Process Control
Prompt engineering: Extracting operational excellence knowledge from AI—Part 1
Prompt engineering is an emerging discipline at the intersection of AI and process engineering and will undoubtedly contribute to the hydrocarbon and green molecules processing industries. Parts 1 and 2 (October 2024) of this article explore and provide a glimpse of how this technique can help process engineers and operators to manage the power of advanced AI models to optimize processes, contribute to solve complex problems, and improve operational efficiency in refineries and petrochemical plants.
Monitoring cyclone reliability in fluid catalytic crackers
The authors’ company has developed a novel approach with a digital algorithm to effectively estimate the current cyclone erosion and predict future erosion based on operating conditions. With this approach, refiners get an automatic way to better predict abrasion lining erosion for both reactors and regenerator cyclones daily from digital analytics, thus helping refiners quantify their monitoring.
Cybersecurity: A discussion on the EU's NIS2 Directive with ABB's Global Cybersecurity Lead Tobias Nitzsche
Hydrocarbon Processing sat down with Tobias Nitzsche, Global Cyber Security Practice Lead, ABB, to discuss the European Union’s (EU’s) NIS2 Directive—the EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity—and how it will affect the hydrocarbon processing industry.
Emerson to join the Margo initiative, an open-standard pathway to optimize edge applications
Emerson is joining the Linux Foundation’s Margo, a new open-standard initiative designed to make edge applications, devices and orchestration software work together seamlessly across multi-vendor industrial automation environments.
Oil and gas web client computing devices facilitate integration of web-based HMI/SCADA applications
Operators in oil and gas manufacturing facilities have long depended on human machine interfaces (HMI) to offer a visual summary of process systems that simplifies the monitoring of crucial status and control data. A well-crafted graphical user interface enhances situational awareness, decreases workload and empowers operators to oversee the entire process, facilitating their focus to quickly address any abnormal scenarios.
Shell to leverage proprietary structural performance management software for various facilities
Under this agreement, Shell will leverage Akselos’ Structural Performance Management (SPM) software to monitor the structural health of critical assets across the Shell portfolio in near real-time. Akselos’ SPM software will help enable Shell to optimize the lifecycle of critical assets safely and sustainably.
ADNOC deploys pioneering AI-enabled process optimization technology
Following successful initial operations, ADNOC announced the deployment of an industry leading artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled process optimization technology--Neuron 5--across all ADNOC facilities across thousands of critical pieces of equipment essential for production, including compressors, valves and generators.
Best practices for proper alarm management
Process alarms are critical safeguards put into place on operating units to enable operators to avoid incidents that impact a company’s safety, reliability and bottom line. It is absolutely essential to any safe facility operation that alarms are properly managed and utilized to address real and consequential operational issues before they become incidents.
Digital Feature: Truly effective reliability requires predictive maintenance
To navigate this new world, organizations must find ways to bring in new technologies to support the limited personnel they have, but without increasing the complexity of those people’s jobs or overwhelming them with raw data they are not trained to use. The solution is to implement a predictive maintenance technology plan founded on a boundless automation vision of seamlessly moving contextualized data wherever it is needed.
Yokogawa launches OpreX Open Automation SI Kit and OpreX OPC UA Management package for open process automation systems
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced that it has developed the OpreX™ Open Automation SI Kit and the OpreX OPC UA Management Package, both of which will play important roles in the implementation of Open Process Automation™ (OPA) systems.

- Britain will not bail out bioethanol industry hit by Trump trade deal 8/15
- Russian energy facilities targeted recently in drone attacks 8/15
- Shell: Norco, Louisiana (U.S.) refinery gasoline unit work to start on Friday 8/15
- Sanctions-hit Indian refiner Nayara in talks with govt to sustain operations 8/15
- The API challenges Trump plan to cut biofuel import credits 8/15
- IAG selects record 29 startups for accelerator program 8/15