Petrochemicals

Maintenance: Improving plant performance by changing a maintenance culture

Over the last 2 yr, the plant maintenance department (PMD) at Eastman Chemical Co.’s Longview, Texas site produced these significant improvements to plant performance.

Editorial Comment: HP Top Projects awards are back!

It’s that time again! <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> has announced the nominees for its annual Top Project awards.

Fouling mitigation strategies for process gas compressors in olefins plants

Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals’ olefins plant in Port Harcourt, Nigeria is designed to produce 300,000 tpy of polymer-grade ethylene and 126,000 tpy of polymer-grade propylene through the pyrolysis or thermal cracking of natural gas liquids (NGL).

Integrating fire and gas safety with process control systems: Why, what and how

If a fire, smoke or gas leak is detected in a hydrocarbon processing facility, prescriptive actions must be taken by the fire and gas (F&G) safety system, as well as by the process control system (PCS), to mitigate and control the hazard.

People

BCCK Holding Co. (BCCK) has appointed Bob Swann as Director of project management and controls.

Innovations

Industry Metrics

US margins recorded losses as crack spreads declined for all products except fuel oil, despite lower refinery crude intakes.

Getting onboard with modernization

While electrical equipment typically has a lengthy lifespan, it is not meant to last, or be relevant, forever.

Technical considerations for the Heydar Aliyev refinery revamp

The following case study describes the early development phases of SOCAR’s ongoing major revamp project at the Heydar Aliyev Refinery (HAR) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and its interface with the associated Azerikimya (AZK) steam cracking complex near Sumgait. References are made to the related SOCAR polymer project in Sumgayit, as well.

People

Elliott Group has appointed Mark Babyak as VP of its cryodynamic products business, formerly the cryodynamics division of Ebara Intl. Corp.