Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Construction

Fix nozzle elevations and orientations for distillation columns

Consultant: Dixit, P.

An engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor receives a front-end engineering design (FEED) package or basic design and engineering package as an input document from the owner.

Why EPC firms are accelerating digitalization

AspenTech: Donnelly, P.

Even before the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms were already under considerable stress.

Reverse refining: A novel approach to the refining process

Heatoil Solutions LLC: Echenagucia, J. E.

The crude oil refining processing sequence is based on the separation of distillate products from heavier ones and concentrating the heavy molecules of the barrel for processing at the end of the refining run.

Industry Perspectives

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

This month, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> will be hosting two events—one to showcase the latest in processing technologies in the refining and petrochemicals markets, and the other to provide an update on the latest trends, initiatives and capital project investments in the global hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI).

Innovations

What are the latest advancements in HPI technologies? This month’s Innovations section details the tools and technologies that are optimizing plant operations.

Separating from the competition: Recovering profits after the pandemic

General Atomics: Christianson, J.  |  Scalco, V.

As recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic begins, so will a return to normal life.

Good distributor design for high-velocity feed debottlenecks a crude preflash tower

Bazan Group: Blum, B.
Fluor: Kister, H.
Koch-Glitsch: Tsang, R.

Bazan Group’s crude unit No. 3—not designed by any of the authors’ companies—was bottlenecked by the preflash tower.

Industry Perspectives: Will capital investments increase in 2021 and beyond?

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the past several years, the world witnessed a significant increase in downstream capacity growth in all sectors of the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI). However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in demand for transportation fuels and certain petrochemical value chains.

Editorial Comment: Maintenance and reliability—A cornerstone of safe and efficient plant operation

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Refineries and petrochemical plants are comprised of a series of crucial processes to produce transportation fuels, products and chemicals demanded by the global market. These processes consist of capital-intensive units that must be maintained to provide reliable performance. Failure to adequately maintain these assets can have a detrimental effect to not only operations and profit, but also to worker safety.

Editorial Comment

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Over the past several decades, the hydrocarbon processing industry has invested heavily in new processing units to produce low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur (ULS) transportation fuels.