Loss Prevention
Prompt engineering: Extracting operational excellence knowledge from AI—Part 1
Prompt engineering is an emerging discipline at the intersection of AI and process engineering and will undoubtedly contribute to the hydrocarbon and green molecules processing industries. Parts 1 and 2 (October 2024) of this article explore and provide a glimpse of how this technique can help process engineers and operators to manage the power of advanced AI models to optimize processes, contribute to solve complex problems, and improve operational efficiency in refineries and petrochemical plants.
Seven tips to achieve a smoother plant turnaround
This article provides seven best practices that should be kept in mind for successful plant turnaround management.
Monitoring cyclone reliability in fluid catalytic crackers
The authors’ company has developed a novel approach with a digital algorithm to effectively estimate the current cyclone erosion and predict future erosion based on operating conditions. With this approach, refiners get an automatic way to better predict abrasion lining erosion for both reactors and regenerator cyclones daily from digital analytics, thus helping refiners quantify their monitoring.
Cybersecurity: A discussion on the EU's NIS2 Directive with ABB's Global Cybersecurity Lead Tobias Nitzsche
Hydrocarbon Processing sat down with Tobias Nitzsche, Global Cyber Security Practice Lead, ABB, to discuss the European Union’s (EU’s) NIS2 Directive—the EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity—and how it will affect the hydrocarbon processing industry.
Emerson to join the Margo initiative, an open-standard pathway to optimize edge applications
Emerson is joining the Linux Foundation’s Margo, a new open-standard initiative designed to make edge applications, devices and orchestration software work together seamlessly across multi-vendor industrial automation environments.
Oil and gas web client computing devices facilitate integration of web-based HMI/SCADA applications
Operators in oil and gas manufacturing facilities have long depended on human machine interfaces (HMI) to offer a visual summary of process systems that simplifies the monitoring of crucial status and control data. A well-crafted graphical user interface enhances situational awareness, decreases workload and empowers operators to oversee the entire process, facilitating their focus to quickly address any abnormal scenarios.
Effective inventory management during a turnaround
Nothing will impede a successful plant turnaround like improper planning. One aspect of this planning is effective inventory management, and the keys to achieving this are properly identifying and communicating maintenance needs.
Russia's idle oil refining capacity in September seen up 34% vs August
Russia's offline primary oil refining capacity in September is set to jump 34% from August due to technical outages, Ukrainian drone attacks and seasonal maintenance. Offline capacity is seen at 3.87 MMt this month, or 14.5% of Russia's total oil refining capabilities. That is up from 2.95 MMt in August.
Louisiana (U.S.) oil refineries start recovering from Hurricane Francine
Six oil refineries in Louisiana in the path of Hurricane Francine began recovering on Thursday from the storm's passage overnight, companies and sources familiar with operations at the plants said.
U.S. Gulf Coast LNG export plants, refineries, production facilities brace for Francine
Tropical Storm Francine was intensifying and on track to become a hurricane on Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, prompting Louisiana residents to flee inland and oil and gas companies to shut-in Gulf of Mexico production.
- Phillips 66 greenlights new gas plant and fractionator projects, advancing integrated wellhead-to-market strategy 5/18
- OXEA and Air Liquide renew syngas and hydrogen supply agreement for Oberhausen site 5/18
- U.S. oil refiners finally profit from biofuels due to mandates, high fuel prices 5/18
- China's April oil throughput hits lowest since August 2022, inventories rise 5/18
- Vietnam receives first cargo of Congo Djeno crude for Nghi Son refinery 5/18
- Mexico's Pemex says brief fire at Olmeca refinery controlled, operations normal 5/18

