Middle East
Taiwan's naphtha tanker hit by suspected attack
An oil tanker carrying fuel from the Middle East for Taiwan’s state oil refiner CPC Corp was suspected to have been attacked.
Executive Viewpoint: Trends in the global process furnace market
Whether it is heating process fluids to achieve enough temperature in crude atmospheric and vacuum distillation units, or reaction temperatures inside furnace tubes to produce ethylene, vinyl chloride monomer, synthetic gas and continuous catalytic reformer reactors, or simple process heating (thermal fluid), process furnaces play a critical role in refineries and petrochemical complexes.
Construction
Sinochem Hongrun Petrochemical Co. Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP’s ionic liquids alkylation technology to produce high-octane, cleaner-burning transportation fuels.
Business Trends: Sustainability: Clean fuels—The advancement to zero sulfur
In April, Hydrocarbon Processing launched the first iteration of its HP Sustainability webcast series.
Business Trends: HPI construction: Capital expenditures remain above $1.8 T
As the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) nears the middle of 2019, Hydrocarbon Processing is providing an assessment of the global midstream/downstream processing industries’ capital investments.
Workforce: What is the state of the global petrochemicals workforce?
Since its inception 3 yr ago, the Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) has aimed to deliver valuable insights on the needs, concerns and desires of the energy workforce to enhance recruitment and retention strategies.
Viewpoint: Downstream expansions will accelerate needed production growth
Two transformative drivers—global economic growth averaging more than 3%/yr and the world population expanding to more than 9 B by 2040—will have the net effect of adding another India and China to today’s global energy demand.
Editorial Comment: Where some see roadblocks, we see opportunities
In the January issue of Hydrocarbon Processing, the editorial comment focused on the roadmap to advancing ideas.
Global Project Data
Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database is tracking nearly 1,300 projects around the world.
Business Trends: How plastics waste recycling could transform the chemical industry
If plastics demand follows its current trajectory, global plastics-waste volumes would grow from 260 MMtpy in 2016 to 460 MMtpy by 2030, taking what is already a serious environmental problem to a new level.
- Phillips 66 greenlights new gas plant and fractionator projects, advancing integrated wellhead-to-market strategy 5/18
- OXEA and Air Liquide renew syngas and hydrogen supply agreement for Oberhausen site 5/18
- BASF boosts refinery catalyst innovation with new R&D center in Attapulgus, Georgia (U.S.) 5/18
- Aster and Puraglobe sign MoU to bring world-leading re-refining technology to Asia 5/18
- U.S. oil refiners finally profit from biofuels due to mandates, high fuel prices 5/18
- China's April oil throughput hits lowest since August 2022, inventories rise 5/18

