Loss Prevention
Hybrid technique for electroslag strip cladding of critical process equipment
One of the major challenges in the oil and gas processing industry is to strike a balance among handling the changing qualities of petroleum products and byproducts, increasing the productivity and service life of critical components and reducing environmental hazards. As an example, new refineries are moving to applying conversion methods, such as hydrocracking, to increase yields, while also utilizing conventional distillation. This juxtaposition translates into a higher Nelson Index rating. Greater refinery complexity makes processing low-quality crude oil difficult, if not impossible, thereby precluding bottom-of-the-barrel products.
EIA: Planned refinery outages through first half of 2017 not expected to affect availability
The US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest analysis of planned refinery outages during the first half of 2017 finds that such outages are not expected to cause a shortfall in the supply of petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel, and distillate fuel, relative to expected demand, either nationally or within any US region. This result occurs despite the current high level of US gasoline demand, which in 2016 was as high as or higher than in any past year.
Driving innovation in the downstream: IRPC returns to New Delhi
Gulf Publishing Company and Hydrocarbon Processing are pleased to announce that IRPC 2017 will be held April 18–20 in New Delhi.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 95—How to avoid becoming overwhelmed in a failure situation
When you are involved with a major failure and find yourself staring at pieces of debris scattered all over the area, it can be easy to become overwhelmed.
Veracity tapped by US DOE to develop next-gen network security
ALISO VIEJO, CA -- Veracity Industrial Networks, a developer of next-generation Operational Technology (OT) network cybersecurity for the industrial internet, announced that it is part of a three-company team tapped by the US Department of Energy to develop a secure networking solution that reduces cyberattacks against US industrial and utility networks.
Performance testing: The key to successful revamps
Process unit revamps often do not result in a refiner achieving its desired objectives. This is typically not the result of mechanical defects with process equipment.
AVEVA: New report lays bare the current state and impact of handover
Owner operators in the oil and gas industry have called time on the inefficient and cost-heavy handover process, after nearly 100% said they had experienced operational delays and unexpected costs as a result of poor handover of engineering information, during the construction of rigs and refineries.
Reliability: Reliability and the EPC contractor
In this column, I have often elaborated on critical information related to reliability thinking. However, reliability thinking is continually subverted by approaches that concentrate excessively on project cost and completion.
Automation Strategies: Drive maximum asset capability with operational technologies
Owner-operators across the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) strive to gain maximum business value from their process plant assets. Here, automation assets and other operational technology (OT) typically play a major role.
Reliability: Troubleshoot hot bearings in hot pumps
The reliability engineering unit supervisor (REUS) working at a 400-Mbpd refinery wrote that he was greatly concerned about a bearing temperature excursion. He realized that certain rules of thumb had been handed down to his maintenance employees, and that not all of these conveyed the same numbers and guidance.
- OCI Global completes $1.9-B sale of OCI Methanol to Methanex Corporation 6/30
- Partnership for sustainability: Pekutherm and POLYVANTIS launch circular economy initiative 6/30
- Lloyd’s Register signs strategic collaboration with DAI Infrastruktur for green ammonia Project Ra 6/30
- Alleima expands product portfolio for the urea industry with SAF™ 2906 6/30
- UK's Lindsey oil refinery insolvent, 420 jobs at risk 6/30
- Irving Oil reports normal operations after fire at Saint John refinery (Canada) 6/30
