Safety
Digital Feature: Truly effective reliability requires predictive maintenance
To navigate this new world, organizations must find ways to bring in new technologies to support the limited personnel they have, but without increasing the complexity of those people’s jobs or overwhelming them with raw data they are not trained to use. The solution is to implement a predictive maintenance technology plan founded on a boundless automation vision of seamlessly moving contextualized data wherever it is needed.
Seven injured in fire at Russia's Omsk oil refinery, production continues
Seven people were sent to the hospital, with one in a serious condition, after a fire at Russia's Omsk oil refinery, although the plant said it was operating as normal and production plans would not be affected.
Unipetrol shutting Litvinov refinery for safety reasons after WW2 bomb found
Orlen's Czech unit Unipetrol is shutting down production in its Litvinov refinery after an unexploded WW2 bomb was found in a remote part of the chemical complex in Zaluzi.
Fire at huge Russian diesel depot engulfing more storage tanks
A fire sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack on a huge diesel depot in Russia's southern Rostov region on Sunday has engulfed more fuel storage tanks.
Process technology: SICK and Endress+Hauser sign strategic partnership
German sensor company SICK and the Swiss measurement and automation technology specialist Endress+Hauser have agreed on a strategic partnership. Endress+Hauser will take over worldwide sales and service of SICK’s process analyzers and gas flowmeters, with a JV to be established for their production and further development.
Blast at Russian petrochemical plant injures three
A blast and fire on a fuel pipeline at the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in Russia's Bashkiria region east of Moscow injured three people.
AFPM recognizes BrandSafway refinery, petrochemical plant site teams with 44 awards
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Association has recognized 44 BrandSafway refinery and petrochemical plant site teams with Contractor Safety Achievement Awards, based on their safety performance in 2023.
Catalyst safety assessment: Making catalyst and adsorbent startups safer
An unease around potential high temperature and pressures during fresh catalyst and adsorbent startups—which can lead to situations where designed pressures and temperatures are exceeded—led the authors’ company to create the Catalyst Safety Assessment (CSA) methodology.
Why a closed-loop sampling system can help reduce fugitive emissions
The accidental release of emissions can happen at numerous locations throughout refineries and chemical plants.
Decarbonizing steam crackers: Key technical challenges of transitioning from natural gas to hydrogen
In the petrochemical industry, olefin crackers utilize significant amounts of heat to crack hydrocarbons into essential chemicals, such as olefins and aromatics.

- Mitsui Chemicals studying use of ethanol to make petrochemicals 5/16
- Lotte Chemical to start operating Indonesia cracker in H2 2025 5/16
- hte, Mitsubishi Chemical partner to screen MMA oxidation catalysts 5/16
- U.S. EPA to rule on backlog of small refinery biofuel exemption requests 5/16
- Some Brazil sugar mills weighing switch to ethanol 5/16
- AFPM honors top refining and petrochemical facilities 5/16