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Management

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 72: Interaction between disciplines when troubleshooting

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When troubleshooting, we can become fixated on the discipline that we are most familiar—in the author’s case, mechanical engineering. Investigating the failure of a machine may have a group ..

HP Industry Perspectives: US-based ultra-low-sulfur gasoline rule released

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

In late March, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the long-awaited ruling for ultra-low-sulfur gasoline, also known as the Tier 3 rule. This proposed rule lowers the sulfur content ..

HP Impact: Global oil flows shift from West to East

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

By 2020, crude oil trade flows west of Suez will drop by 4.2 MM bpd, while crude flows east of Suez will rise by 4.7 MM bpd (Fig. 1), according to a recently published report from ESAI Energy. The pri..

Shale energy resources driving resurgence for ethylene industry

IHS Markit: Eramo, M.

The abundant supply of North American shale energy resources is proving to be not only a boon for exploration and production (E&P) companies and energy consumers, but it is also changing the profitabi..

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?

Nexant: Farrell, L.  |  Virosco, J.

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

Fluor: Turner, J.
SNC-Lavalin, Hydrocarbons & Chemicals: Luck, G.
MVS Consulting LLC: Van Sickels, M. J.

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.

Evaluate challenges in meeting clean-fuel specifications with heavier crude

Saudi Aramco: Al-Zahrani, S.  |  Bright, E.  |  Roy, S.

At a Saudi Aramco refinery, a revamp was planned for processing a different crude oil blend to meet Euro 5 diesel and gasoline specifications. The refinery, which processes semi-light crude oil, is sc..

Conceptually, accidents are a fallacy

Apex Safety Consultants: Sawyer, M.

Webster’s unabridged dictionary defines accident as “Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without one’s foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden and unexpected event..

HP Integration Strategies: Industrial considerations for BYOD

ARC Advisory Group: Forbes, H.

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..