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HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 71: Statistical visual data can be useful in troubleshooting—Part 2

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

In “Case 71: Statistical visual data can be useful in troubleshooting—Part 1,” the editorial focused on how taking data and analyzing it could determine the cause for high reject rates...

HP Brief: Brief

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Galveston Bay refineryMarathon Petroleum has closed its transaction with BP to purchase several assets, including the 451,000-bpd refinery located in Texas City, Texas. The refinery will be renamed an..

HP Industry Perspectives: EU leans forward on clean-fuel strategies

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

In late January 2013, the European Commission (EC) announced ambitious measures to ensure the buildup and standardization of alternative fueling stations across Europe. Much of the earlier EC policy i..

HP Impact: Chevron hit with hefty penalties for Richmond refinery fire

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The California Division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) issued 25 citations against Chevron USA, with proposed penalties totaling nearly $1 million, for state safety st..

HP Impact: Shale gas possible catalyst for US export growth

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently released a report in which it stated that the US chemical manufacturing sector is one of the most important beneficiaries of the surplus of inexpensive na..

Refinery optimization: Closing the gap between planned and actual performance

Aspen Technology Inc.: Petela, E.

Plant managers should remember that small, incremental changes can make huge differences to the competitiveness of a refinery in today's international marketplace.

New residue-upgrading complex achieves Euro 5 specifications

Criterion Catalysts and Technologies: de Haan, D.
Shell Global Solutions International BV: Street, M.
Grupa LOTOS Gdańsk refinery: Orzeszko, G.

In late 2010, Grupa LOTOS SA completed construction of a major residue-upgrading project at its refinery in Gdańsk, Poland. Its 10+ Program was designed to unlock a step change in the facility’s long-term profitability. After two years of operating, this project has had a profound effect on the refinery’s economics.

Select new production strategies for FCC light cycle oil

Selective adjustments to FCC operating variables and catalyst quality can significantly increase LCO production, which refiners can then upgrade into diesel blendstock.

Use an innovative cracking catalyst to upgrade residue feedstock

Tamoil S.A.: Jollien, Y.-A.
BASF Corp.: Keeley, C.  |  Mayol, J.  |  Riva, S.  |  Komvokis, V.

Tamoil’s Collombey refinery worked very close with a new catalyst supplier to remove the main operating constraint and significantly improve the unit profitability. Several project goals were set and attained.

Consider advanced technology to remove benzene from gasoline blending pool

Calumet Superior LLC: Thom, T.
Badger Licensing LLC: Birkhoff, R.  |  Moy, E.
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co.: El-Malki, E-M

As more regions increasingly adopt clean-fuel regulations, the challenge for refiners is to meet these tightening gasoline specifications for benzene cost-effectively without significant octane loss.