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

Safety

Hydrocarbon Processing Awards 2020—FINALISTS

This special section details all finalists within each category for the fourth annual <ital>HP</ital> Awards. The winners will be announced on Oct. 1.

Project Management: Reduce installation schedule for column trays

Consultant: Dixit, P.

The implementation of a project schedule must avoid slippage, which can lead to budget overruns and delays in commissioning and production. Conversely, a reduction in project schedule results in an early startup of the plant, creating advantage for stakeholders. Customers often demand reductions in schedule timelines, which can be difficult for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to implement. New innovations like concurrent engineering, modular construction, prefabricated pipe racks and structures, etc., are already in practice.

Reliability: Phased reopening of reliability improvement businesses

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Like many thousands of educational and operator training-related endeavors, reliability improvement training was abruptly suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted daily life as it was known prior to 2020.

Editorial Comment: Optimizing operations and recognizing achievements

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the next two months, <ital>Hydrocarbon Processing</ital> will host two separate events for a global audience. One will gather the brightest minds in the industry to share the latest innovations and technologies in the industry, while the other will recognize the leaders in advancing the industry toward safer and more reliable, sustainable and profitable operations. Both events—<ital>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</ital> IRPC and the HP Awards—will be streamed on digital platforms and free to view.

Advanced analytics drive IIoT success

Seeq: Zinsli, J.

Refineries and petrochemical plants face similar challenges in daily operations. Each must mitigate risk, anticipate maintenance, optimize operations and minimize expenses. To achieve these goals, plant personnel rely heavily on data to drive decisions.

Project Management: Four tips for navigating a shutdown, turnaround or outage successfully

Prometheus Group: Veen, M.

In the oil and gas sector, managing a shutdown, turnaround, or even an outage is an unavoidable requirement.

Business Trends: Managing risk and uncertainty: The importance of optimizing your value chain

AVEVA: McMullen, J

No doubt exists that COVID-19 is disrupting the oil and gas industry. Oil prices are falling, demand is down, supply is up, and storage capacity is limited. In these difficult times, the industry must swiftly act to keep business viable to come back strong when conditions improve.

Advanced cooling tower water treatment—Part 1

ChemTreat: Post, R.  |  Kalakodimi, R. P.  |  Buecker, B.

Refineries, petrochemical plants and similar facilities rely on a significant number of heat exchangers for process control and product formulation throughout the plant.

Fit-for-purpose fireproofing envelopes

Bechtel India Pvt Ltd.: Biradar, B.  |  Agarwal, A.

Although widely used, the term “fireproofing” is misleading as almost nothing can be made totally safe from the effects of fire. Fireproofing refers to the systematic process (including materials and the application of materials) that provides a degree of fire resistance for protected support structures.

Steam generator in a hydrocracker high-pressure loop—why not?

Fluor: Verges, A. N.  |  Omota, F.  |  Oude, J. E.

Historically, there has been a perception in the industry that it is not safe to include a steam generator in the high-pressure loop of a hydrocracker.