Maintenance & Reliability
Improved corrosion prevention with acid-aided regeneration technology
Enhancing regeneration in amine treating systems has proven beneficial in many applications by improving operations and relieving design limitations via reduced steamrates and/or improved treating performance.
Editorial Comment: Corrosion prevention is a necessary cost
Corrosion is a major maintenance and reliability concern because it has the potential to impact not only plant operations and costs, but also the environment and worker health and safety.
Reliability: Avoid pump shaft failures
We welcome and thrive on questions from reliability engineers and try to answer some as best we can.
Project Management: Protect operating margins with outsourced asset management
The oil and gas sector is under pressure to maintain operating margins. Although oil prices have stabilized in recent months, they have, nonetheless, fallen dramatically in the last year. This has bee..
Engineering Case Histories: Case 89: Cracking of welds due to weld fatigue
Pressure vessels, piping and fabricated structures adhering to recognized welding codes rarely fail in static loading, unless they are damaged or severely overloaded.
Troubleshoot operation of a steam ejector vacuum system
A crude vacuum unit operating properly generates high gasoil yield vs. low-value vacuum residue.
Improve facility safety by understanding process and personal safety
The lack of knowledge and understanding about process safety is still apparent in many industries where hazardous materials are processed and handled.
Control fouling on preheat trains with a two-stage approach
Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry.
Reliability: Interpreting API Standard 618 for reciprocating compressors
A rotating machinery engineer working for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in India is often involved in selecting reciprocating compressors for hydrocarbon processing plants.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 88: Normal operating loads do not usually cause failures
Equipment of all types are designed for normal operating conditions, usually with some margin for unknowns.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they targeted petrochemical facilities in the Gulf 4/6
- Petrobras delivers LPG sold at steep premiums despite Lula move to annul auction 4/3
- Plug Power to supply 275-MW GenEco electrolyzer system for Hy2gen’s Courant decarbonized ammonium nitrate project 4/3
- Vietnam refinery boosting jet fuel production 4/3
- China plans to upgrade some petrochemical plants, phase out others by 2029 4/3
- Morocco has diesel stocks for 51 days, energy ministry says 4/3
