Refining
Use model predictive control to achieve real-time management of a DWC
A dividing-wall column (DWC) can provide significant savings in energy and capital cost compared to a conventional distillation column design.
Advances in dry gas seal technology for compressors
Compressor owner-operators now have unprecedented and solidly verifiable options.
Improve performance and reduce costs of wastewater treatment plants
The increasing costs of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) motivated a major specialty chemical plant to improve the performance of its treatment unit.
HP Automation Strategies: A portfolio approach to operations IT solutions management
The need for more automated and efficient operations has led end users to accumulate large and increasingly complex collections of operations-related information technology (IT) solutions.
HP Global: Forthcoming tax hike could hamper Russian refining
Russia plans to increase the volume of oil it refined this year, despite Western sanctions and the ever-deteriorating business environment, according to an official spokesperson for Alexander Novak, Russia’s minister of energy.
HP Viewpoint: Interesting times to continue for refiners in 2016
A year ago in this publication, John England and Ashnu Mittal were prescient in their article titled “US shale revolution set to spill over into downstream.”
HP Industry Metrics
Global refinery margins fell due to the expectations of a mild winter and an oversupply environment.
HP Innovations
The FM-approved FireChek thermal shutoff valve with resettable memory shape alloy can now be used to automatically shut down a pneumatic control system when a nearby fire occurs, or when the ambient temperature reaches 135°F, 150°F or 165°F.
HP People
Michael D. Scott has been named an International Society of Automation (ISA) Fellow, a distinguished grade that is granted to ISA senior members in recognition of outstanding achievements in scientific or engineering fields.
INVISTA, LanzaTech report new breakthrough in bio-butadiene technology
The companies developed a metabolic ‘toolkit’ that has been successfully applied to generate novel metabolic pathways to bio-derived butadiene and key precursors, such as 1,3 butanediol and 2,3 butanediol, resulting in new direct and 2-step processes for butadiene utilizing gas-fermentation technology.

- Aster Chemicals declares force majeure at Singapore naphtha cracker 8/29
- Orlen signs 1-yr deal with Equinor for supply of 15% oil it uses 8/29
- Novatek partially resumed processing at Ust-Luga complex 8/29
- Phillips 66 to begin winding down Los Angeles-area refinery next week 8/29
- Update: Mexico's Minatitlan refinery back online, Olmeca still down 8/29
- SIBUR produces test batch of first hexane plant in Russia 8/28