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Are you using pinch technology effectively in your daily operations?—Part 2

KBC Process Technology Ltd.: Milosevic, Z.  |  Rudman, A.  |  Brown, R.

In Part 1, the basic principle of pinch technology and applications were presented. Pinch technology is a valuable tool in the design of greenfield HPI facilities. More importantly, such tools provide..

HP Reliability: Expect adversity, but plan for success

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Consider that a major oil refinery was planning a substantial modernization project in 2008. Energy efficiency gains and the ability to process a more readily available crude slate were key motivating..

HP Integration Strategies: Virtualization goes mainstream

ARC Advisory Group: Reynolds, P.

Virtualization, a computing approach that decouples hardware and software, is rapidly gaining traction in the traditionally conservative automation and control industry. With its roots in the informat..

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 73: Useful troubleshooting tools to keep at hand

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Over the past 45 years, the author has pursued troubleshooting machinery and pressure vessels. It has also been the subject of this column. The troubleshooting tools used in this endeavor have been an..

HP Impact: US targets Iran’s petrochemical industry

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The US Treasury Department, acting in concert with the US Department of State, recently took action to target Iran’s petrochemical industry (Fig. 2). As Iran’s oil revenues continue to fall ..

HP Impact: Global distribution of natural catastrophes in 2012

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93% of which were weather-related disasters. In terms of overall and insured losses ($170 billion and $70 billion, respectively), 2012 did not f..

HP Construction Profile: European refiner makes significant processing advancements

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

At the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery, Eni is moving forward with leading-edge technological breakthroughs to produce “clean” transportation fuels. This refinery has a balanced 190,00..

Use wireless valve-monitoring technology to your advantage

Pentair Valves & Controls: Sequeira, T.

Financial pressures, combined with increasing safety and environmental requirements, have resulted in a significant increase in the need for valve-position monitoring in industrial plants. However, th..

Uganda fuel tanker collison sparks fire, killing 30

Ugandan police said that the fuel tanker was involved in a collision with a small vehicle along a major highway in Kampala, causing a spill. A fire broke out shortly, setting vehicles and people ablaze during the evening rush hour, according to Patrick Onyango, Uganda police spokesman.

Aramco, Sinopec to start operations at new Saudi refinery by late 2014

Aramco and Sinopec Group signed the deal to develop the 400,000-bpd refinery, known as Yasref, in January last year. Sinopec holds a 37.5% stake in the project, while Saudi Aramco owns 62.5%. The proposed commence date is slightly behind schedule, which was slated for September 2014.