Crude oil
Industry Metrics
With the exception of fuel oil, US product markets showed losses against pressure from across the barrel and high crude oil prices.
Impact of opportunity crudes on refinery desalter and wastewater treatment performance—Part 1
Refiners are becoming increasingly dependent on opportunity crudes to stay competitive and enhance margins in the industry’s present uncertain state.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the finalists for its second annual awards.
Viewpoint: Toward a world of cleaner fuels
Fuel is a necessary requirement of global economic development.
Viewpoint: Electric vehicles vs. the perfect battery
It is no surprise that electric vehicles (EVs) are getting a lot more attention, now that carmakers have announced plans to increase production of them.
Africa: Challenges facing harmonized fuel standards in East Africa
East Africa developed coordinated fuel standards as early as January 2015.
Editorial Comment: What is the future role of the process engineer?
During the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE’s) Spring Meeting, held in Orlando, Florida in April, I was honored to sit on a panel discussion with Paul Durand from ExxonMobil and Sanjeev Kapur from Apex PetroConsultants.
Industry Metrics
Reduced refinery output caused by planned and unplanned refinery outages, and record-breaking gasoline export levels and strong diesel inventory drawdowns, drove US margins to a record 3-yr high in April.
Advanced process control of debutanizers makes use of inferential predictions
Following good experience with a generalized cut-point calculation (GCC) inferential package, which models main fractionators with side streams, French energy major Total decided to experiment with a generalized distillation shortcut (GDS) inferential package, which models simpler, two-product distillation columns.
Use an Excel-based method to evaluate performance for the preheat train of a CDU
A rigorous and accurate performance evaluation of existing equipment is a key factor for the success of a plant revamp study.

- thyssenkrupp Uhde completes pre-FEED for HAMR Energy’s renewable fuels project in Australia 8/21
- Europe distillates-diesel profit margins firm 8/21
- U.S.: Indiana's bp refinery restarts after severe flooding 8/21
- Berlin weighs trusteeship extension for Rosneft's German assets 8/21
- Trump administration to rule on biofuel exemption requests, delay reallocation decision 8/21
- TotalEnergies' Donges refinery fire extinguished 8/21