Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Refining

Reliability: Overcome biases and challenges facing industry

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

When asked about the challenges facing the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI), our answer was swift and direct: The trials we face are bundled, or can be found, in lessons some of us learned decades ago. However, lessons learned and explained decades ago were often disregarded by managers with a short-range focus.

Industry Metrics

US refinery utilization rates have increased in some areas following the peak of maintenance season.

Business Trends: Will India be Asia’s next downstream powerhouse?

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

The Asia-Pacific region dominates in the total number of active projects in all sectors of the downstream hydrocarbon processing industry. Just as China has seen unprecedented growth over the past decade, India is emerging as the globe’s new oil demand center.

Catalyst replacement strategy for a hydrocracking unit at a Middle East refinery

A Saudi Aramco refinery operates a series-flow, single-stage hydrocracking unit (HU) in a recycle high-conversion mode. The HU has been in operation for over 35 years and is being debottlenecked to increase its throughput by 20%.

Utilize an optimizer to blend gasoline directly to ships

Valero Energy Corp.: Scriven, W.  |  Martin, A.  |  Seiver, D. S.

A new control system and single-blend optimization system make it possible to blend gasoline directly into tanker ships for delivery, rather than only into tanks, thereby saving millions in capital and reducing product giveaway.

Optimize isomerization reactor temperatures and component RON

Tüpraş: Toraman, N.  |  Kahraman, K
Honeywell UOP: Billings, P.  |  Sabitov, O.

Isomerate is useful because it is paraffinic and contains no benzene, aromatics or sulfur. This pentane and hexane fraction of crude oil is known as light naphtha. The main objective of reactions is to increase the research octane number (RON) of the components. Decreasing fuel consumption without changing the product RON of isomerization units is discussed here.

Syngas from H2S and CO2: An alternative, pioneering synthesis route?

Alfa Laval Olmi SpA: Manenti, G.
KT-Kinetics Technology SpA: Molinari, L.
Politecnico di Milano: Manenti, F.

Hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide represent major concerns for the hydrocarbon industry. Both species are contaminants and, since their use as feedstock is minor, are considered troubling byproducts.

People

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Amec Foster Wheeler Plc named Halliburton executive Dr. Jonathan Lewis as chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 1.

Secure the best benefits from C4 hydrocarbon processing—Part 1: Separation sequences

thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG: Streich, T.  |  Kömpel, H.  |  Geng, J.  |  Renger, M.

Crude C<sub>4</sub> streams from the steam cracker unit or the fluidized catalytic cracker unit contain valuable hydrocarbons, such as butadiene and C<sub>4</sub> olefins.

Reduce revamp costs with appropriate 3D laser scanning strategies

Fluor Corp.: Wong, S.  |  Lowery, R.  |  Kou, C.

The traditional approach for collecting plant as-built data commonly used for the revamp and retrofit of existing facilities, as well as for plant maintenance and operation, includes manually collecting the data and reviewing existing plot plans, elevation drawings, systems isometrics, or other 2D CAD drawings.