Process Control
Why robotic process automation is quickly becoming a must for downstream companies
For the refining operation that wants to relieve its planning team of mind-numbing manual data-management tasks, there are bots for that.
Process Controls, Instrumentation and Automation: Reduce maintenance costs by optimizing pressure transmitter calibration intervals
Pressure instrumentation is crucial for the functionality and safety of hydrocarbon processing facilities worldwide.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 115: A method for analyzing catastrophic type failures
A portion of my consulting career involved investigating catastrophic type failures on machines, pressure vessels and structures in the industry.
Business Trends: Protecting OT environments against targeted cyber attacks
Digitalization and Industry 4.0 initiatives require tight integration between complex, heterogeneous and highly complex industrial control systems (ICS) and enterprise information technology (IT).
Editorial Comment: Adoption of digital technologies is a mainstay in the HPI
A few years ago, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> started to include digital technologies in its monthly article focus.
Valves, Pumps and Turbomachinery: Be cautious with systems that are not foolproof
Mechanical systems, especially rotary equipment, are designed to support easy maintenance jobs with less complexity and low chances of incorrect installation.
Corrosion: Maintaining profitability with opportunity crudes while mitigating naphthenic acid corrosion
Refiners are asked to produce products within ever tighter margins in a changing industry.
Mitigation actions to prevent vibration during factory tests of SAGD boiler feedwater pumps
The most vital information on the condition of boiler feedwater (BFW) pumps is vibration.
Using ANN modeling to predict the melt flow index in real time
Controlling polymer quality during manufacturing is a significant challenge due to the cost, maintenance and reliability of online measurements of final product quality.
Digital: Digital twin for refinery production optimization
Digitalization is fundamental to Repsol’s strategy for the future.

- Sumitomo Chemical achieves scale-up of its process for producing propylene directly from ethanol 8/20
- EcoCortec, Jakob Schober GmbH awarded sustainability award for closed-loop circular films solution 8/20
- Sanctions-hit Indian refiner Nayara turns to ‘dark fleet’ 8/20
- EIA: Crude and gasoline inventories fall, distillates rise 8/20
- Czech refinery outage forces Orlen Unipetrol to seek state help to meet diesel demand 8/20
- China’s Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical first half profit slides 8/20