Reactors
Replan: Modernizing Brazil’s largest crude oil refinery
The project included installing two hydrodesulfurization (HDS) units for the cracked naphtha produced by two catalytic cracking units, a coker naphtha hydrotreating (HDT) unit, and a catalytic reforming unit.
Mexico’s major grassroots effort: Ethylene XXI project
The federal government, through Pemex Gas and Petroquímica Básica, using the law that regulates Mexican oil, decided to promote private investment to build a new major petrochemical complex called Ethylene XXI.
Experience meets innovation: World-class coke drum replacement project
Six large coke drums at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, which supplies 20% of Southern California’s vehicle fuel, were showing signs of aging after 46 years in service.
HP Petrochemicals: PVC process gets technology and control updates
KBR has formed an alliance to sell the exclusive license for JNC Corp.’s PVC process technology, which it inherited from CHISSO Corp.’s business, a pioneer in the Japanese chemical industry.
HP Industry Perspectives: More waves for marine fuels
The outlook for heavy fuel oil is not optimistic. New fuel specifications for marine bunker fuels under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI regula..
Overcome the imbalance between diesel and gasoline production
A number of strategies can be applied to increase the overall product selectivity to middle distillates.
Improve refining of tight oil via enhanced fluid catalytic cracking catalysts
Crude oils from tight formations are relatively light, low in concarbon, and contain different contaminants. They have high naphtha and distillate yields, lower vacuum gasoil (VGO) content and almost ..
Can the downstream achieve growth and sustainability?
The global hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) is transforming beyond typical technical and management forms. This industry is making progress, and it is achieving more sustainability practices. Suc..
Innovative modeling of heavy crudes provides competitive advantages
The increase in heavy crude production, together with the diversity of heavy crude characteristics and sources, leads to technical challenges in accurately predicting production and refining process performance.
HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 80: Sudden temperature change in a centrifugal compressor
A process upset occurred that caused the gas temperature of a centrifugal compressor to increase from the design condition of Tstart = 300°F to Tinf = 600°F in t = 0.25 hours. Some engineers..
- Ineos to invest £150 MM at Grangemouth site 12/17
- KBR’s methanol technology selected by Fikrat Al-Tadweer for the first biomethanol plant in Saudi Arabia 12/17
- Digital Exclusive: Root cause analysis on hydrochloric acid corrosion in a diesel hydrotreater unit 12/16
- Digital Feature: Enabling growth through strategic cost optimization for petrochemical and refining companies 12/16
- Rohm awards NextChem feasibility study for PMMA-polymer chemical recycling plant project 12/16
- Westlake to rationalize certain North American chlorovinyl and styrene assets 12/16

