Crude oil
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.
Business Trends: The economics of reliability—An interim report on the global refining industry
What is reliability? Most people think reliability is simply a measure of failure, or lack of failure. If something runs for a longer period without failing, then it is more reliable than something that runs for less time. However, reliability is a measure of how often something performs when you want it to.
Understanding HCN in FCC: Formation, effects and mitigating options
In these challenging times, fluidized catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) aim to improve margins by processing poorer- or different-quality feeds, while maintaining good yield performance.
TOTAL refineries improve overhead systems corrosion and salting with amine-neutralizing technology
Weak organic amines are commonly used in crude unit overhead systems to prevent acidic corrosion from chlorides and other acidic contaminants via a neutralization reaction.
Leveraging digital technologies to create the smart renewable diesel facility
Many companies are modifying existing crude refineries or building grassroots renewable diesel facilities to produce drop-in, green renewable diesel from a variety of agriculturally derived triglyceride feedstocks.
- Ketjen announces pricing adjustment for hydroprocessing catalysts effective January 15, 2026 1/9
- Germany's Uniper nears agreement to buy green ammonia from India 1/9
- Digital Exclusive—Valve maintenance: An open and shut case? 1/9
- Serbia's Russian-owned NIS refiner buys first crude since U.S. sanctions waiver 1/9
- U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum says it will be bidding for Venezuelan crude oil 1/9
- Shell flags chemicals and products unit loss, raising doubts over $3.5 B buyback 1/8
