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

Refining

US ethanol exports may offset low domestic sales

Looking ahead through 2016, the report says ethanol plant operators will face dueling positive and negative shifts in the market that are likely to result in lean, yet positive margins.

BioAmber Sarnia starts production of bio-succinic acid at commercial scale

Management expects the Sarnia plant to be in commercial operation later this month and to increase production volumes progressively to reach full capacity in 2017.

Improve refinery margins with new crude selection concept

Statoil Refining Denmark: Knudsen, P. U.
Frontline Systems, Inc.: Maleki, S.

A refinery with an active crude selection strategy encompassing dedicated staff, preapproval of all new crudes and an updated crude acceptance window can gain $0.5/bbl–$1/bbl vs. a more passive strategy.

Design pressure reduction in high-pressure heat exchangers with dynamic simulation

A commercial simulation tool is used to carry out the analysis of the transient phenomena caused by the tube rupture event during the design phase of an HP heat exchanger.

A chemist’s perspective on organic fouling in ethylene operations: update

Nalco Champion: Hancock, J. M.
SABIC Technology & Innovation: Robson, I.  |  Vachon, J.

Ethylene manufacturing is a continuous race to be commercially competitive in a volatile global market.

Managing the recovery from the Jaipur oil terminal fire

Oil Industry Safety Directorate: Dutta, H.

In October 2009, a devastating fire at the oil terminal in Jaipur, India, killed 11 people, injured many more and incurred a significant financial loss.

Use root cause analysis to examine failure of a cooling water pump

Suncor Energy Inc.: Tharakan, J.

Without a holistic approach and a structured root cause analysis, it is hard to unearth complex and multiple issues, particularly design deficiencies.

NOx, NOx, who’s there—steam cracker or SMR?

RGK Environmental Consulting, LLC: Kunz, R. G.

This article addresses the generation of thermal NOx in the furnace of each process, NOx abatement by SCR, and premature degradation of SCR catalyst by chromium species in the flue gas.

Rethink specifications for fired heaters

S & B Engineers and Constructors Ltd.: Malhotra, K.

Fired heaters are essential and important major pieces of equipment in a process plant.

HP Reliability: Hire or train a reliability professional?

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

The statistics on job seekers with college degrees and job seekers qualified to do the work for which they actually apply will differ.