Crude oil
Oil refinery/petrochemical integration in a CO2-constrained world—Part 2
Petrochemical demand will increase with gross domestic product, while the demand for motor fuels will only show modest growth and may even decline in certain regions, given environmental/legislative pressures and the introduction of battery-powered electric vehicles.
MAA refinery—Bunker fuel oil challenge: Stable and compatible VLSFO production
Studies have been conducted on strategies for bunker fuel oil (BFO) production with reduced sulfur and catalytic fines concentration limits.
Online treatment of a slide valve fault in an FCCU
The regeneration slide valve is a key piece of equipment that controls the ratio of catalyst to oil and reaction temperature in FCC units (FCCUs).
Industry Perspectives
Last month, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> presented its mid-year market update to a global audience.
Industry Metrics
U.S. Gulf Coast margins increased, supported by unplanned refinery outages that limited a stronger recovery in run rates and kept product outputs relatively supressed.
Reverse refining: A novel approach to the refining process
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.
Editorial Comment: Optimization: Advancing the industry’s evolution and benefits to the masses
Optimization—the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource—is not a term that the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) takes lightly: it is a way of life.
Reliability: Exploring better compressor sour seal oil traps
An interesting case involving sour seal oil traps in an offshore application recently came to our attention.
Good distributor design for high-velocity feed debottlenecks a crude preflash tower
Bazan Group’s crude unit No. 3—not designed by any of the authors’ companies—was bottlenecked by the preflash tower.
Executive Viewpoint: It was the best of times
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”. Fortunately, this opening line from A Tale of Two Cities does not often present itself as an appropriate analogy to the oil and gas industry. Yet, here we are.

- AVTL to develop ammonia terminal in Pipavav, India 6/20
- px Group signs LOIs for major SAF and green hydrogen/ammonia projects in Europe 6/19
- How TotalEnergies is utilizing hydrogen to decarbonize its refineries in Europe 6/19
- Oil tanker market signals more Middle East energy disruption ahead 6/19
- Yokogawa collaborates with Shell on robotics and AI technology for plant maintenance 6/19
- Alder Process Technology uses APS to produce low-carbon marine fuels 6/19