Economics
North American olefin producers riding the shale gas wave
With the prospect of abundant low-cost ethane, several producers have announced intentions to build new ethylene capacity.
High-pressure polyethylene: Reemergence as a specialty chemical or not?
The analysis results indicate that, while investment capital for new plants favors LLDPE, plant profitability—which is a function of product slate (revenue) and cost—is, in many cases, higher for LDPE plants.
HPI Focus: New vs. debottlenecking projects
As most owners do not have adequately skilled engineering teams to study these scenarios, engaging an experienced, qualified engineering contractor to support the conceptual study is often warranted.
Optimize value from FCC bottoms
Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is one of the most versatile and profitable upgrading processes in a refinery. FCC has maintained its place in the refinery through a series of evolutionary changes to m..
HP Integration Strategies: Industrial considerations for BYOD
With the “bring your own device” (BYOD) trend beginning to take hold in the process industries, plant managers and IT groups are taking more interest. Not only do they have legitimate securi..
HP Boxscore Construction Analysis: Ethylene in evolution: 50 years of changing markets and economics
Ethylene is the key building block for the petrochemical industry. This olefin supports 70% of petrochemical industry production and is used to manufacture a wide variety of products for industrial an..
HP Water Management: Update: Online measurement of oxidizing biocides
Nearly all owners of industrial cooling towers feed oxidizing biocides—chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br)—to kill bacteria in the recirculating cooling water. Minimizing the populations of bacte..
HP Brief
LyondellBasell plans to expand North American ethylene capacityLyondellBasell will raise its ethylene capacity in North America by 18% in coming years through several debottlenecking projects. Locatio..
HP Industry Perspectives: Are Arctic projects safe?
Key industry officials answer a poll question from HydrocarbonProcessing.com
HP Impact: Driven by China, global methanol demand rises 23% in two years
According to a new IHS Chemical global market study, global methanol demand increased 23% during the two-year period of 2010 to 2012, primarily driven by Chinese demand.Annual demand for the product i..

- Argentina raises biofuel prices for domestic market 7/14
- Technip Energies' develops low-emission furnace design to reduce the carbon footprint of ethylene production 7/14
- Biofuel demand to soak up more than half of U.S. soyoil production next year, USDA says 7/14
- Russia's June seaborne oil product exports down 3.4% m/m 7/14
- Serbia seeks fifth U.S. sanctions waiver for Russian-owned oil firm NIS 7/14
- EIA: U.S. hydrocarbon production supported by export growth in long-term projections 7/14