
ABB has introduced a new MID/OIML R117 certified high-accuracy CoriolisMaster Coriolis mass flowmeter for custody transfer applications in the oil and gas industry (FIG. 1).
Optimization: Filtration for processes inside refineries
Proper filtration is one of the most important functions performed inside refineries.
Reliability: Could a company be its own worst enemy?
In a recent conversation with a “pump veteran,” we explored his 33 yr of experience with pump original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from 1984–1997 and with a widely known non-OEM (1997–2017).
Connecting rod failure in a new reciprocating gas compressor
Compressor failure in an oil refinery can have severe consequences on health, safety and the environment.
- Maire signs MoU to explore SAF production in Kazakhstan 6/24
- Moscow oil refinery hit by drone attacks is unlikely to resume production this year 6/24
- ExxonMobil's Antwerp refinery to stop output from June 29–July 3 due to strike 6/24
- Singapore's Aster plans August maintenance for crude, petchem units 6/24
- TotalEnergies must invest in Gulf pipelines to bypass Hormuz, CEO says 6/24
- JERA signs time charter agreements with NYK and MOL for fuel ammonia carriers 6/23
