Middle East
Industry Metrics
US refinery utilization rates have increased in some areas following the peak of maintenance season.
Catalyst replacement strategy for a hydrocracking unit at a Middle East refinery
A Saudi Aramco refinery operates a series-flow, single-stage hydrocracking unit (HU) in a recycle high-conversion mode. The HU has been in operation for over 35 years and is being debottlenecked to increase its throughput by 20%.
Optimize isomerization reactor temperatures and component RON
Isomerate is useful because it is paraffinic and contains no benzene, aromatics or sulfur. This pentane and hexane fraction of crude oil is known as light naphtha. The main objective of reactions is to increase the research octane number (RON) of the components. Decreasing fuel consumption without changing the product RON of isomerization units is discussed here.
Secure the best benefits from C4 hydrocarbon processing—Part 1: Separation sequences
Crude C<sub>4</sub> streams from the steam cracker unit or the fluidized catalytic cracker unit contain valuable hydrocarbons, such as butadiene and C<sub>4</sub> olefins.
Global Project Data
According to <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s </i> Construction Boxscore Database, there were nearly 90 new project announcements from January 2015 to June 2015.
EIA: China diesel exports grow as refining industry, economy change
China is reforming its refining sector by liberalizing import and export restrictions on crude oil and petroleum products, allowing for increased competition in the domestic transportation fuels market.
Technip to provide basic engineering, equipment for Saudi furnace project
Technip will provide basic engineering and proprietary equipment for a grassroots ethylene cracking furnace in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
Qatar's Texas LNG venture eyes exports by 2021
Top LNG exporter Qatar anticipates exports from its Golden Pass JV in Texas to begin in 2021. State-run Qatar Petroleum owns a 70% stake in an LNG receiving terminal in Texas that is backed by Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips.
Saudi Aramco finalizes IPO options, plans more global expansions
Saudi Aramco's continued investment in downstream industry is seen as a crucial element of economic diversification plans.
Aramco eyes oil-to-chemicals project with SABIC
SABIC has previously said the proposed project could cost as much as $30 billion, processing petrochemicals directly from crude oil instead of first refining the oil into products such as naphtha.
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- Ford takes $19.5-B writedown on EV business 12/19
- Babcock & Wilcox awarded $40-MM contract for advanced wet gas scrubbing technology at Canadian petroleum refinery 12/19
- Aarti Industries secures methanol and toluene feedstock supply through multiple long-term contracts 12/19
- bp picks first outsider CEO Meg O'Neill after abrupt Auchincloss exit 12/19
