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Refining

Refining: Uncertainty grips South Africa’s Clean Fuels Program

Contributing Editor: Oirere, S.

The planned upgrading of oil refineries in South Africa to produce Euro 5-specified fuels will likely take longer than initially anticipated.

Viewpoint: Operational excellence—The path to world-class performance

Petrotechnics: Murray, P.

Why is operational excellence (OE) increasingly being recognized as the path to world-class performance?

Reliability: Achieve longer bearing life in rotary asphalt pumps

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

When a major asphalt manufacturer experienced random bearing wear in its gear pumps, there was justified concern.

IR camera technology provides new perspective on furnace inspection routines

FLIR Systems, Inc.: Boccella, M.

A few years ago, managers at a US-based oil refinery called in an expert to inspect their oil furnaces with an infrared (IR) camera.

Through the looking glass: How US EPA regulations are changing the way we visualize methane leaks

Opgal: Yanai, O.

In mid-2016, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published Regulation 40 CFR, Part 60, Sub-part OOOOa, commonly known as QuadOa. This regulation has propelled optical gas imaging (OGI) firmly into the mainstream, and presents a major shift in the way fugitive emissions are regulated and the technologies that can be used.

Calculate gasoline RVP seasonal change giveaway economics

Refinery Automation Institute, LLC: Barsamian, A.  |  Curcio, E.

Despite high demand and depressed refining margins, the US is in the midst of a glut of gasoline. This predicament is causing a rush to convert summer gasoline into cheaper winter gasoline, in the hope that using cheap butane and higher Reid vapor pressure (RVP) specs will increase refining profits.

India to cut Iranian oil purchases in row over gas field

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- Indian state refiners will cut oil imports from Iran in 2017/18 by a fifth, as New Delhi takes a more assertive stance over an impasse on a giant gas field that it wants awarded to an Indian consortium, sources familiar with the matter said.

Fluor completes construction of Dow Chemical’s ethylene production facility

IRVING, Texas – Fluor Corporation announced that it has safely finished the mechanical construction of The Dow Chemical Company’s new ethylene production facility in Freeport, Texas on schedule.

Catalytic cracker working fully at Isla refinery of Venezuela's PDVSA

ORANJESTAD (Reuters) -- The catalytic cracker at Curacao's Isla oil refinery, operated by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, is fully working, refinery workers said on Thursday.

China steps up Americas oil imports, Unipec backs ‘new frontier’

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- China's largest crude oil buyer Sinopec aims to ship more cargoes from Brazil, the United States and Canada, to help ensure stable crude supplies as the Middle East boosts refining capacity and Africa suffers disruptions.