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Industry Perspectives: Petrochemicals surge despite possible future roadblocks

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the past several years, investments in petrochemicals capacity additions have skyrocketed. Hundreds of billions of dollars have and will be invested in additional petrochemicals units and complexes.

Optimization study in hydrocracker unit using simulation model

Hydrocrackers are key refinery units that convert heavy feed components into valuable lighter products. The profitability of these units is directly related to this conversion level. Conversion reactions take place in a nearly pure hydrogen environment, with the help of selective catalysts, under high pressure and high temperature. The products of the unit are separated in the fractionator section. Unconverted oil taken from the fractionator bottoms reveals the conversion performance of the unit.

IMO 2020 stability and compatibility headaches

Refinery Automation Institute, LLC: Curcio, E.  |  Barsamian, A.

The year 2020 will be a mess from the fuel oil stability and compatibility points of view. The year will be price-driven, so the temptation to “cut corners” is great—meaning that a highly variable number of blend components to manufacture the fuel oil will open a “Pandora’s box” of complex and questionable fuel formulations.

Industry Perspectives: There’s still time to vote for the best!

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

The nominees for the 2019 Top Project awards are out. Using <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database, the editors have identified nine projects that are anticipated to significantly impact the global or regional downstream industries.

Editorial Comment: Honoring the industry’s best … take 2!

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Due to Tropical Storm Imelda, Hydrocarbon Processing issued its first force majeure in postponing the third annual HP Awards.

Use submerged combustion systems to efficiently destroy hazardous plant waste

Selas-Linde North America: Predatsch, E.  |  Armstrong, P.

In the production of clean fuels, plastics and other hydrocarbon-based products, refineries and petrochemical facilities generate unwanted (waste) byproducts. Having no market value, the undesired byproducts must be recycled, minimized or eliminated. Depending on the feedstocks, end products and reactant materials, the unwanted materials can be gases, liquids or multiphase materials.

Hydrocarbon Processing Awards Winners

<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards. The <i>HP</i> Awards celebrate innovative technologies and people that have been instrumental in improving facility operations over the past year.

Pay attention: LockerGoga and Trisis/Triton demand an improved cybersecurity strategy

The need for a solid cybersecurity strategy has been discussed and debated for nearly half a century. However, the basic worm-type attacks first documented in 1972 are still with us today. Why? The reason is because even the most basic measures to protect control systems from these types of attacks are still not systematically employed.

Business Trends: One downstream—Strategic imperatives for the evolving refining and chemical sectors

Deloitte Services: Dickson, D.  |  Slaughter, A.
Deloitte Services LP: Mittal, A.

Downstream executives will remember the present decade as a golden age for the industry, driven by low feedstock prices and healthy end-use demand.

Reliability: Viewing issues out of context may be a waste of time

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

An alternative to the above title would be “Test your rotating equipment engineers’ IQ.”